The restoration work is half the job. The other half is making sure your insurer pays for it — and that comes down to documentation produced while the damage is still there to document.
What is usually covered
Generally covered: sudden and accidental discharge of water. A burst pipe, a failed water heater, an overflowing appliance, storm water entering through wind-damaged roofing.
Generally not covered: gradual seepage and long-term leaks, damage attributed to deferred maintenance, and surface flooding or groundwater intrusion — which normally requires separate flood insurance. Sewer backup is commonly excluded unless you carry the specific endorsement.
The word doing the work in almost every policy is sudden. A pipe that failed last night is a different claim from a pipe that has been weeping behind a cabinet for eight months, even where the visible damage is identical.
What we do on the claim
- Photograph and meter everything before we move it. Once mitigation starts, the original condition is gone. Evidence captured in the first hour carries the claim.
- Write the scope to carrier standard, in the line-item estimating format adjusters work in, so it can be reviewed rather than argued about.
- Log daily moisture readings, which demonstrate the drying was necessary and was actually completed.
- Bill your insurer directly, so you are not paying out and waiting for reimbursement.
What you should do
- Report the loss to your insurer promptly — policies require it, and delay is a denial reason.
- Photograph everything before it moves, including serial numbers on failed appliances.
- Take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Policies require this too, and reasonable mitigation is itself a covered cost.
- Keep receipts for anything you spend, including temporary accommodation if the property is uninhabitable.
- Do not throw away damaged material before it has been documented and the adjuster has agreed.
An honest note
We are a restoration contractor, not a public adjuster or a law firm, and we cannot give you legal advice or negotiate your claim on your behalf. What we can do is make sure the evidence and the scope are thorough enough that there is little left to dispute. If a claim is wrongly denied, a licensed public adjuster is the right next call.
Call 844-526-1501.