Storm Damage Restoration – Things All Homeowners Should Know

The first thing a homeowner should do after a storm is to photograph and document all of the visible damage to the home. It is helpful to have a contractor experienced in storm damage restoration walk around the entire home with you and point out all of the damage. 

After you have documented all of the damage you can see, call your insurance company and file a claim. They will schedule an adjuster to come to your home and basically do the same thing, the big difference is they work for the insurance company. 

While you are waiting for the adjuster from the insurance company to come and review the damages, start meeting with contractors and get begin to get an idea of the scope of work and total cost to make all the repairs. Do not sign a contract with a contractor at this point.  You are interviewing contractors and are only looking for them to give you a written scope of work and itemized cost of repairs.

Once you have received the paperwork from your adjuster you will compare the insurance estimate for repairs with the estimates you received from the contractors you interviewed. If the insurance company didn't allow enough, don't be afraid to contact your insurance adjuster and let them know they will need to revise their estimate. They do this all the time.

The biggest piece of advise I have for homeowners is to slow down, and don't let a contractor rush you into making a decision on who is going to do the work. The next biggest piece of advise I have is to make sure you get enough money to properly make all the repairs to your home. This isn't difficult, but rarely will your insurance company offer you what they should on their first estimate.

If you have been affected by wind or hail and live in the Kansas City area, please feel free to contact me directly for a free, no obligation estimate.

Steven Glaze

steve@SmartExtPros.com