Insurance Water Claim Process

9/20/2021 (Permalink)

Water Pouring from a Ceiling Pipe

Whether it is a burst pipe like during the February winter storms or a kitchen appliance that malfunctions, a water event can happen without notice and cause lots of havoc.  It is natural for people to panic when their home and property is damaged but calm is needed to go through the right steps to determine when an insurance claim is needed and if so, what are the steps that should be followed.

The first thing when something happens is to get the source stopped and ideally fixed.  This may mean shutting the water off locally in the home or going to the curb to shut off the water to the entire house.  The next steps should be to call a plumber and a mitigation company.  The mitigation company can help get things stabilized day one and should be able to give an approximate cost to get it remediated.  The first big question we have is whether to make an insurance claim or not.  Take a look at your policy to see what your deductible is.  Aside from the mitigation, a secondary covered cost the insurance company should cover is the reconstruction side of things.  Most likely some demolition will be done during the mitigation process.  A quick, rough rule of thumb is it will cost 2x's the amount of the mitigation.  You do not want to make a claim if you will be under your deductible as that will typically result in a zero claim.  Even if insurance is not used, it will be recorded and go against your insurance record.  After deciding to make a claim or not, it is time to get a reconstruction company lined up.  The mitigation company may be able to do this piece as well, or give a recommendation.  Your insurance company or a trusted recommendation from a friend or family can also be a solution.  If a claim is made, an insurance adjuster will be assigned to you.  Keep in close contact with the adjuster.  Most mitigation work will take between 3-5 days while the reconstruction piece can take a fair amount longer depending on the extent of rebuild and availability.  

Reach out to SERVPRO of Southwest Dallas if a water event happens to you!  We are always here to help in whatever way we can.