Property damage caused by a water leak can be a stressful ordeal, regardless of your specific circumstances. It takes a lot of time and money to return your home to its former condition, especially if water dampens your wooden furniture or penetrates your walls. While you can’t do much to repair the affected areas besides bringing in trustworthy Orange County water damage contractors, you can alleviate the financial strain by filing an insurance claim.
Since making your claim can be a complicated process, we’re about to break it down and cover all the steps you need to take. Read on and you’ll save yourself a lot of trouble!
How do I file an insurance claim for water damage?
Since you can’t just paint over water damage and wait for the problem to resolve itself, it’s crucial to react fast. When accidental water harm takes place, take the following action to make the most of your insurance claim efforts:
Secure your valuables and prevent further damage
Once your insurer has been notified about the disaster, you need to prevent further damage to your house. The best practices include tapping holes in your roof, turning off the water supply, removing excessive water, and boarding up any broken windows or doors. In addition, move your valuables to a dry place so that they can remain in good condition.
Record your water damage
Take videos and pictures of the affected areas and hold onto any broken or damaged parts that may have brought about the damage or allowed the water to seep in. As a result, you’ll have incontrovertible evidence for your claim. Bear in mind that you shouldn’t throw anything away and alter the scene before an adjuster shows up to examine the property.
Go through your insurance policy
Whether or not your homeowners insurance policy covers water damage depends on numerous factors, which is why you’ll need to determine what it covers. You might or might not be covered for the following:
- Drain or sewer backup
- Floods
- Mold remediation
- Accidental water damaged caused by your air conditioning or heating system
- Restoration of your water-damaged electronics, furnishings, and other personal items
- Living expenses if you need to relocate to provisional lodgings during the repairs
Make an inventory of the damaged possessions
State the make and model of each affected piece, current condition, age, cash value, and replacement cost. Compiling such a detailed list is time-consuming, but it’s key to getting reimbursement for your water-damaged contents.
What are the steps for filing a claim?
After reviewing your insurance policy, collecting enough evidence, and creating an inventory of the damaged possessions, it’s time to come up with a written notice to your insurer and make an official claim. Provide all relevant details and explain them at length.
Once you’ve filed your claim, your insurer will get in touch with you within a day or two. They’ll describe the process and lay out your responsibilities. The insurance company will begin to investigate the claim within 15 days upon receiving your written notice. To that end, they’ll send an adjuster to assess the damage.
The insurance company has 15 business days to grant or deny your claim. If the claim is accepted, you’ll get your money within five business days. If not, you’ll receive the explanation for the denial in writing.
Call the top-rated Orange County water damage remediation experts at any time of the day
Preventing water damage can be quite challenging. Many types of plumbing are prone to ruptures, causing extensive flooding. In that case, don’t hesitate for a second to reach out to EHS. Our team of plumbers have years of experience under their belt and will restore your home to its former condition in expert fashion.
Once our reliable contractors step in, your Santa Ana house will once again be leak-free and completely safe.
Hire EHS! We are at your service 24/7.