#1: I have to first contact my insurance company
Definitely not necessary nor advised. “But I thought I’d need a claim number so I could begin the procedure? ” you say? Nope, you need water out and as quickly as possible and have the problem contained. The insurance claim process may be dealt with later. You don’t have time to wait around to hear back from your insurer with a claim number. It just suggests greater damage along with more costs in their eyes, so they want you to have the work done as fast as possible!
#2: My insurance company will cover mold damage
Not very likely at all. Homeowners insurance policies do not cover the price of mold remediation products and services. What does this mean for you?
1) If you already have mold, you’re going to pay out of pocket for that loss.
2) In the event that you’ve suffered surging damage, get this fixed now before the mold starts spreading to other areas of your property.
#3: I’m worried my claim will cost too much and won’t fix everything
Our industry is unlike a great many others you used to conducting business with. Where most agencies decide what they charge for their services, and those costs may vary wildly between businesses, our industry’s charges for service are usually baked. What this means is that we follow the pricing guidelines established by insurance companies who generally cover the cost of individual water damage repair services. In different words, our prices are established by them, not you.
Water damage companies work with a system called Xactimate. It’s an authorized software that is usually used by adjusters, and it calculates the correct rates (agreed upon by insurers) to charge for each service rendered.
#4: I don’t need a professional to clean my carpets after a sewage spill
The rule of thumb is that if sewage comes in contact with it, it has to be removed and replaced. This absolutely applies to carpet. We will remove the carpet and decontaminate the floor underneath before replacing it with a new carpet.
#5: I can rent the equipment and repair the damage myself
We all witness this on a regular basis. Someone tries to save lots a few dollars on the deductible vs. out-of-pocket and they try and carry out the cleanup in and dry-out job themselves. A few quick Google searches, and some Youtube videos, and presto, you’re a professional. Fast forward a little to when we get the call:
“I think there’s some water damage and mold in my residence. It smells very musty. ”
Don’t be that individual. Remember the myth about insurance protecting mold? Well, try to save some bucks on the flood cleanup procedure and you will often end up having to pay of pocket using a service that will cost you much more.