Should My Contractor Be at the Adjuster’s Meeting?

“3 Reasons Why it is Critical to Have Your Contractor at the Adjuster’s Meeting”

1) Two pairs of eyes are always better than one.  Even the most experienced and thorough adjuster can miss something.  Your contractor will have completed a pre-inspection of your property in order to ensure that any damage is pointed out to the adjuster during the inspection.  Catching all of the damage up-front, at your property, saves from the headache of going back to the adjuster or insurance company, and possibly having to wait for a second inspection.  

2) The contractor and adjuster will discuss and agree on the necessary repairs. It is the adjuster’s job to write up the scope of repairs for your property, but it is your contractor who really knows what it will take to get the repairs completed.  Having them work together initially can save numerous time consuming phone calls and meetings later.

3) The contractor will have your best interests in mind while making sure your claim is handled quickly and correctly.  Let’s face it.  Insurance companies are in the business of making money.  What business isn’t?  Keeping their claims costs low is how they make that money.  Now this isn’t necessarily a bad thing.  A profitable insurance company is able to continue to service their customers and hopefully offer competitive premiums because of their low claims cost.  But an effort to keep expenses low and the utilization of inexperienced adjusters can both result in the incorrect assessment of claims.  Unfortunately this means that they will not always have your best interest in mind.  This happens most often when a homeowner tries to handle the process on their own.  A homeowner who is unsure or overwhelmed by the process can accept a denial or a payment for minimal repairs because they feel they have no other choice.  Every professional contractor can give many examples of claim denials that have been reversed, or thousands to even tens of thousands of dollars being added to a claim because of missed items. Think of your contractor as the balance in a check-and-balance system.  The insurance company writes the check, while the contractor balances the process by making sure that you receive the payment you are entitled to for the necessary repairs.