I have water damage to my home.  What should I do?

Let's get right to it. There's no time to waste. 

Imagine you arrive home from work to find that your kitchen floor has a couple inches of standing water on it or the carpet in your living room is soaked. Water could be pouring from your ceiling or your ceiling could have fallen into your floor. I'm almost positive you weren't planning on dealing with a water leak today. Homeowners usually aren't. Know that it will be okay but this process of getting you back to normal will probably take longer than you would hope.

Here's what to do right now...

• Take a breath 
  Many homeowners call us in a panic because they have never experienced a significant amount of water damage to their homes. Whether you have a large or small amount of water damage, know that there are mitigation companies and contractors who specialize in getting you back to pre-loss condition quickly and efficiently. Yes, it can be overwhelming but know that you are not alone. Additionally, the insurance companies know that it is highly likely that you have no idea how to tackle this issue. It's okay. You just need the right people to guide you through the process.
  The next concern for homeowners is usually how they are going to pay for repairs and if insurance will cover the loss. See the next steps below. 
  
  
• Ensure you are safe in your current surroundings 
  Is there a danger of your ceiling collapsing on you? Is there a possibility that you could be electrocuted? Could a family member walk into the home and possibly slip and fall? These are just a few possibilities to consider. 
  
  
• Determine if you need to turn off the main water supply to your home
  This step is highly dependent upon the source of the water loss. You just want to ensure that if you can safely stop actively flowing water, you do so. This is part of your responsibility of mitigating the damage. 
  
  
• Take photos of the damage
  If you can locate the source of the leak, take a photo and/or a short video for documentation purposes. This is important for you to have for your own personal records but your adjuster may ask for this documentation as well.
  
  
• If it's safe to do so, stage something to catch or absorb any actively leaking or standing water. 
  Some ideas: buckets, large bowls, towels, an absorbent blanket for larger amounts of water, ...
  
• Understand what the insurance company is expecting of you right now
  
  Insurance company: provides the product (your policy and coverage)
  Mitigate: to make less severe 
  Secondary Damage: additional damage caused by the initial damage
  Adjuster: Some are independent and some work directly for the insurance company. They inspect the damage and report all findings to the appropriate department within the company
  
  Remember, the insurance company provides your policy and coverage. The company will also determine whether your home water damage will be covered. You will likely be dealing directly with the company and an adjuster associated with that company throughout your claims process. Of course, this is assuming the loss is filed as a claim. 
  
  The insurance company expects homeowners to attempt to mitigate the water damage in an effort to prevent secondary damage. This is part of your responsibility and if you read through your policy, it will likely state something to this effect. 
  
  
  
• Call your local insurance agent or agency. 
  Agencies handle the claims process differently. More info on that is below.
  Keep in mind that it may not be in your best interest to call the company claims department before you know if the damage is worthy of filing a claim. Your local insurance agency can help you decide if you should call the company claims department or not. 
  
  Some agencies are allowed to be more involved with the claims process than others. Some are able to file the claim for you but others are not. Some are able to offer you referrals and others are not. It is still best to reach out to your local agent first.
  
  Agents who must refer you directly to their company claims department:
  Some insurance companies require the agent and staff to refer you directly to their company claims department without providing any additional support. In this case, may I suggest that you first call a contractor who regularly handles insurance jobs? Quick note: We, at Principle Construction, handle insurance claim-related jobs daily.
  Moving on: Have the contractor (or multiple contractors) come out to assess your damage. They should try to locate the source of your issue and give you an idea of what the estimated water damage repair will cost. Compare that amount with the deductible amount listed on your policy. If the repairs will likely cost right at or below your deductible amount, you may not want to call your company's claims department. If the cost is right at or below your deductible, the company claims department won't be much help and they'll enter a note about the damage into your account for future reference. 
  *You will need to decide if you want an official estimate from the contractor or if you can make your decision about whether or not to file a claim with just the contractor's on-the-spot estimate. Remember, creating an estimate takes time. You don't want to wait too long to report your claim if you do have one. Please keep in mind that there are so many variables to consider. I'm just trying to give you a broad overview and help point you in the right direction. 
  
  In either case, while you're on the phone with your local agency, I suggest you ask them to email you a copy of your homeowner's policy. Additionally, ask them for your policy number, deductible amount, and the phone number for the company claims department. Write those down. This will save you time and help to limit your confusion and frustration in the future.  
  
  
• Grab a notebook and begin gathering/organizing important information now. 
  This will save you a lot of time, confusion, and frustration during this process. 
  *  Click here for a helpful list of information you should be gathering during the initial claims process.
  
  Helpful Links
•  Click here to be directed to the State Farm Insurance Claims Process Information Page
•  Click here to be directed to information from Farm Bureau titled "Before you file a claim". 
• Click here to be directed to homeowners claim information from Shelter Insurance
• Click here for helpful claim information for Nationwide Insurance

This blog absolutely doesn't cover every aspect of dealing with home water damage but I believe it can be a good start. Hope all goes well for you!

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