Insurance
Detailed Steps to Help You Navigate Insurance Claims
- Free Estimates
- Better Warranties
Perrault Construction's Guide to the Insurance Claim Process
Having an incident that damages your home is difficult enough. Filing an insurance claim for roof damage can seem like an extra daunting task, but breaking it down into step-by-step actions can make the process smoother.
Contact your Insurance Company or Agent.
Once an incident occurs that causes damage, contact your insurance agent, they are there to help! Your agent will either file the claim for you or help explain the steps to file the claim on your own.
Damage Mitigation
Attempt to mitigate or find someone to help mitigate any further damage caused by the incident. Any subsequent damage that occurs after the incident that could have been prevented, may not be covered by your policy. If a tree falls on your house and rain gets in and causes more damage, that might not be covered. Insurance will often cover cost of damage mitigation, so contact your contractor as soon as possible. Keep receipts and information on any of these repairs as proof.
Find a Contractor
You are allowed to choose who does the repair/replacement work, this includes Perrault Construction.
Your insurance company can not require you to work with any certain company, and more than likely you only need one estimate.
The contractor will come out to examine the repair and provide you and the insurance company with an estimate. Tip: Some contractors (including Perrault) will use specific software that works seamlessly with the insurance company adjustment software. This will save a lot of time on the back and forth.
Adjuster
Sometimes, an adjuster sets a time to examine the damage as well. If the homeowner receives an adjustment, they should provide it to the contractor. Legally, a homeowner CAN NOT profit from an insurance claim, this is insurance fraud.
Claim Approval
If the claim is approved, the insurance company will provide a check for the "actual cash value" (ACV) minus your deductible . Next, you will make a down payment to your contractor and go over the adjustment to identify total costs and total insurance payout.
Repair Work
After the down payment is made the contractor will complete the repair work on your home. If you would like to upgrade the damaged section, you can opt to do so. The homeowner is responsible for the difference between the upgrade and the adjustment. If any underlying damage is found that was caused by the incident, the contractor can submit a claim for supplemental insurance to cover the additional damages.
Work Finished
Upon completion of the repair/replacement work, the insurance company will ask for an invoice from your contractor showing final costs. Your mortgage company may also request images of the finished product and/or require an inspection.
Payment
After completion, the insurance company will pay the remainder of the claim, less the homeowner deductible, if they hadn’t done so already.
If there is a mortgage on the home, sometimes the insurance payment will go to the lien holder, who will send to the homeowner, who will pay the contractor.
The deductible MUST be paid by the homeowner.