insurance claims

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Insurance claims to repair your home or business may be unlike anything you’ve ever dealt with. They feel a little bit like an insurance claim and a little like remodeling. The process is somewhat confusing, but the end result is usually gratifying. Because of the confusion, we have developed this information to define some of the terminology, the payment process, and who does what for whom, when and how.

Invoicing & Payment

We will do everything in our power to assist you in receiving payment from your insurance company, thus avoiding this step. Payments may be made to Highland by check, credit card, cash, or money order. A convenience fee will be charged for credit card payments over $7,500.

We hope that these definitions and tips assist you with the process. If you have any questions, please call. We welcome any opportunity to explain this process and help in whatever way we can.

INSURANCE CLAIM

A contract between you and your insurance carrier to cover damaged property.

PAYMENT

The insurance company typically pays the insured (you) and you pay us since the contract is between you and us. This varies depending on your insurance company.

AGENT

Your local insurance representative from whom you probably originally purchased your policy.

REPAIR CONTRACT

A contract between you and Highland Construction and Restoration to make repairs

ADJUSTER

The insurance representative who handles your claim.

DEDUCTIBLE

The amount due by you IN ADDITION TO the amount paid by the insurance company. We ask for this payment at the beginning of the job.

SUPPLEMENT

Your insurance adjuster and the estimator from Highland Construction and Restoration will do all they can to identify and agree on repairs for damage as a result of the fire, wind, water, etc.; however, some issues may not be obvious and aren’t discovered until we are well into the job. In this case, estimator from Highland will represent you by calling the adjuster to get approval for the additional work which is usually covered by the insurance company.

CHANGE ORDER

These are changes that you decide to make over that which is covered by the insurance company because of the claim. A change order usually means additional cost to you. An example of this might be that you would like to replace your damaged vinyl floor with a wood floor. In this case, you are responsible for the cost difference between the vinyl replacement and the wood floor replacement. Typically, we will have you sign a change order spelling out what the change is, as well as the additional cost incurred. You are expected to pay all, or half at the time you sign the change order and before the work begins. The balance is due upon completion.

If you receive a payment from your insurance company before the job is complete, forward it to Highland Construction and Restoration to apply to your contract.

If you have not received any money from your insurance carrier by the time you receive the invoice from Highland, please contact your insurance adjuster immediately to inquire about the delay and when you might expect the payment. Contact your insurance agent to help you, if needed.

Forwarding copies of our invoices to your adjuster and agent is also helpful. Let them know the level of completion. Large, complex jobs oftentimes require progress payments, so the job might be 50%, 75% or 90% complete. If you aren’t sure the percentage of completion, ask your Project Manager. If the job is complete, please inform your insurance company.

INVOICES AND PAYMENT NOTICES

Payment is due 10 days after the date of the invoice. We realize that you may not have received your insurance payment by that time and we are willing to work with you and your claims adjuster to do everything possible to get payment.

As you communicate your agent and/or adjuster, ask what actions they plan to take, what results you can expect, and in what time frame. Have them keep you posted on the progress.

It is a good idea to check back and be sure that promised dates and actions are fulfilled. We recommend you document all conversations with your insurance company with the date of the contact, who you talked with, and what was said. Good communication yields great results.

Your mortgage company may be a co-payee on the check from your insurance company. If your mortgage company is also listed as a payee, please verify that the name on the check matches your current lender, then contact Highland Construction and Restoration. We can either help you with, or completely take care of the endorsement from your mortgage company.

FILING LENS

If full payment is not received within 90 days from the date of completion of the work on your property, we may proceed with our right to file a lien against your property. State laws allow for this to protect a contractor’s right to collect the funds due.

Contact our Experts 910.485.6738 / 919.803.6242 NOW!

Typical Restoration Process

Highland Construction and Restoration is a preferred restoration vendor for most insurance carriers. The referral process varies from one insurance company to another. Some insurance companies will provide you with a list of approved contractors. Some will give you one recommendation based on a rotation of preferred vendors. You can request Highland to be your restoration contractor.

Once you notify your insurance agent of the loss, they will submits the loss information to their claims department where an insurance adjuster is assigned to determine the scope of the loss.

If it’s a water loss and there are contents (furniture, personal belongings) involved, we will begin the “dry-out” process and maybe remove some of your belongings, if necessary. Once the water mitigation (water removal) is nearing completion, your contents will be returned, and we will put everything back together again.

Let Us Help

EMS Team

Our Emergency Services Teams are ready and prepared 24/7 to help you when you have damage to your property. Their vehicles are loaded and ready to roll with materials and equipment to secure your property and begin the water removal process or other repairs. They will set up special equipment to circulate the air and dry your property to prevent further damage.

They will pack your belongings and move them back to our warehouse for cleaning and storage. They will remove wet materials such as carpet and drywall. Once your property is stabalized, the Estimator will be scheduled to come to your property and write the estimate for the repairs and will work with the adjuster from your insurance company. There may be several days between the EMS Team’s work and the Estimator arriving.

Coordinator

At Highland, a team approach is taken on all projects. A Coordinator will be assigned to your project to manage the scheuling, paperwork, and payments.

This Coordinator works closely with your Estimator and Project Manager to make sure everything goes smoothly from start to finish. The Coordinator will make sure you have a welcome packet at the beginning of the project with the names, email addresses, and phone number of everyone on your team.

Estimator

The TEAM member from Highland Construction and Restoration who will first come to your house to assess the necessary repairs. The estimator will either write the estimate or work with your insurance adjuster to write the estimate.

The estimator will also negotiate with the adjuster from your insurance company regarding any additional damage that might be found after the job is started. When it’s time to begin work to restore the damage, the job will be turned over to the Project Manager.

Project Manager

Will oversee the work on your property through completion and will maintain quality control throughout the process. They will supervise the workers on the site and will work closely with the insurance adjuster and the property owner or property manager.

Upon completion, the project manager will conduct the final walk-through, take photos for documentation, and obtain the signed Certificate of Completion and answer any final questions you might have.