What should I do if I have a Disaster loss like fire, water, flood, and vehicle impact to my property, tree on my house, etc.?Contact your insurance immediately, and then contact a qualified Cleaning & Construction firm to secure your property.
Do I need to contact someone to secure my property? Yes, your insurance policy states that you have a DUTY to:
- Report your loss in a timely fashion
- Prevent further damage by securing the property or whatever means necessary to mitigate the loss (and be sure that all debris is secured so that no one can be hurt)
Should I hire a Public Adjuster (PA)? That answer depends on your loss. If you suffered a heavy commercial loss, or heavy contents claim, you may need a Public Adjuster (PA). In most circumstances a Qualified Restoration Cleaning & Construction Contractor can assist you in dealing with the Insurance Company by compiling an agreed upon estimate for repairs and a detailed inventory of your contents loss. The Insurance Company has to work with the contractor of your choice in the State of Ohio. They need to negotiate your loss based on the compiled paperwork. A PA will charge you upwards of 10% on average to compile this paperwork while never doing any real work to your property. Your Insurance does NOT cover the PA fee percentage that is paid out of part of your settlement. Most PA's will hire a restoration contactor to do the estimate and to compile the paperwork and pay them a fee. A Qualified Restoration Contractor can do that as part of the claims process if you hire them at NO additional cost to you!
Do I need to get 3 estimates? NO. The Insurance Company has to work with the contractor of your choice in the State of Ohio. They need to negotiate your loss based on the compiled paperwork on an agreed scope of repairs. That does not mean that the insurance will pay whatever the contractor wants, it means they HAVE to negotiate and settle with the contractor of your choice.
How do I know if the contactor will bill me in excess of what the insurance is paying? ASK the contractor if they have agreed pricing with the Insurance Company. Most Contactors use Xactimate, the estimating software used by about 75% of Insurance companies. Get your contactor to put it in writing that they will accept the agreed rate of pay with the insurance for the agreed scope (amounts of work to be performed).
Please contact us to learn how Calvetta Bros. Construction can help you get your life back to normal. One call to 216.622.5550 is all it takes for a complete solution to all your restoration and renovation needs.