Homeowners Insurance Claim: A Step by Step Guide

Are you going through a homeowners insurance claim?

Damage to your home can be really scary and a total pain. Getting your life back to normal is going to be a process. The better you understand how to navigate each step the smoother it will go.

So we created a step by step guide to walk you through it.

HERE’S THE GUIDE

Simply download the PDF and refer to it throughout the homeowners claim process.

Once you’ve downloaded the guide, this video will walk you through it:

Here’s how a homeowners claim will go:

PEOPLE INVOLVED

You – But you knew that already.
A Remediation Specialist – They’ll take the first steps to address the damage to your house. Cleaning up the water, tarping the roof, or whatever needs to be done, they’re specialists in addressing it.
Insurance Adjuster – The insurance company rep that makes decisions and cuts checks. Be nice to this person!!
Contractor – These are the finishers. While remediators do the initial work (e.g. – drying up water in your home), contractors add the final touches (e.g. – laying new floor).

STEPS AHEAD

Day 1

Safety’s first! This is your only focus until you and your loved ones are all safe.
Prevent further damage – only if it’s safe. But if it is, it’s a great idea.
Take notes – details are your best friend. Write down anything you can remember about your stuff. Your insurance adjuster will thank you.
Get remediation involved – this is like step 2, but taken care of by local professionals. They’ve seen this sort of thing before and will know just what to do.
Call your insurance company (or your independent insurance agent) – they’ll ask you for details on what happened. This won’t take too long. They’ll just wanna collect some initial information and make sure you’re ok.
And if needed – find a new place to live.

Week 1

Sign your remediation contract. Remember to explore all these details further in our homeowners insurance claim checklist. Print it out to help yourself stay organized.
Connect with your insurance adjuster – be nice! They’re there to help.

Week 2-ish

This is usually when you’ll get your insurance adjuster’s report. It’ll include the cause of loss, assessment of coverage, and their best guess for how much it’ll cost to repair the damage.
Remediators wrap it up – congrats! They should be done by now. Which means you’re one step closer to returning to life as usual.

Week 3 to ???

Hire contractors.
Work with your contractor & adjuster on the scope of work.
And since you have a few moments to breathe now, document anything you just remembered that your adjuster might find helpful.
Make it rain – you’ll get your first check. It won’t be for the full amount since it’ll be based on ACV, but don’t worry. It’ll be enough to get your contractors working hard on your behalf and more will be coming your way.
Fix up your home sweet home.
Start replacing your things.

The End

Assuming you’ve got replacement cost coverage, you’ll get a second check. This is to cover the difference between your first check and any additional costs.
Pay your contractors whatever amount’s remaining. This should be covered by that check you just got.
Review your people – hopefully, they did great work. Let the world know. This is the best way to thank your team for helping you through this.
Celebrate – you did it! Way to go.

HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE CLAIM ROOKIE MISTAKE

Being mean to the insurance adjuster – This person has a lot of power. Help them use it for good. Be Kind!

So that’s it! You’ve got this. Remember to advocate for yourself, expect all parties to follow through, and BE KIND. Feel free to ask questions or share your claim stories in the comments section.