If you have suffered a flood in your home or business, it is important to act quickly. The quicker you contact a water damage restoration company, the better your chances of saving your property and belongings.
In addition to calling a professional water damage restoration company, there are additional steps you should take:
- Call your insurance company right away. They will provide you with an adjuster who will assess the damage and help you file a claim.
- Take photos of all damaged areas and make note of their locations on your property. You may need this information later when filing your insurance claim.
Be prepared to wait long periods before receiving any money. Insurance companies can take months before they reimburse their customers for their losses. The wait is frustrating but necessary for them to make sure no fraudulent claims are being made against them by unscrupulous people who do not deserve reimbursement for their losses.
The checklist to maximize your water damage claim
To maximize your water damage claim, you will need to document all of the following:
- Determine the amount of water that has entered your home.
- Take photos of all areas where water damage is present.
- Obtain a copy of your water bill and any other bills that reflect the cost of repairing damages caused by the leak (invoices for cleaning services, bills from contractors who have worked on your home after the incident).
- If any witnesses can testify about how long it took for the leak to be noticed and reported to management, including their name and contact information with their testimony in writing on your claim form. This can help support your claim that management did not take appropriate action promptly after being notified about the leak.
- If you do not have enough insurance coverage to cover all costs associated with repairing damages caused by the leak, consider filing an additional claim with your landlord’s insurance carrier; if they have their own policy in place, they may be required to pay out on both claims as one large claim would allow them greater flexibility as far as how much money they are willing to spend on repairs/restoration work.
In conclusion
Once you notice water damage, it is important to call a certified and insured water damage restoration company as soon as possible. The best time to do this is within 24 hours of the incident occurring.
Once you have called a certified and insured water damage restoration company, it is important to make sure that your property does not get any more damaged by water or other environmental factors. This includes keeping the doors and windows closed and any fans turned off until a professional comes in to assess your home’s situation.
If there is still water coming into your home through leaks or other areas in your walls and ceilings, then this could cause further damage to your property that will not be covered by your insurance company if they are not notified immediately after the incident occurs.