Water damage claim is one of the most common causes of insurance claims. But still, there are a lot of water damage claims that are being denied because of gradual damage and there are times when it is due to the homeowner’s error when reporting the claim.
How to Avail a Water Damage Claim
There are many homeowners who will choose to wait until the water has been removed before making the call to the insurance company and inform their agent. But, this should not be the case, contacting your insurance agent should be the first thing that you should do. Even before you do the clean-up activities. For obvious reasons, if your property has a water leak and it has not been resolved, the root cause should be addressed instantly in order to prevent further flooding or damage.
If you will wait to clean-up water damage, it will only cause a larger mess than you already have, and if this is not going to be reported immediately, it might prevent your insurance company from accepting your water damage claim.
There are two types of leaks, and each of these leaks will be addressed differently by your insurance policy:
- Chronic leak
This type of water leak is those that cause damage over a long period of time. This may be caused by a leaking pipe or a roof leak. So, as a homeowner, you are expected to have resolves the leak in a timely manner. So, since you have allowed the leak to continue and eventually causing damage, your insurance company will likely deny the water damage claim as they will be seeing it as gradual damage.
- Sudden leak
This type of leak is one that could be caused by a broken water pipe or some other cause of leakage that occurred without warning. This type of leak is most likely covered by your insurance policy.
What does Gradual Damage mean?
This is a type of damage that is a common issue when it comes to insurance claims. When property damage is happening slowly over an extended amount of time, then it will be categorized as gradual damage.
When there is a small leak in a pipe and over time it has caused damage to the wall, floor or ceiling, it will be classified as gradual damage. So, if you will try to make a claim for damage and repairs to your insurance company, then it would most likely be denied. Even if the problem may have gone undetected, it will still be considered as a long-standing problem because the damage was not accidental or sudden.
It may not seem right for you as a homeowner that your claim has been denied when you were never aware of the issue until it became a major problem, however, you must also bear in mind that an insurance policy is designed to cover accidental and sudden damages, not damages that have occurred over an extended period of time.
There are, however, exceptions to gradual damage. So, even when the cause of your damage was by reason of gradual damage, it may still be a good idea that you talk with your agent who can help you go through the wording and the exact details of your policy with you. Generally, all policies exclude gradual damage including the normal wear and tear, however, you may still be able to find an exception that is written into your policy.
Here are some water damage exceptions with gradual damage:
- Mold
This may vary across the different states including various insurance companies, however, some companies still offer coverage for mold remediation.
- Roof Damage
If your roof has been damaged from a tree, your insurance may cover the hold in the roof. So, if water will be poured into your house through the hole, then any water damage that may have occurred would also be part of the coverage of your water damage claim as well. After a few months, if you will be noticing molds or signs of mold in the area of the repairs, then it would be classified as gradual damage. However, because the proximate cause was that of your original claim, then there may be a good chance that your insurance company will cover the damages.
- Broken Pipe or Appliance
If you have a broken pipe or you have an appliance like that of a washing machine that will suddenly and unexpectedly break by reason of wear and tear, then the damage that has been caused may be covered under your insurance policy. The replacement of the pipe or the allowance will not be covered, yet, any damage that may have resulted from the breakage could be covered.
Tips to Having your Water Damage Claim Accepted
- Make sure that you contact your agent first
You should be able to contact your agent and then ask what the exact requirements are. It will be a good idea if you check on your home insurance policy before you call your agent so that you can also ask for details on points that you are not sure about.
Your agent will then usually ask for the following:
-
- An aptly written notice showing the details that have been the cause of the claim
- An action that has been taken to protect further damage to your property
- Any sort of repairs that you took in order to protect your property from further damage. These repairs must be reasonable and necessary
- An accurate record of all repair expenses
- Make sure that you record the damage
Although it is important that you start cleaning up as soon as possible, it is still essential that you record the damage. The reason for this is that should your insurance ask you questions, you will then be able to provide him with proof of the extent of the damage.
You can either snap a few photos or take a video of the area before you do the clean-up. So if ever you have standing water, mud, or a simple mold, having it documented at its worst state will help your agent get an understanding of the problem.
You can start making a list of all of your damaged property. You can put the furniture, carpets, appliances, or anything that has been damaged by such an event. By having a list with the supporting photos, it will be extremely helpful especially if you will run into possible problems with your water damage claim.
After all of that, you will now have to wait to hear from your insurance agent before you conduct any permanent or large structural repairs. Your magnet may also need to personally inspect on the damage to your property. If you have already made some permanent repairs before your agent gives his approval, then your water damage claim could be denied.
- Start with the clean-up
If there is any standing water, it should be removed and the area should already begin to dry as soon as possible after you have already documented the situation. All of your water-soaked materials should also be removed and should be placed in a dry, well-ventilated area. It is recommended that you do not throw anything out until your agent will be able to give you the approval to do so.
It is also important that you use caution in order to protect the undamaged and repairable items from further damage.
- Keep proper documentation
You can keep proper documentation by starting off with a log of all the activities that have taken place with your claim. This is so that should your insurance company questions you with your claim, you are readily prepared with your facts and details. You should also include all of your conversations with your agent, including the steps that you have taken up with your clean-up and repairs.
It is also essential that you will be able to keep all of your receipts, event those materials that were needed for your temporary repairs. You will also need to provide evidence for your expenses so that it can be entitled to reimbursement.
Then, you should keep all of the damaged items until your agent will give you permission to dispose of them. It is crucial that you work closely with your agent and not spend more money before the reimbursement than you can comfortably live without. So, if your over-extend financially in the clean-up and repair of your home, then you may be left with a bill in the event that your insurance company will deny your water damage claim or will not pay the amount that you are expecting.
Maximize your Water Damage Claim
Of course, everyone who has pending water damage claims should know how they can maximize their water damage claim. So, when your plumbing is leaking or your ceiling starts dripping, then you should be thankful if you have homeowners insurance. This is because it means that you will be covered for all of the damage when you file a water damage claim.
However, most homeowners do not have this coverage, and insurance companies are motivated to keep the amount that you claim low. Also, there are some mistakes that you make that will help them. But, you do not have to worry because here are some tips for homeowners’ insurance claims in order for you to get the coverage that you are owed.
- Limit the property damage
When you already know that you have water damage, it is important that you take the necessary steps in order to limit it. Else, your insurance company may have the right of denying some or all of your claim on the basis of your non-intervention.
The actions that you are going to take will depend on what type of water damage you have. So, if you are experiencing a windstorm that caused your windows to break thereby letting the water in, then you should board up your windows. And if you have a plumbing leak, then you should turn off the water to the house. Thus, if ever you have a roof leak, then you may put a tarp up so that it can temporarily block the rain.
You may also call the necessary professional services as soon as possible whether it be the plumber, the roofers or the restoration specialist. They may also know actions that you can take in order to limit the damage so that they can start working on the repairs. But, you may not want to sign on any major repairs yet, not until your claims have gone through. This is because you may not be approved for the full repair of your property by your insurance company. In the event that you chose to wait, you can get an estimate that you can show to the insurance adjuster.
- Consider hiring a public adjuster
The process for your water damage claim can be slow. It will take about 15 days for your insurance company to send an adjuster who will then assess the water damage. So, it is better if you will hire a public adjuster if you can, and this is really recommended if the amount of your claim is large. What’s good about these professionals is that they are not tied to the insurance company, so, they will really look to find the truth and not look at minimizing the insurance company’s payout to you.
- Do not use their vendors
After your water damage has been assessed, your insurance will now have another fifteen (15) days to make a decision about your water damage claim. In the event that they will approve some or all of your water damage claim, you will then have another five (5) days for them to send you the money.
During this period, the insurance company may encourage you to use their vendors by telling you that they have their own trusted plumbers, roofers, and restoration experts. But, you should note that these professionals are getting their work through the insurance company so, they will likely support the company’s best interests instead of yours. You will want to have someone whom you are confident is on your side, so you should choose professionals that you trust to make the repairs.
