Public Adjusters? Storm damage.

[Scanner]

Hello. . .my town was hit pretty hard with the recent derecho. In fact, my block was on CNN a couple nights/week.

A construction company stopped by and they told me they work with public adjusters and they will inspect my property for damage and see if anything needs to be replaced and fixed.

They already noted (and I admit I didn't see it) that a couple of shingles were blown loose on the roof.

Add to that, my business was disrupted and loss income for 1 week and I have still had cancellations due to power outages.

I don't know anything about that side of insurance. Anything predatory I should worry about? I understand they take 15% of the claim but maybe the fee is worth it. I have conflicting feelings. . .on one hand, I don't want to just file an insurance claim for the sake of it. . .on the other hand, you know what? The ins. companies will look for an excuse to jack your rates up anyway so if I am entitled to some benefits under my homeowners and business policy, why not seek it? It's not like ins. companies reward you for being conservative.

[terces]

Scammers come out after the storm hits.....we saw that when Ike came through. In fact just a month ago we had high winds that messed up some of our shingles. We debated on insurance too. Had three different roofers come out for quotes. Decided to just repair the area and bypass insurance. If your damage is heavy, call your insurance company but get at least three quotes from referred, reputable companies.

[JoeP]

Scammers come out after the storm hits.....we saw that when Ike came through. In fact just a month ago we had high winds that messed up some of our shingles. We debated on insurance too. Had three different roofers come out for quotes. Decided to just repair the area and bypass insurance. If your damage is heavy, call your insurance company but get at least three quotes from referred, reputable companies.

THIS.

After a microburst put 2 trees through my roof and 3 across my pool, my insurance company's local branch was overwhelmed, so they subbed out the estimators. The estimator arrived 3 agonizing days after the damage had been done (we were able to get the trees out of the roof and cover the hole to prevent further damage) and gave a generous estimate. We found contractors who were able to do the repairs within budget.

I'd be very cautious signing anything from an unsolicited contractor prior to discussing with your insurance company.

[Scanner]

Thanks. . .but who's the scammer? What's the scam they are running on me here?

The adjusters? The contractors?

[JoeP]

Thanks. . .but who's the scammer? What's the scam they are running on me here?

The adjusters? The contractors?

The scammers are contractors who stop by and get people to sign a contract. Most people are desperate to get their lives back in order, and don't bother getting multiple estimates, so they sign. You'll take risks signing a contract and then expecting your insurance company to simply pay up.

Your best bet is reading your homeowners policy to understand the procedure for filing a claim, or give your insurance company a call and have them explain it to you.

[snafu]

The fact that 'Streeters' take 15% off the top doesn't sound ethical to me. What does 'work with public adjusters mean?' Do you have a deductible on your policy? Before calling your insurer to making a claim, you need to learn about the claim side of insurance. I suggest starting by taking pictures of damage.

Before signing with anyone to work on your home it's imperative to check with Better Business Bureau for issues. If you've had other claims your premium will go up but if there are a significant number of claims in your area...the premium will be increased as the insurance companies are no longer able to make large profits from investing in interest paying instruments.

If you've lost one or two shingles from the roof, how many have lifted and need care?

[Scanner]

Okay, they actually stopped by again today because they said they were doing work on another house in my neighborhood.

They are only a contractor/builder.

They said they work with the ins. co. adjusters, not public adjusters, so I misunderstood.

They informed me that the front of my house had significant "lift damage" where the shingles lifted up as one single unit, and then a couple blew off. The back of the house, the other side, not so much.

They told me that ins. adjusters who come out don't want to climb up and actually inspect the damage themselves, that the owner is a certified home inspector as well, and sometimes it's just as well they replace the whole thing. They said they would be there when the ins. adjuster came out. I am in the center of storm damage too so it's not like I am 100 miles away claiming this.

I wasn't home when it happened; I was working at the hospital and their roof did actually have wind damage.

They said if nothing else, report it and even if they deny the claim, it's on record so if something severe happens again and there is extensive flooding, you have it on record that you reported the damage before.

THAT does make sense actually.

[Like2Plan]

That was quite a storm!
That same storm did quite a lot of damage around here, too. We were out of town, but we lost our power for about 3 days so we had to throw everything away in the fridge/freezer. Some folks were without power for over a week. There are random trees in the neighborhood with the top half sheered off and branches all over the joint! Driving around, there are still down power lines blocking roads.

I'm with JoeP, I would be very skeptical about someone who stopped by unsolicited. But, maybe your insurance can provide some guidance on who you should get to make the repairs. In any case, check to make sure they are a licensed contractor and they have the appropriate insurance. When we put a new roof on this spring, we got 3 estimates. Each contractor was more than happy to provide the documentation. Maybe you can look up their license on-line?

[Scanner]

Well, I actually called a public adjustor this morning and he was very professional.

He told me if it was just a roof, or 1 thing, that retaining a public adjustor is probably wholly unnecessary. If it was more than 1 thing, then he said you definitely need a public adjustor (his opinion) because it's just too much to sort through and with multiple things being adjusted, you have the potential to get hurt by the insurance company.

[disneysteve]

1. I would NEVER hire anyone because they came knocking on my door, especially after a natural disaster.

2. A public adjuster, as you discovered, is probably not needed if you only sustained minor damage.

3. Filing an insurance claim may not be advisable if you only sustained minor damage.

Most home owners insurance companies have a policy to only allow 2 claims in 5 years. After that, they will typically not renew your coverage and you may have a really tough time finding insurance. I'd keep your deductible high, maintain a good EF, fix minor things yourself and save your insurance for catastrophic losses. Replacing a few roof shingles isn't worth filing a claim IMO.

[Scanner]

What about lift damage? Is that real?

[disneysteve]

What about lift damage? Is that real?

I'd say to call a dependable roofer to come out and inspect your roof. Then get 1 or 2 additional quotes before actually doing any work.

[franklinwhite]

In such cases taking help from public adjusters is a good and wise idea. Your public insurance adjuster will prepare and present your claim to your insurance company, ensuring that you achieve an equitable adjustment that includes everything you’re entitled to given the details of your particular insurance policy. He will file all the documents, plan a meeting with the insurance company and do all the paper work, collect evidence and present it to the insurance company.

[Baby_nurse]

In such cases taking help from public adjusters is a good and wise idea. Your public insurance adjuster will prepare and present your claim to your insurance company, ensuring that you achieve an equitable adjustment that includes everything you’re entitled to given the details of your particular insurance policy. He will file all the documents, plan a meeting with the insurance company and do all the paper work, collect evidence and present it to the insurance company.

It's not necessary to hire a public adjuster to do this for you. It's something that you can do yourself. The first thing to do is get several RELIABLE inspections. By reliable, I mean NOT from people knocking on your door offering their services. We get these predators every single time we have a storm around here. Thankfully, my husband spent 10 years doing construction litigation, so he's able to call bs when he sees it.

What type of shingles do you have? Asphalt tiles are designed to bend. A few might come off and not require a total redo on the roof. They can be replaced individually. The manufacturer of these type roofs have these rated to withstand winds of up to 110 mph. Most have a 3 year warranty against damage, providing the roof was installed correctly in the first place. If it wasn't, then the contractor becomes liable.

The insurance company will send their own inspectors to see the roof. Having our own inspections done from reliable sources that you have requested to come really examine our roof will be your best bet in making sure things are done right.

There's no need to hire and pay for a 3rd party to do all of this for you unless you come to an impasse with your I surname company.

ETA: Oops, just realized this was an old post. The advice still stands though.

[franklinwhite]

The highly stressful period following a loss is a difficult time for individuals and businesses. A Public Adjuster can take those major headaches away and let you get back to your home or business. A typical fire or flood policy contains hundreds of provisions and stipulations, constantly changing forms and endorsements, and many complex details such as inventory appraisals and real estate evaluations that are required in case of a loss. Most policyholders do not know that the burden of proof is theirs. Public Adjusters know the insurance business and are familiar with all procedures so they can work quickly to expedite payments.