The idea of making a home insurance claim can be daunting and overwhelming. Let’s take a quick look at some key pieces of house insurance claims advice to provide a clear picture of what you should expect along the way.
Safety first
The first thing to ensure in the event of an incident is to make sure that everyone is safe and sound, especially if the situation involves:
Call the local authorities. It’s important to keep record of any documentation for (or provided by) the fire department, police, or other applicable authorities. That information could become useful for the claims department of your insurance company.
Claims counseling
When you contact your insurance broker or provider, it’s quite common for them to offer what’s called “claims counselling.”
This provides you with an opportunity to provide a bit of background of the situation, and the company can then provide an informed opinion on whether or not it’s in your best interest to file a claim.
This could save money for you in the long run, depending on the size of your deductible or levels of responsibility covering the home.
Your claim will be filed
Once you’ve made the decision to move forward with your claim it will be documented and you’ll be provided with a reference number for your claim.
During this process you may have to provide a complete record of the incident, including:
- Documentation of the damage related to your home
- Documentation of any damaged or missing items
- Police reports (if there are any)
- Previous claims you can remember
All of this paints a clearer picture for your insurance provider to understand what happened, exactly, and how much repairs or replacements could cost.
You’ll be assigned a claims representative
You’ll have a represented from your insurance company assigned to serve as the quarterback, dispensing house insurance claims advice for the rest of the process.
Depending on your claim situation, you may have to arrange to have assessors, estimators, adjusters or other agents meet with you. Your claims representative will help to arrange these meetings.
Your claim will be assessed
The concept of insurance is to restore you to the same position you were in prior to the occurrence of your claim. Assessments let your insurance provider figure out what that position was, and how much it will cost to get back to that point.
These expenses could include things like:
- Cleanup crews
- Retail purchases to replace contents
- Temporary living accommodations for you
That’s not an exhaustive list by any stretch, but it gives you an idea of what those expenses look like.
Work will be fulfilled and settled
Once the assessment is complete, credible contractors will be assigned to complete the required work. Insurance companies typically have a roster of reliable industry partners that can perform the repairs.
Insurance companies will usually stand behind their workmanship with guarantees of the quality, but always double-check you have that in writing ahead of time.
Going through the claims process can certainly be a stressful and emotional time for everyone involved. Follow this guide and things will get back to normal in no time.
Want to see the cost to rebuild your home, or just what competitive house insurance rates look like? Get a 3-minute quote right here.
The price you’re quoted is the price you pay.
