Nobody expects water damage to occur, but when it does, it is important to be prepared so you can quickly get your life back to normal. Now that hurricane season is upon us in South Florida, it’s more important than ever to know what to do if your home experiences water damage. You already know that you must contact your insurer for residential claims in Boca Raton, but do you know what your next steps are? Furthermore, did you know that you can contact your own public adjuster instead of using the adjuster provided by your insurer?
Contacting a Florida public adjuster, like the team at Alpha Public Adjusters, can speed up the claims process, maximize your reimbursement and help you begin your road to recovery much sooner.
What Can A Public Adjuster Do For You?
A public adjuster will work on your behalf, not for your insurer. They can help you understand your policy and begin the insurance claims process, so you don’t make mistakes. Even the smallest mistake can result in a lower reimbursement from the insurance company.
Contact Your Insurer
Your first step should be contacting your insurer and letting them know about the water damage. It is strongly recommended that you review your policy before they send out an adjuster, as this will explain whether the damages are covered or not. It’s important to work quickly, as you will need to contact a restoration company soon after. It is preferable if the adjuster arrives before the restoration company, as this will give them a firsthand and more accurate look at the damages.
Look Over Home/Take Pictures
Before looking over your home, it is important that you first turn off the electricity. If the flooding is very bad and forces you to stand in puddles of water, it is recommended not to enter that part of the home.
Go around the house a second time but this time take lots of pictures to present to your insurance company. It also helps to document the damage before the restoration company begins cleanup. Some people choose to do this step first, but it is recommended to put off documentation until you have contacted your insurer.
Get In Touch With A Restoration Company
Water can cause serious damage to your property, so it’s advised that you have a restoration company on the scene at least 24 hours after the damage occurred. Even if you think you can handle the cleanup yourself, it’s recommended that you contact a professional, as you may not remove all of the water from your home. Improper restoration can result in mold growth, making your home unhealthy and dangerous to live in.
Depending on the extent of the water damage, you may need to get rid of some valuable items, including sofas and other large furniture. You should also be prepared to remove flooring, drywall, and insulation to prevent the growth of mold and mildew.
Contact Alpha Public Adjusters
Some clients contact us right away, some wait until they hear from the insurance adjuster and contact us for a second opinion. We recommend that you absolutely contact a Florida public adjuster when:
- Your damage is extensive
- Your insurer offered a quick reimbursement
- The claims process is taking too long
Extensive damages result in more complicated insurance claims. Therefore we recommend working with a PA to help guide you through the process and prevent you from making mistakes.
You want your insurance company to handle your claim quickly, but when they come back with a quick offer, this is a common, but an unethical tactic. Insurers pay their policyholders quickly to satisfy them, however, the reimbursement is typically far too low. Most policyholders are so pleased with how quickly their claim was handled that they don’t stop to consider whether they were entitled to more money.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are delayed claims. If your claim is taking too long, don’t merely wait around to see what happens. You may end up taking a low reimbursement just to get things over with. Instead, contact Alpha Public Adjusters for residential claims in Boca Raton. Call (888) 442-5742 today.
