How to File a Home Insurance Claim: 4 Easy Steps and Pro Tips

Trying to learn how to file a home insurance claim? 

Damage to your home can come from a lot of different sources. Wind, hail, snow, rain, you name it. If your home has sustained damage, you might be wondering, well, what now?

If it’s your first time dealing with this problem, then you might feel a little overwhelmed. Should you call your home insurance provider right away? If the problem isn’t solved soon, will your home be vulnerable to more damage if another storm comes through?

To help streamline the process of your home being returned to its former glory, follow these four simple steps.

Find a Reputable Contractor for a Damage Assessment

The first step in addressing a damaged home is finding a local, reliable contractor to come to your home and do a damage assessment. Look for a contractor with good reviews and has experience dealing with this issue.

Also, this is not a service you should expect to pay for. So, don’t confuse a contractor who charges for a damage assessment to be more reputable than one that does not. A good contractor will be an expert on everything that must be known to offer an accurate assessment, including local building codes.

So, find an expert contractor and you’re well on your way to solving the problem.

Pro Tip: Watch Out for Storm Chasers

If you just got hit by a severe storm, odds are roofers will be door knocking in your neighborhood. While some reputable roofing companies do this, it is more common for out-of-town roofing companies to swoop in with the lowest bid, only to leave you with a crappy roof and no way to get them to fix it.

In the roofing industry, we call these guys ‘storm chasers’ because they come from all over the U.S. chasing storms and door knocking neighborhoods to get business. The problem with this is that they are not local so they are not necessarily held accountable for their quality of work.

When selecting a roofing company to trust with your roof, make sure to hire a licensed local roofer with plenty of reviews. Not only are they in the area if anything goes wrong, but they have a reputation to protect. Not to mention most reputable roofing companies offer a workmanship warranty which will further protect you and your home.

File an Insurance Claim

After the inspection and assessment, if there is confirmed damage, then you’ll have to call your insurance provider. We recommend avoiding calling an agent. They will want to help, but they aren’t necessarily equipped to handle these problems. Instead, call a claims line.

Contractors will typically have a “worksheet” that gives you a step by step guide on how to file an insurance claim, which will have you provide information like your adjuster’s number, policy number, date and time to meet, etc.

Set Up an Insurance Adjusters Meeting

After you file your insurance claim, you’ll have to set-up your meeting the insurance adjuster. Make sure that the contractor who did your damage assessment can be present for this meeting. A good contractor will help take the formalities and the overall process of the meeting off your shoulders to ensure that what can be covered by your insurance is actually covered.

They won’t step outside of their role as a contractor, but they are the best person to accurately relay their knowledge and expertise of the damage to the adjuster.

The adjuster will ultimately make the determination of what can be covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy. The right contractor with the right credentials will help make this process go smoother.

Get the Job Done

The final step is pretty obvious. Get the damage fixed and your house running properly again. You should use the same contractor to complete the job that you used at the start (this is highly recommended, as they already know the ins and outs of the damage). Make sure that they properly document everything when they are fixing your home.

This is very important, as they may come across new issues that weren’t known from simply looking at the damage. If your contractor makes these notes, then you can get proper reimbursement for any additional costs that you might run into during the repairs.

Trust Northface Construction With Your Damage Repair

We’ve been working with homeowners for quite some time now in helping them navigate the process of repairing damaged homes. From filing the insurance claim, to when the final nail is hammered into your home, we’ll be with you every step of the way.

We offer free damage inspection services. A knowledgeable project consultant will come to your home at your convenience and give you a detailed overview of the damage. No matter if it’s a repair, replacement, or renovation of your siding, roofing, windows, doors, or decks (and more), we’ll get the job done for you in a timely manner.

We want to make sure that you know what is going on with your home. We’ll educate you on the issue, what steps need to be taken to remedy the damage and timetables for completion.

Give us a call at (763) 251-9680 to learn more!