Water Damage Insurance Claims – What You Should & Shouldn’t Do

When water damage occurs, be it from flooding or a burst pipe, it is easy to feel stressed and anxious. For both homeowners and businesses, trying to assess the level of damage, remove the water from the property, arrange or repairs, and get back into the property, and filing a water damage insurance claim are all very overwhelming tasks. 

That is why we have put together this brief guide on how to make a highly effective insurance claim in order to increase your chances of receiving a fair and full settlement from your insurance company. 

What to Do Before Making a Water Damage Claim

Following an incident, your initial instinct may be to immediately contact your insurance company and start the claim process as quickly as possible in order to begin repairs. However, there are some steps you should take before doing so to ensure that no one gets hurt and no further damage can arise.
Ensure that all people inside of your home/property are safe and accounted for.

• If a leak has occurred make sure you turn off the water from the source or the main supply.
• Remove all valuables from the affected area.
• In the case of flooding board up all doors and windows.
• If safe, remove standing water and dry the affected area to the best of your ability.
• Take photos and video of the entire property, even damage that may seem minor to you initially could have a high cost to repair so it is best to capture everything.

What Not To Do Before Making a Water Damage Claim  

During high stressful situations, you may be tempted to undertake certain actions as you fell this will make the repairs easier or speed up the claims process. However, certain advice you may recover from friends, family, and even your insurance company could have a detrimental impact on our insurance claim.

• Do not throw away damaged items. As part of your claim, the insurance company will need to evaluate the extent of the loss occurred and will need to amylase your belongings. Keep all belongings somewhere safe until they have been inspected and only throw them away once authorised to do so by the insurance company.
• Do not make repairs before getting approval. During the inspection, your insurance company will need to take note of what repairs are necessary and estimate the cost as such. If you begin repairs without consent then you risk not having the repairs covered within your settlement. Insurance companies may not always pay for repairs on items that they have not inspected or approved.
• You do not have to use vendors suggested by your insurance company. Often, insurance companies will provide you with a list of vendors that they regularly work with. A big mistake is choosing the first vendor on that list. You re under no obligation to hire one of these vendors so make sure you do your research and choose the vendor that has the appropriate experience, is best equipped for the job, and that you can trust to be reliable and honest.