Winter Water Damage from Ice Dams, Tips from an insurance Adjuster

OH NO…. Water Damaged ceilings and Walls from the year’s past winters storms.  As I write this at the end of August 2015 we still have crews on a weekly basis still repairing ceilings and walls.

We have met with insurance adjusters, homeowners, homeowner’s uncles as well as repaired a severely damaged home while the homeowner was away for a month in Europe on business.

This past winter has been the worst I have ever seen during my 15 plus years in the painting business.

While working with insurance adjusters I have learned a few tips that I would like to pass on:

• Insurance companies will pay to move furniture in and out of a room that was damaged and in need of repair.
• Once repairs have started and additional work has been found, call them immediately and take lots of pictures before continuing work.  They may not cover what they do not know about.
• Damaged sheetrock, insulation and other building debris.  They will pay to dispose of this at the local transfer station
• Air dryers to dry out areas behind damaged wallboard are usually paid by the hour while they are being used.
• And most of all, just because they determine a price the damage is worth, it does not mean this price is set in stone.  Insurance companies are willing to negotiate if needed when work can not be done for the price the originally determined by them.

We recently provided an estimate for exterior painting due to sever water damage on three sides of a home.  The value the insurance adjuster arrived at was less than 50% of the cost to repaint the home. He did no account for he prep and the RRP (lead safe) work than needed to be performed.  A new price was settled on that the homeowner was comfortable with.

If you require an estimate for insurance or any other work, please feel free to give us a call at 978-683-9119.