INSURANCE RESTORATION FAQs
Do you offer emergency services for water damage?
With respect to water damage, mitigation means emergency services which includes removing standing water, drying out the structure and removing all the damaged materials that cannot be dried and must be replaced. Unlike many of the companies that specialize only in mitigation, we also do the hard part which is the 'put back'. Companies that only want to do the mitigation, do so because it is highly profitable, the job start to finish is often less than one week, and does not require highly skilled craftsman. Our experience is that many of the companies that only specialize in mitigation often demo and remove parts of the structure that could have been dried out. Without demo and removal, it can drive up the repair costs and in some cases exceed the amount the insurance companies are willing to pay for both the mitigation and the 'put back'. We always approach a mitigation job from the standpoint of knowing how much the insurance company is likely to pay and we strive to keep the costs in line with these limits. While we don’t mind going through the time consuming and difficult process of the 'put back' we really don’t like to take on projects where another company has already eaten the cake and left us to clean up the dishes.
Do you work directly with insurance adjusters?
Most insurance companies use independent adjusters, and since many of our clients are absentee investors we can meet with your insurance adjuster on your behalf. We will prepare the cost estimates for submittal to your insurance company and work with them to help you obtain a fair settlement.
What kinds of insurance claims do you handle? (wind, flood, fire, etc.)
We handle all types of insurance claims, however the most common type of claims we handle are water damages as a result of either water damage from failed plumbing fixtures or from flooding from tropical storms/hurricanes. Many of the homes in Northern Outer Banks and particular in Corolla area are subject to flooding as the topography has very little change in elevation and in the event of very heavy rains the water has no place to go. In these cases the water ponds and then seeps under the walls of the first floor.
Can you help document damages for a claim?
We will photo document all the damages, contents, and structure, and submit them to you and your adjuster.
How do you handle upgrades beyond what insurance pays?
We will work with you to apply material and labor cost towards the upgrades. For example, let’s say you had a flood which damaged the existing vinyl flooring in a bathroom. The insurance company is obligated to pay the estimated Replacement Cost Value (RCV) for the type of existing flooring. Most adjusters use a software known as Xactimate to determine the RCV and let say that the software determines the value is $500. You however desire to upgrade the flooring with ceramic tile and let’s say we have provided you with the cost of the of materials and labor and it’s $1,000. We would then credit you the $500 cost for vinyl towards the $1,000 for ceramic tile.
Do you provide temporary repairs (tarping, boarding up, etc.)?
Yes, we can provide temporary repairs of tarping roofs and board up damaged windows and doors. In the event of a major hurricane, our ability to do this is dependent upon our staff and workers getting access back to the beach after the storm. While Currituck County issues re-entry passes, in some cases it has taken several days before we could get workers out to be able to tarp roofs.
