how to settle

HOW TO SETTLE YOUR CLAIM

1. NOTIFY YOUR INSURANCE AGENT:

Immediately after you've sustained your loss, call your local insurance agent. They will assign an insurance adjuster to access the dollar value of your claim.

2. OBTAIN ESTIMATES:

Some insurance companies settle a claim based on the estimate prepared by the insurance adjuster. Should you disagree with their settlement you should obtain 2-3 estimates to submit to the adjuster. Your main concern is to ensure you are able to get the work repaired for the amount of money the insurance company is offering to pay. That's why it's important to get an estimate from the company you wish to do the repair work first before you settle your claim. Some insurance companies simply ask owners to obtain 2-3 estimates and submit them to the adjuster or local insurance agent with the lesser of the group being the agreed settlement price. It is your property so ultimately it is your decision who does the repair work. You aren't required to use a particular contractor even if they entered your property to perform temporary repairs at the request of the insurance company. You are free to hire anyone as long as the contractor you hire reaches an agreed price with your insurance company.

3. CLAIM SETTLEMENT:

An agreement needs to be reached between you (the Owner), the insurance adjuster and the contractor (you have chosen to do the repair work) on the scope of work to be done and price it is to be done for. It is imperative you don't settle your claim with the insurance company on any amount until you know you have a contractor who will do the work for the amount they are allowing you. That's why it's important to have the contractor work with the adjuster on the settlement of your claim. Once this agreement is reached between all three parties, the scheduling of the repair work can begin.

4. WHICH CONTRACTOR TO HIRE:

If you have followed steps 1-3 above, you may already know which contractor you wish to hire to do the repair work. If you have settled your claim with your insurance company without knowing who the contractor will be or if you wish to use another contractor than originally used to settle your claim, you need to look for the following when hiring a contractor:

A. Proof of insurance coverage from the contractor before starting work.

B. Ask for 2-3 references on similar insurance jobs they have recently completed. (It is important the contractor you hire has experience with fire or water damage projects to successfully restore the damage to pre-loss condition).

C. Ask for an itemized written estimate, which details the work they propose to do.

D. Allowances for light fixtures, floor covering, cabinets, etc. should be listed on the estimate.

5. HIRING A CONTRACTOR:

Once you have decided on which contractor to hire, you will then need to:

1. Sign a written contract with the contractor, which details the work to be done, and the agreed price the work is to be done for.

2. Work out a schedule for the time frame the work is to be started and finished.

3. Pay any deductible, if applicable, or first draft at the time of signing the contract with the contractor.

4. Request your insurance company to make the check payable to you and the contractor doing the work, (most companies do this anyway).

6. WHAT TO EXPECT HIRING ENGLISH CONSTRUCTION:

ADJUSTER:

1. If we are retained as your contractor, we will work closely with your insurance adjuster to ensure they will cover every detail of damage sustained in your loss.

WRITTEN CONTRACT:

2. Once the scope of work and price agreement is reached between all three parties, a detailed written contract between you, the owner and English Construction, Inc. will need to be signed giving us authorization to make the repairs.

PAYMENT:

3. After signing of the contract and the down payment or first draft is received, our job supervisor will walk the job with you before beginning restoration work to your property.

SUPPLEMENT:

4. Any additional damage discovered during the restoration work which was not seen during the initial estimation inspection is usually additional costs which are covered by the insurance called supplements. We will notify your adjuster immediately should any additional damage be discovered to ensure the extra work is covered and will be paid for by the insurance company.

CHANGE ORDERS:

5. If you've ever wished to upgrade or make changes, while we're doing the restoration work is the best time to make these changes. We will give you a written quote on any desired changes you wish to make.

A "real live" person answers our phone not an answering machine We're here to serve you!

THANK YOU FOR CHOOSING

ENGLISH CONSTRUCTION, INC.

Frequently Asked Questions