In the event of property damage due to weather or criminal activity, stolen or damaged belongings, or an accident at your home, you may need to file a homeowners’ insurance claim. Those events are accidental incident or unexpected incident. Home Insurance claims are meant to protect you from that incident.
Filing the claim correctly drastically improves your chances of obtaining the coverage amount. There are several steps on how to file a home insurance claim.
Here’s how to file a home insurance claim.
Importance of Filing Home Insurance Claims
Having adequate homeowners insurance to protect your personal property is important. Even more critical, knowing how you can most effectively use your home insurance and how to navigate the claim process. Sometimes, this means knowing situations where you should or should not file a claim. Then, the next step is to understand the basics of filing claims and how to make it easier for yourself and your home insurance company.
Home insurance can cover a wide range of home expenses, from water damage to stolen property to guests’ medical bills in the case of an accident. It gets you covered after a disaster strikes that caused structural damage to your house. This is essential to help you get the money to repair your home and replace your belongings.
A home insurance agent can give you actual cash or send it through your bank account after you file a claim. You can use the bank for payment to pay them or ask them for the details about it.
Save yourself stress, and more importantly, money, by knowing the steps of how to file a home insurance claim.
When to File
There is no one “right“ time to file a homeowners insurance claim. Every situation is different, and there may be a variety of factors that influence when you decide to file a claim. However, it is generally a good idea to file a claim as soon as possible. There are two key factors that are able to help.
Knowing when to file a claim always comes down to two key factors: whether it is financially smart to do so and whether it is covered under your insurance plan and insurance policy. Make sure to know what is typically covered under basic plans, and what special protections you might have. Once you know your coverage, next you must whether or not to endure the effort and risk of filing a claim.
When Not To File
It is generally not advisable to submit a home insurance claim if it is not completely necessary. This usually means not filing for small damage to your home, minor injuries, and stolen property that is under a certain value. You have to be quick, so you can immediately start the claims filing process and get an insurance adjuster to come to your home to assess the damage.
They can help you by giving a repair estimate and assist in the repair process. The general rule of thumb is if the cost to repair something is less than or within a close range to your deductible, you should not file a claim.
This is because filing a claim may increase your monthly premium, causing you to pay more yearly than the sum of what you saved by filing a claim. Ultimately, filing a lot of unnecessary expenses results in additional costs every month.
Some say claims of less than $3000 (or $10,000 for water damage) are not worth a claim. Also, certain types of claims are less likely to raise your rate and there are ways around keeping premiums lower.
There is one good rule to follow, which is to always make a claim for damage that exceeds your deductible. Though there is some exception of coverage as outlined before, there is also some common coverage too.
Basic Process of Filing a Claim
Report Any Criminal Activity First
If the claim in question involves any criminal activity such as theft or burglary, it is important to notify law enforcement first. Delayed reporting of crimes like theft
can be a red flag in the claims process. Keep any claim documentation of police reports, as it might be requested on claim forms.
This is significant because you may be able to get money from your homeowners’ insurance to help pay for the damages, losses, and get compensation caused by the criminal activity. Another thing is taking and keeping photos of the crime scene before the incident is necessary.
Contact Your Insurance Company
Call your insurance agent as soon as possible. Your homeowner’s insurance company will be able to answer pressing questions, like the details of your coverage options and how long you have to file a claim. Please make sure to choose licensed insurance agents as your trusted insurance handler.
Then, begin promptly filling out the claim form provided to you by your insurance. The law requires insurance companies to provide these forms within a certain amount of time. As you may already notice, timing is incredibly important factor when it comes to home insurance claims. Hold up your end by being organized.
Make Temporary Repairs If Needed
For certain forms of damage, you may need to do this immediately. Situations like broken pipes, windows, or other urgent dangers may require temporary repairs. You are sometimes unable to have a contractor come when an emergency incident arises.
Take pictures first, then make temporary fixes. Make sure to save receipts for any temporary repair materials you have to purchase yourself.
Smart receipts may help you keep track of the cost of repairs in an expense report. The cost of repairs will be part of your claim and able to be reimbursed.
Some natural disasters cause such severe damage that you must stay in a hotel or temporary housing for a while. Most insurance companies cover additional living expenses as long as you save the receipts for them. However, this will depend on your coverage options. Include any necessary expenses in your claim with the documentation.
Professional Assessment
The insurance company sends insurance claims adjusters to assess damages. Make sure to take a home inventory before they come and have documentation available. Also, don’t forget to see and review the insurance content before you make a decision. After this, you are free to hire contractors to fix any damage.
With the help of an insurance company and maybe contractor after they assess your damage, they will be able to give estimates for repairs and complete repairs. Before it happens, make sure you understand all the costs needed for basic repair and if there are any additional repair costs.
Save and Document Everything
As mentioned before, it’s imperative to save every receipt, take pictures, and have these documents available for your claims’ processor’s access. Replacement cost coverage fulfillment requires proper documentation.
Filing a homeowners’ insurance claim can be a long and complicated process. The insurance claims process requires you to pay extra attention to the details they offer. However, by following these tips and being prepared, you can make the process a little easier.
Check Your Claim Status Often
Stay on top of your claim and provide additional information when needed. Checking your claim status often ensures you can respond quickly to any questions or requests for more information. Ultimately, this improves your chance of winning the claim.
Now that you know how to file a claim, you must decide which claims are worth filing. The homeowners’ insurance claims process can seem like a hassle, but if the damage or theft is costly, it is worth it to file a claim. Remember, it is not always necessary to file a claim for minor damage. But if you do end up filing a claim, make sure to follow these instructions, collect documentation, and complete tasks in a timely manner.
The insurance claims process can drag you on if you do not complete claims forms punctually. By providing all the details beforehand and following the instructions, it will get you a faster claim. It is also the same in the claims payment process.
First, you need to make sure you have great homeowner’s insurance coverage. Shiirs is here to help! Get insurance quotes today, so you can find the best insurance option for your home and family. Get started today on
Shiirs.com!
