Imagine this. You are just getting home after a long day. You slip off your shoes, walk in the front door and immediately you notice that your socks are wet. You look down and oh no.. A pipe has burst and there is water EVERYWHERE.

What do you do in an event like that? Obviously, you want to make a home insurance claim but where do you start?

Step one, turn off the water to the house. Locate the source of the problem. Assess the damage. Take pictures. Take as many detailed pictures as possible.

Step two, call your agent. If it is after hours, locate a copy of your policy and call directly to the carrier. Considering most things are digital these days, if you cannot locate a physical copy, check your email or you can locate your policy in your insurance portal. They will have a number directly to their claims line. Make sure you are ready to provide the following information; your name, policy number, address, and a detailed description of the cause of loss and damages. The claims rep should provide you with a claims number that you should write down in a safe place. You will need this number for all correspondence.

Now that your claim is made, an adjuster will be assigned to your case and typically contact you directly within 24 to 48 hours. If they have not, call back, provide the claims #, and ask to be transferred to the adjuster assigned to your case.

Step 3, which is the most important, MITIGATE DAMAGES. This means taking reasonable measures to avoid further losses. So, if the cause of loss is a roof leak, you would need to tarp the damaged area of roof and prevent further damage caused by weather, mold or rodents. You would also be responsible for extracting any sitting water or locating a mitigation company like Servpro to do so to prevent mold. Most home insurance policies allot a dollar amount for emergency mitigation. You should find that information in your policy or by asking your agent or claims rep.

Step 4, get bids from 3 reputable contractors. (See our blog titled “Choosing the Right Contractor” for more information on how to do so.) Your adjuster is going to go one of two ways. Either he is going to accept/deny/make adjustments to your chosen contractor’s bid or he is going to provide his own estimate and it will be up to the policy holder to make sure there are zero discrepancies between your chosen bid and the adjusters estimate. If there are discrepancies in your contractor’s favor, simply send an email to the adjuster (paper trail) with those discrepancies and ask for a supplemental payment. Typically, if reasonable, the adjuster is going to do so. Remember, the point of insurance is to make you whole again. Not any more, not any less.

Once you have approval from your adjuster, get started getting your home back in order! Make sure to let the adjuster know the repairs were made by sending pictures when complete. Good luck!