As a water damage restoration company located in Louisville, Kentucky, we understand the devastating effects that water damage can have on your property. Whether caused by a burst pipe, leaky appliance or flooding, water damage can result in significant expenses and repairs, as well as health concerns like mold and mildew. In this guide, we will explain how to file a water damage claim with your homeowners insurance in the Louisville area, ensuring that you receive the funds necessary to repair your property.

Contact Your Insurance Company

The first step in filing an insurance claim for water damage is to notify your provider as quickly as possible. This allows them to expedite its processing, sending out an adjuster to assess the damage and provide an estimate of repair costs. It is crucial to keep a detailed record of your interactions with adjusters to have an accurate representation of what happened and was said. This can aid when filing claims later as additional documentation or agreeing on different adjusters may be requested from you.

Before having an insurance inspection completed, it would also be wise to relocate any belongings in the affected area until then. This will protect against further damage while decreasing how much money needs to be spent on repairs. If you hire a contractor for temporary repairs, save all receipts as this will form part of your total settlement agreement.

Document the Damage

When faced with water damage from leakage or flooding, it’s essential that all damages be documented immediately in order to expedite the claims process and provide evidence in support of your claim. Photographing or videotaping any water damage and damaged items will assist your insurance provider when filing a claim. In addition, providing them with an updated home inventory should help them accurately value all your belongings prior to flooding.

When dealing with leaky appliances such as water heaters or washing machines, it is wise to keep records detailing when and how long the device has been leaking for. This will give your insurance provider an accurate picture of whether or not your problem constitutes a covered loss. As soon as damage occurs, it’s advisable to have a plumber inspect the area and take photos or video footage of its severity. Furthermore, drying-up areas where there may be water or mold accumulation could help avoid further destruction to floors, walls, and baseboards.

Schedule an Inspection

Step one in filing a water damage claim is to reach out to your homeowner’s insurance provider and have an adjuster come and inspect your property. They may request photos and measurements to assess how extensive the damage may be. Once they’ve assessed the damage, an adjuster will provide you with a written estimate of how much money it will cost to repair the property. They may ask questions regarding its cause and timing so as to accurately calculate repair costs.

Adjusters often ask if any temporary repairs have been completed on your property, so make sure to keep receipts for these works so you can submit them as invoices to your insurance provider and seek reimbursement from them. If you are concerned about hidden water damage when purchasing a home, professional inspectors can perform an inspection to detect leaks or any other problems which might not be immediately visible to the naked eye.

Make a Claim

Water damage claims are among the most frequently filed with homeowner insurance policies; according to the Insurance Information Institute, 20% of homeowner claims involve water damage. Therefore, it is crucial that you file your water damage claim with your homeowner’s insurance as quickly as possible; otherwise, they could find other grounds to deny your claim.

If the water damage resulted from you not taking action to address issues with your plumbing, for instance, your insurance company might deny your claim. As mentioned previously, water issues in your house should never be neglected because they could lead to mold growth, which is both costly and detrimental to health. Immediate remediation must occur

so as to stop further structural damage as well as respiratory conditions such as asthma or bronchitis developing due to mold spores spread by these organisms.

Mold can also increase your insurance rates. Many insurance companies utilize a database called Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) to calculate how much they should charge you for their policies. Therefore, it is important to file your claim as soon as possible to avoid further complications and costs.

If you find it necessary to file a claim, take notes detailing everything that needs repairing so as to demonstrate the extent and cause of damage. This will enable you to successfully establish what occurred during a claim investigation. Once you have an exhaustive list of items needing repairs, be sure to gather any receipts possible as evidence of damages.

If you are having trouble with the claims process, a public adjuster could also assess and negotiate with insurers on your behalf. They can help to ensure that you receive the full amount you are entitled to, which can be particularly helpful if you are dealing with significant damage or high repair costs.

In general, the claims process will go smoothly and you should be reimbursed for any costs of damage sustained to your property. However, you should continue checking with your insurer regularly throughout this process to ensure everything is handled in an expedient manner.

Conclusion

Filing a water damage claim with your homeowners insurance in Louisville and the surrounding areas can be a complex process, but by following these simple steps, you can ensure that you receive the funds necessary to repair your property. Contact your insurance company as quickly as possible, document all damage, schedule an inspection with an adjuster, and make a claim with all the necessary information and evidence. By doing so, you can protect your property and your health, ensuring that you can get back to your normal life as soon as possible.

At Emrick Services, we understand the stress and difficulties that come with water damage. That is why we provide reliable and efficient water damage restoration services to Louisville and the surrounding areas. Our team of professionals has the expertise and equipment necessary to restore your property to its pre-damage state, ensuring that you can get back to your normal life as soon as possible. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you.

Additionally, you can also seek assistance from relevant agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) to learn more about water damage restoration and insurance claims.