Insurance Restoration

copusbuilder

I usually steer clear of insurance restoration but have a customer that I have had for over 12 years asking me to help with the damage from a burst supply line at the kitchen sink.

it happened Xmas eve and ran for many hours. They came home to water running down the driveway and over an inch in a lot of the home. It was two days before the 'Serv Pro Professionals" ( I use that term loosely). Came out to set up blowers etc. The home owner had pulled the carpet and wet vacuumed the slab.
The "pros" came out and removed a little sheetrock at the kitchen and drilled holes where walls had read 100% moisture on the moisture meter. The holes are about 1-1/4" in diameter.
They even did this in the insulated wall?
They removed 1/4 round but not the baseboard?
There is sheetrock at the pantry that is crumbling from being so wet and the corner bead is rusting already?
The kitchen is tiled so water was trapped under the cabinets. They are allowing 6' of replacement and are leaving the other attached 11'?

I was dumbfounded when I saw it and suggested he or I get on the phone and demand they remove all wet sheetrock and insulation as well as replace all the lower cabinetry.
It seems they have these adjusters well trained in the art of human persuasion. She offered them outside lodging (which they naturally declined since bedrooms are upstairs),,,is paying for the roll top desk and saying they can keep it and re-use the money....The only thing she seems to not be doing is paying enough for the home to be re-built properly.
I had to back down because the homeowner seems to have great confidence in this button pusher that cannot even bid the job out with out contactor involvement. She need input on the cabinet and surface work to complete her estimate?

Normally I would say get your bid and we will go over it and see what they missed but as I said they requested help and I have known them for sometime.

I remember saying I would go out on a Sunday for insurance money....now I will only respond to old customers....

I will get off my soapbox after adding...I hate insurance companies

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AkA Richard Cranium

go dart

thats a great post. i've had this same thing happen with an established customer also, only an upstairs stool ran for a couple of hours. service (pro?) did the drying then huddled with the adjuster and ended up with a qoute that was half what i needed to set her right. no insulation replacment etc. i've never been able to work w/ adjusters but lots of others can. its almost a specialty service itsself

copusbuilder

That is the problem. Everyone wants to do the emergency water extraction and demo but no one wants to re-build.
The adjusters work on turning the customer on you unless you don't mind working for peanuts. They must take courses on this?
I have been working on this all day and am so pissed off that I am even having to do it....after all it is they who say how much they will pay. I may be pissing in the wind and loose the whold deal because the $$ probably aren't going to be enough.
Of course the customer wants to go back with granite and tile flooring etc.etc. They understand they will have to pay but still think insurance pays enough to cover their kids college and put a new car in the drive.....Maybe even pay off the house???
I would not have shown if I didn't know the people. I may still be a sucker?
I am lump summing it so they can't pick and choose though

I still hate insurance companies

__________________
www.copusconstruction.com
www.etexasrentals.com
www.thelakevoice.com
AkA Richard Cranium

go dart

you got big ones my friend.

Floorwizard

Damn,

I made a hell of alot more than I did last year due to insurance work.
I guess the trick is to learn how the system works first before you dive in.

In fact I work with 2 restoration companies all year round, and the troubles are far and few between.

It is true that insurance companies bid to have the house put back to it's original condition, and sometimes it's original condition is not proper. But that is where upgrades come in. It all depends on the specific job.
It is also true that if you do insurance work, you may get clients that normally would never call you up, and there is a trick to that as well.

On this case, I have trouble giving advice due to the fact that I know little about the company.
But my overall advice would be to learn about insurance companies and how they work. that is step one to having things go your way.

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"in 20 years you will regret more what you did not do than what you did"

copusbuilder

You've been there I see

I'm done and it's been e-mailed I shall now go and celebrate my stupidity with a motorcycle ride....Then I will come home and watch U.Texas beat up on U.S.C. Then I will nurse a morning hangover.....Hopefully happier

__________________
www.copusconstruction.com
www.etexasrentals.com
www.thelakevoice.com
AkA Richard Cranium

mdshunk

I do insurance work, but not directly for the homeowner or the insurance company. I sub to the restoration companies. They already know how the system works. Mostly, it's T&M work for me, which is super-cool. Sometimes they want an estimate, but that's all it is, an estimate- not a bid.

copusbuilder

There is good money in the flooring portion of insurance claims. There is piss poor money for most other items including painting.

It is true what you say about an art to it. Keep in mind these are regualr customers and I have no intention of getting into the rebuilds. I have found in the past they want everything perfect (unlike before) and don't think they should pay. Then it becomes a wrestling match and unless your ahead on the $$ you loose... At least thats been my experience?

What I ended up doing is submitting a bid in my format (not per sq or lineal foot). I told them I do not have the program any more (never could learn to use it properly) and don't bid that way.
I submitted the bid they showed the button pusher and she would not go for the $$ figure. The customer decided to ante the extra dollars and just get it done.
I am not real high in my pricing but could never make a living off of re-builds. I suspect that's why most companies only do the emergency extractions and leave when thats done?

Shunk.....Electrical always pays well.....not as well as plumbing but better than most

__________________
www.copusconstruction.com
www.etexasrentals.com
www.thelakevoice.com
AkA Richard Cranium