What’s In This Articles

• How to Get Your Homeowners’ Insurance Claim Check Faster
• File Your Claim as Soon as You Can
• Read Your Policy
• Start to Collect Evidence of Your Loss
• Do You Have a Home Inventory List?
• What Delays the Payment of Insurance Claims?
• How Long Does It Take For Property Damage Claims to Get Resolved?
• Note: You May Get Several Checks from the Insurance Adjuster
• Actual Cash Value v. Replacement Cost Value
• If You Have to File a Property Damage Insurance Claim, Give AllCity Adjusters a Call

How to Get Your Homeowners’ Insurance Claim Check Faster

If a hurricane or fire has damaged your home, hopefully, no one was injured. But now you face several hurdles. First, clean up the damaged areas. Then you’ll have to meet with contractors and insurance company adjusters. One question you have to yourself is :
Is there any way to get your insurance claim check faster?

Well, actually, there are a few things you can do to speed up the process:

File Your Claim as Soon as You Can

Report insurance claims promptly. Therefore, call your agent the next day. Alternatively, most insurance companies have 24/7/365 phone lines that accept claims. In addition, make sure your insurer has current contact information for you.

Read Your Policy

Know your rights. Additionally, read your policy and comply with the reporting requirements stated in the policy. It’s also prudent to know what’s required by state law.

Start to Collect Evidence of Your Loss

Document your loss. Take photos of the damage before you do any cleanup or repairs. And keep a record of conversations with insurance company adjusters and contractors.

Do You Have a Home Inventory List?

If a fire or storm damages personal property, such as furniture, appliances, and clothing, you’ll be making a damage claim for those items. Certainly, it will be helpful if you know the date of purchase, the purchase price, the model number, etc., for damaged items when you file your claim.

If you didn’t keep receipts for damaged appliances or electronics, take pictures of the model number on the items before you throw them away.

The more documentation and photos of your damaged property you have, the better the chance the insurance company will not question your claim.

What Delays the Payment of Insurance Claims?

On the other hand, there are several things you may do which will delay the processing of the home insurance claim.

For instance, if you don’t provide all the required paperwork to the insurance company, that is a problem. Certainly, that will delay your homeowners’ insurance claim from being resolved.

We mention a home inventory list above. If you want to be paid for damaged personal property, give the carrier-specific details for the damaged or destroyed property. General descriptions of the estimated purchase price and estimated date of purchase will not go over well with the insurance company.

If you delay sending the insurer estimates for repair, receipts for purchasing replacement furniture or appliances, or receipts for additional living expenses, the payment for your claim will take longer.

Of course, complicated or expensive liability claims can take longer to process than more straightforward property damage claims.

How Long Does It Take For Property Damage Claims to Get Resolved?

Generally, it takes anywhere from a few days to several weeks for the insurance claim process to finish. Some state insurance regulations require companies to pay out claims within five days after acceptance, while others give companies 30 days or more to send their claim payment.

And then some states have no set time limit at all.

Check on your state insurance commissioner’s website or ask your insurance agent.

Lastly, more expensive claims typically take longer to process than less expensive ones.

Note: You May Get Several Checks from the Insurance Adjuster

Depending on your home insurance claim, you may receive separate checks throughout the insurance settlement process. The initial payment is not always the final one. For example, let’s say a tree falls on your house, damaging your roof. In that instance, the insurance adjuster may write you a check immediately to pay to remove the tree and temporarily repair the roof to prevent additional losses.

If a fire severely damages your home and you had to go to a hotel while it was being repaired, you will get reimbursed for additional living expenses (ALE). In that case, the adjuster may issue you a check to cover the ALEs for the two weeks they estimated the repairs would take.

Of course, they will deduct these advances from the final settlement payout.

In the examples above, the insurance company will pay the insured directly. However, in other instances, the insurer may send payments to the contractor who’s overseeing your home’s repairs.

Additionally, checks may be made payable to you and your mortgage lender if you’re currently paying off your home and they’re listed on your home insurance policy. The mortgage company will hold the check and they will pay the contractors.

They do this because the mortgage company wants to be sure the homeowner will repair the property.

Actual Cash Value v. Replacement Cost Value

Depending on your insurance coverage, you may get two checks for damaged or destroyed personal property.

The first check you receive will be for the actual cash value of your items — meaning depreciation is factored in. This is the case even if you have replacement cost coverage for your personal belongings. Then, once you send copies of the purchase receipts for replacement items, they’ll send you another check to cover the difference.

Again, this is common in the insurance industry. The insurer wants to make sure you actually replace the items. If you don’t, you’ll only be paid for the depreciated value of your belongings.

If You Have to File a Property Damage Insurance Claim, Give AllCity Adjusters a Call

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

Insurance companies undervalue your claim 8 out of 10 times. They hire expensive claims adjusters to ensure they maintain a strong profit margin. Additionally, they have experienced actuaries that help their team of agents challenges your insurance claim’s validity and value.

Of course, having all or part of your roof torn off your home by a storm is a tumultuous event. Therefore, get an agency that gets you more during the claims process.

The first thing to remember is that we are experts on all types of home insurance policies. Moreover, we can review your policy with you to find out exactly what insurance coverage you have for the damage to your home.

We’ll assess the damage to your property. Then we’ll help you prepare and file an accurate and complete claim with the insurance company.

In addition, we’ll collect and organize supporting documents, such as photos, repair estimates, and a home inventory list to give to the insurance claims adjuster.

Importantly, we know how the claim process works. Therefore, we will get the necessary documents to the insurance carrier to get your home insurance claim check faster.

We will contact your insurance company to negotiate a settlement for you. A settlement that will get you the money you deserve.

Don’t get fooled, get the company that gets you more. Call us today at 844.692.3587. Or you can visit our website to find an office near you.