How Can A Homeowner Be Prepared When The Unexpected Happens At Your Home?
It’s common to be prepared for the everyday issues that may befall us as homeowners, especially if you’ve read our Home Preparedness Guide or our article on Protecting Your Home and Family With Emergency Preparedness Plans. As suggested in those resources, you’ve probably prepared for foreseen problems at your home by:
- Gathering supplies for a power outage like extra batteries, flashlights, and candles.
- Placing fire extinguishers in the kitchen and garage
- Setting water leak detectors under sinks, next to the washing machine, or water heater. When it comes to water, you might want to check out our article on 10 Facts You Need To Know About Water Damage, just in case.
However, it’s hard to plan for the truly unknown. Nobody wants to think about disasters happening to themselves, right? We tend to believe freak accidents or “acts of God” are something that happens to someone else. Well, disasters do happen unfortunately and while we all hope they don’t happen to us, that is not always the case.
Where Should We Turn When the Unexpected Happens to Our home?
When something destroys all or part of our home, like a water line breaking and flooding the house, a tree falling through the roof, or a fire destroying the kitchen, we ask, “What do we do now?!”.
When big calamities strike, restoration companies are the ones qualified to put our homes back together. These challenging situations require an expert like Rosie Certified Partner, Jim Kowalski of Kowalski Construction, Inc., to lend a hand. Jim is a valuable asset in helping us educate our readers and listeners regarding the steps to take when the unthinkable occurs.
What is Involved in the Restoration Process?
Jim tells us that most people are under the impression that their insurance company controls the process. While companies can lead you through the recovery process, you, as the homeowner, have the right to contact your restoration company of choice to start the mitigation and repair process.
First Step
No matter what trouble befalls you, the first step is to stop the damage from getting worse. This could mean anything from getting the water to the house turned off, to keeping the rain out to prevent more damage. You can choose the company to engage this first step. Once the company has been chosen, they will come out and secure the site from further damage. There are so many possibilities here that choosing a company with diverse experience would be wise. Securing the premises can involve anything from boarding up the structure from entry to removing the tree off the roof and tarping the opening. This initial step of securing your property is critical.
Second Step
The next step typically involves your insurance company. Jim tells us that a qualified restoration company can engage the insurance company on your behalf. That is quite helpful as insurance claims can be complicated and often involve detailed descriptions that some of us may need help understanding.
After securing the property, an investigation will ensue to determine the cause of the damage. If a water line is broken, why did it break? The insurance company will work with the restoration company to assist in the investigation and document the damage in great detail. The restoration company you choose should know how to document the damage using the same forms and nomenclature as the insurance company.
Jim says, “Kowalski Construction works with the insurance company to ensure all the ‘i’s’ have been dotted and ‘t’s’ crossed. This attention to detail ensures you get the maximum benefit to help replace your loss.” The insurance company may send out an adjuster who will determine the damage and what the insurance company will pay. Having a well-educated restoration company on your side makes this process so much easier.
Third Step
Next comes the rebuild portion. Negotiations between you and the insurance company can be very one-sided. In addition, you may not be familiar with all the terminology.
A good restoration company will know if the itemized costs the insurance company presents are, in fact, sufficient to complete the work.
Insurance companies have standard pricing for every aspect of your restoration and reconstruction. Any company you select should know these and be prepared to negotiate.
Once the cost to repair or rebuild your home has been agreed upon, you are now set to have the work done and start the process of getting back to some sense of normalcy.
How to Select A Construction and Restoration Company
As mentioned, the contractor must have considerable experience working with insurance companies. Many insurance companies will attempt to push their favored companies. This is not always bad, but you might want to be sure the company on your project has experience they can put to work for you.
If you start with an internet search, do your homework. Rosie’s How to Choose A Contractor Guide will give you insight into the questions you should ask. Be sure to go to the Arizona Registrar of Contractors (AZROC) website to find out how long the company has been in business and whether they are licensed, bonded, and insured. Do they have any complaints registered? Take a closer look at those if they do.
Then call the company. Does the person answering the phone take five minutes to find out about your project? Ask them if they have worked with your insurance company (or agent). Do they give references from previous customers? If so, check those out, too.
Do your due diligence as you would with any company. A restoration company that knows how to work with the insurance company can be a homeowner liaison and can save the homeowner a lot of stress.
If you ever find yourself in need of a restoration company, you will know the steps to take and the right kind of company to call.
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CONTENT PARTNER | Kowalski Construction, Inc.
Kowalski Construction‘s restoration professionals are proven experts. Our team will restore your property back to its original condition. We are a nationally recognized restoration company with 24/7 emergency services that cover everything from fire and water damage to natural disasters. Kowalski Construction:
- Rebuilds damaged structures and performs all work to be code compliant
- Manages all aspects of the job from start to finish and works directly with customers throughout the entire process to manage costs, make design selections, or changes to project scope
- Works directly with insurance & mortgage companies
PODCAST
While we hope it doesn’t happen, do you know what to do after a fire, flood, or storm damage to your home? When calamities strike, restoration companies are the ones qualified to put our homes back together. Jim Kowalski of Kowalski Construction has crews on the ready to mitigate the initial damage and gives you some valuable information about the restoration process. Don’t wait for the insurance company.
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