Those in the Pensacola, Destin, Gulf Breeze and Ft. Walton Beach area who experienced any type of water intrusion from the severe flooding that hit the Panhandle are starting to hear back from their insurance company. Many will learn that the claim settlement amount(s) being offered are not sufficient to pay for their complete loss and damages.

Specifically, as the demand for qualified construction workers, roofers, and building materials increase, so do the associated costs. This “supply and demand effect” will undoubtedly continue to impact those who sustained damage in a negative way for some time.

An equally important cost related issue for property owners can be that prices being given to them from local contractors are much higher than what the claim adjuster’s computer driven estimating systems say’s the repair should cost. Policyholders should be aware of this and remember they don’t need to accept a low offer from their insurer for repairs or contract with the services of an inferior or preferred contractor. In addition, policyholders should never sign their claim monies over to a contractor. Make sure fair market pricing is used to price your insurance claim in lieu of the computer estimating programs that can be out of touch with actual market pricing.

To ensure a positive insurance claim experience and recovery, make certain that your contractor and the adjuster working for the insurance company are in agreement with all the reconstruction plans and get those agreements and costs in writing. By now, you should have a “claim file” set-up with all relevant correspondence letters, e-mails, building damage estimates, personal property losses, and business property damage fully documented. This will help to ensure that your insurance claim is managed efficiently and will be especially helpful if the catastrophe (CAT) adjuster leaves to return back home and you are assigned a new adjuster, which happens more than you might imagine.

If you do not understand any aspect of your insurance policy or do not know the limits as it relates to what you could be entitled to, please educate yourself now so you don’t continue to sustain financial losses. For further assistance or help with a specific question please do not hesitate to call 800.321.4488 or contact a public adjuster. #PensacolaFlooding #DestinFlooding #FtWaltonFlooding #GulfBreezeFlooding