What’s In This Articles

• You Have a Fire Damage Insurance Claim-What Should You Do?
• How to File Fire Damage Insurance Claims
• What Should You Do if You Have a Home Fire or Fire at Your Business?
• Do Not Try Cleaning Up Yourself!
• Filing a Fire Damage Insurance Claim
• Get Estimates from Contractors
• Additional Living Expenses
• When Do You Need a Public Adjuster?
• Public Adjusters Work for You!
• If You Need a Public Adjuster for a Fire Damage Insurance Claim, Call AllCity Adjusting

You Have a Fire Damage Insurance Claim-What Should You Do?

A fire to your home or business can be one of the most serious accidents you can have. Depending on the extent of the damage, the fire can destroy or severely damage personal property and the structure of your home. Of course, standard homeowners’ insurance will cover the cost of to repair or replace damaged property, within coverage limits. However, filing a fire damage insurance claim can lead to a complicated and lengthy claims process.

How to File Fire Damage Insurance Claims

If you had a fire at your home, the damage to your home may be more extensive than you think. Certainly, you will see the visible damage caused by the flames of a fire.

However, smoke, soot and ashes will cause damages throughout your house.

Similarly, water damage, from firefighting efforts, will likely be present.

What Should You Do if You Have a Home Fire or Fire at Your Business?

Once you safely can, inspect your home or business. Note the damaged areas of your home or building. Certainly, take as many pictures as necessary of fire damaged or destroyed property such as furniture, carpeting, drapery, etc.

In addition, make an inventory of damaged personal belongings such as clothes, appliances, paintings and the like.

Lastly, it is a good idea to get copies of any police or fire department reports.

Do Not Try Cleaning Up Yourself!

The damage in a fire may likely extend well beyond the immediate area of the fire. For instance, if the fire was confined to one or two rooms in your house, smoke, ash and soot probably spread throughout the home. Smoke and ash are dangerous!

With this in mind, contact professional cleaners or a professional smoke removal company. They will have specialized cleaning equipment and personal protection equipment.

Therefore, they can safely remove smoke residue and soot from walls, carpeting, ceilings, drapes, etc. Additionally, check your policy, but your homeowners’ insurance policy will cover the cost of cleaning up.

Filing a Fire Damage Insurance Claim

Homes or businesses which have had a fire will file a claim for fire damage and related damages to their property. As soon as you can after the fire, check the declarations page of your policy. It will tell you what damages are covered, your deducible and what coverage limits there may be.

Importantly, it will also state what time limits there are re: filing the claim.

Therefore, contact your insurance company or agent to report the fire as soon as you can. Insurance companies can deny coverage if the insured does not timely report the storm, fire, etc.

Get Estimates from Contractors

When filing a fire damage insurance claim, it will help you to have written estimates for the replacement costs or the repair costs for your damaged property. If you have damages to your roof, get a roofing contractor.

If your home had expensive woodwork, oak floors, etc., you may need a restoration company to estimate the cost of restoring your home.

Your homeowners’ insurance policy will cover damage to your home up to the coverage limits. However, you want to make sure your home gets restored to the condition it was in before the fire.

If there is structural damage, your dwelling coverage will cover the cost to repair your house up to coverage limits.

Additional Living Expenses

Your homeowners’ insurance policy will cover additional expenses caused by the fire. For instance, if you have to rent a hotel or another house while your home is being repaired, you will get reimbursed. Therefore, keep receipts for living expenses, meals, clothes, etc., that you needed as a result of the fire.

When Do You Need a Public Adjuster?

For small fire damage claims (under $10,000), you probably do not need a public adjuster.

However, if you have a large fire damage claim, a public adjuster can make sure the insurance company settles your claim for the full amount of money to which you are entitled.

Unlike the company adjusters and independent adjusters, public adjusters only work for property owners.

The state in which they work licenses them. Many previously worked as adjusters for insurance companies. Consequently, they know how insurance companies handle the property claim process.

Public Adjusters Work for You!

Public adjusters will collect the documents and information you will need to submit to the insurance company with your fire damage insurance claim. They will coordinate with any contractors to make sure your home or building is properly repaired or rebuilt.

In addition, public adjusters will also negotiate with the insurance company to make sure the insurance company pays you the full amount due to you.

And you don’t pay the public adjuster until they settle your claim. Instead, he gets paid a percentage of your settlement. Typically, that percentage is between 10 and 20 percent of the settlement.

A public adjuster will have a free consultation with you to review your fire damage insurance claim to let you know how he can help.

If You Need a Public Adjuster for a Fire Damage Insurance Claim, Call AllCity Adjusting

We are a family-owned claims company with five decades of combined adjusting experience. As a result, if there’s one thing we understand, it’s that you need 100% of your claim value.

You have already gone through a tumultuous event. For this reason, get an agency that gets you more.

At AllCity Adjusting we work to ensure you get 100% of your fire damage insurance claim value. Equally important, with over 50 years of combined adjusting experience, we know insurance companies and understand where they cut corners.

Moreover, we help you build a larger claim, maximize your claim value, and get you back to normal fast. Don’t get fooled, get the company that gets you more.

Therefore, if you have received a low-ball offer from the insurance company, or they are taking too long to process your fire damage insurance claim or you just want to talk to someone on your side, call us at 844.692.3587. Or you can email us at info@allcityadhjusting.com.