Frozen Burst Pipe Water Damage Claim

[jabe]

Hello,

Has anyone dealt with a water damage claim with Allstate? Just want to know what to expect during this process. I had pipes burst and water damage in my entire house.

•Do I have to go with the Contractors the Insurance Company/Agent referred or advised to go with to repair/replace pipes, kitchen cabinets, flooring, baseboards, door trim, etc.?

•How do I go about my Additional Living Expenses? I’m staying at a church members vacant home and the Home Restoration Company informed me that this will be a few months to get done and I’ll need an emergency pack out approved by Adjuster. Will this be a separate payout bc I can’t afford to pay $2800-3000/month along with my mortgage and other responsibilities.

•Will the Adjuster move things around and touch things?

•Will the adjuster test my damaged electronics?

•Does it matter the amount of damage for the adjuster to approve it?

For example, the legs of my dining chairs, dining table, beds, cabinets, were all in water. Some has minor water damage (some visible, some not unless you really look), others has visible water stains and swelling.

Any advice will help, many thanks!

 

[cpkukreja]

@jabe Get the water damage mitigated ASAP, using your insurance companies' preferred vendor is ok in this case to speed the process up and mitigate further damage.

If I were you I would interview a few General Contractors for the repairs, first question should be "do you work with insurance claims?" Your agent could have good contractors or they could be preferred because they do the minimum, gloss over additional potential issues and do it cheaply. You can choose any contractor you want and as long as they are replace with like kind and quality materials and only what is necessary to get your property back to pre-loss condition, Allstate will pay the bill. My experience however is that Allstate is one of the most difficult companies to work with on the claims side and you may need a public adjuster or lawyer to get what you need to restore your property. Good luck!

 

[jabe]

@cpkukreja Thanks so much for insight. Another question for you, Is it normal for the Restoration Company wanting to be present during the Adjuster Inspection?

 

[mitsudang]

@jabe Yes, it helps everyone get on the same page as far as what has been done and what needs to be done.

 

[jabe]

@cpkukreja Should I get a public adjuster and/or lawyer before or after my Adjuster Inspection?

 

[mitsudang]

@jabe PA, maybe but probably not. See what the insurance company offers and if it is in line with the contractor, there is no need to give away 10%+ of your settlement to a PA. A good contractor familiar with insurance claims can work with you and the carrier to get an agreement on scope and price. Why would you need an attorney?

 

[cpkukreja]

@jabe Get a contractor to meet with the adjuster to try and get a proper scope off the bat and discuss what items might need to be added via supplement. If the contractor you choose says that your insurance adjuster isn’t paying for necessary repairs, then it maybe time to explore PA or lawyer options

 

[puddintain]

@cpkukreja Most preferred vendors have a warranty period for workmanship of several years. In my experience they do not gloss over issues because they don’t want to be responsible for additional damage from things they touched.

 

[cpkukreja]

@puddintain Managed repair program by Madsky, lots of contractors got screwed and then customers got poor quality work.

 

[sorn]

@jabe We are also dealing with the same issue--house has major water damage from burst pipes in our attic while we were away for a few days. What a stressful process! We are a month in and haven't gotten many answers from Allstate. Also haven't gotten reimbursed for any receipts we submitted for ALE yet.

We had an adjuster out to look at the house with our contractor and Allstate sent us an extremely low estimate for rebuild (not surprising). They sent us a check for that amount as partial payment. We submitted a contractor's estimate to rebuild ($200k over the adjuster's estimate) and are waiting to hear from the adjuster.

Have you submitted an inventory of personal property damage yet? Did someone come to look at your things? Since we were gone when the water damage occurred, the house and belongings were wet for 48+ hours before mitigation started. I am worried about the extent of damage that I may not be able to see/smell yet.