ClaimOwner

Own your claim from day one. Be your own advocate.

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

ClaimOwner is a free, step-by-step kit for homeowners filing their own property insurance claim. Document the damage, organize your paperwork and know what to expect. Free for early users: https://t.co/OnkNMnus4N

Not a public adjuster. Not legal advice.

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Your deductible is your share of a covered loss. A lot of people think they have one. Many policies have more than one. There's often an all other perils (AOP) deductible for things like fire, theft or a burst pipe. Some policies also have a separate wind, hail, hurricane or named storm deductible. Some of those are written as a percentage of your dwelling coverage and not a flat dollar amount. That can make a storm deductible much bigger than people expect. Find out which ones you have before storm season and not after. They're on your declarations page. Tip: open your policy PDF and search for "deductible" with Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac). Then search "hurricane," "windstorm," "named storm" and "%" and read how each one applies.

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Leaving a house empty for a long stretch? Maybe it's a second home, a house that's for sale or a parent's place after a move. Read your policy for the words "vacant" and "unoccupied." Many policies limit coverage for some kinds of loss once a home has been vacant for a set number of days in a row. Sixty days is a common example. Vacant and unoccupied can mean different things in a policy. The rules on freezing and water damage often get stricter too. If a house is going to sit empty, call your agent and ask what your policy requires and whether you need different coverage. Tip: Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac) your policy PDF for "vacant."

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Twenty minutes at 4:45am is quick. Once the water's stopped, the next thing I'd want is photos of the area as found and the failed fitting or pipe section kept, bagged and labeled. That part is often what the insurer wants to look at. What fails most on the burst pipes your team sees?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Cutting it out instead of covering it is the right call. When I inspect a roof with rot like that the first thing I note is whether it's long term or tied to a recent storm. Rotted decking usually is what it is: it took time. That matters for the homeowner because a lot of policies treat long-term wear differently from a sudden loss. Photos of the rot before it's cut out help everyone later. How often is the gutter the cause on the ones you see?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Good thing to check before you go. Many policies change how certain losses are handled once a home has been vacant or unoccupied for a set number of days. Open the policy PDF and Ctrl+F vacant and unoccupied and read what it says. Before you leave, shut off the main water, set the heat so pipes don't freeze and walk every room with a phone recording a steady video. That video is your before record. Who do most families have checking on the house while they're away?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Ages not adjectives is a good rule. The roof age matters on the insurance side too. Some policies pay an older roof on a schedule by age instead of full replacement cost and people find that out after a storm. Ask for the roof's permit date. When the policy comes, Ctrl+F schedule and roof surfacing. Which of those ages do sellers get vaguest about?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Nothing like a roof leak for an alarm clock. Before the towels and buckets take over, take a few photos of the ceiling and the spot where it's coming in and write down when you noticed it. On the leaks I inspect a dated photo from the first night says more than anyone's memory a week later. How long did it take you to find where it was coming in?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Scale is one of those slow problems nobody thinks about until the tank lets go. On the water losses I work, the first question is whether the water came out suddenly or had been seeping for a while. A lot of policies treat those very differently. A drip at the drain valve is worth fixing early for that reason alone. If a tank does fail, photograph it where it sits and keep the failed parts. Do most of your customers call you at the rumble stage or after the puddle?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Lightning doesn't always leave a scorch mark. A strike nearby can travel through power, cable or phone lines and knock out electronics and appliances with little or no visible burning. If a storm rolls through and the TV, router, garage door opener or furnace board quits, write down what stopped working and when. Keep the dead items instead of tossing them. Ask the technician who checks them to put what they found in writing. Then keep that with the storm date in your file. Whether it's covered depends on your policy. Tip: search your policy PDF for "lightning" and "electrical" with Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac).

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Same thing holds on a claim. The problems I see later usually trace back to the first week: nobody wrote down who said what and a work authorization got signed in a hurry. A simple log with the date, the person's name and what was decided carries a lot of weight months later. Who on your jobs usually ends up keeping the written record?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

The first estimate after a fire isn't always the whole picture. Once the walls are opened up, more damage often shows up: charred framing, wet insulation and wiring that has to be replaced. A well-prepared general contractor identifies what the repair actually needs and documents it as a supplement with photos and clear line items. Your part is to keep up and communicate clearly with your carrier: read every letter, answer their questions and keep your own notes. That's where ClaimOwner comes in. You speak for your claim. ClaimOwner keeps your file organized and explains each letter and estimate in plain English so you understand what you're reading and can speak up for your own claim.

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Good list. I'd add one thing for clients: before the first freeze walk the house with a phone and record a steady video of every room, the attic and the roofline from the ground. If a pipe bursts in January that video is the before record. Also find the main water shutoff now and make sure it turns. On the water losses I work, how fast the water got shut off matters a lot. Do your agents hand clients a winter checklist at closing?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Two hail storms in two years on the same roofs is a lot. When I inspect a roof after hail I want dated photos from each storm because separate dates of loss are often handled as separate claims. Fresh hits usually look different from older weathering too. Before the next one it's worth reading the roof section of your policy. Ctrl+F deductible, cosmetic and schedule. Some roof deductibles are a percentage of the dwelling limit and that surprises people. Did most folks there replace after the first storm or wait for the second?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

There's a saying I use a lot: if you think it's expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur. I see the same thing on claims. A DIY fix that goes wrong can turn one problem into two and it gets harder to tell which damage came from what. A tutorial is a fine place to learn what the job involves. What repair do you see people regret trying themselves the most?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

After a hail storm most people look up at the roof and stop there. When I walk a property after hail I look at everything else too: window frames, gutters, downspouts, fascia, the fence, the shed, the AC fins and sometimes the solar panels. Soft metals usually show the hits first. Walk the whole property from the ground and take dated photos with a coin or tape measure in the shot for scale. Don't climb the roof. Whether each item is covered depends on your policy. A dated photo is the record either way. What did you find besides the roof after your last storm?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Underlayment and fastening are exactly where I see it show up. The repair gets priced like the old roof and then the permit brings today's code with it. That's why I tell people to find Ordinance or Law on the dec page before anything happens and to get any code requirement from the building department in writing. Do your homeowners usually know they have that coverage before you bring it up?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Here's one that surprises people during repairs. Building codes change. When part of an older house gets repaired the building department may require it to be brought up to today's code: new wiring, a bigger electrical panel or a different roof underlayment. That extra cost often isn't covered by the base policy. It's usually covered only under Ordinance or Law coverage if you have it. Many policies pay that part after the work is done. Check your declarations page for it and for the limit. If the building department requires an upgrade, get that requirement in writing and keep it in your file. Tip: search your policy PDF for "Ordinance or Law" with Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac).

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Lightning doesn't always leave a scorch mark. A strike nearby can travel through power, cable or phone lines and knock out electronics and appliances with little or no visible burning. If a storm rolls through and the TV, router, garage door opener or furnace board quits, write down what stopped working and when. Keep the dead items instead of tossing them. Ask the technician who checks them to put what they found in writing. Then keep that with the storm date in your file. Whether it's covered depends on your policy. Tip: search your policy PDF for "lightning" and "electrical" with Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac).

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Before-cover photos are the one I'd never skip. When I inspect a water loss inside a wall those photos show what was behind the drywall before anyone cuts it open. Paint colors and finish selections help too when a room gets put back. How many of your homeowners actually keep that folder?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

Something I explain a lot: the first check on a claim is often not the whole amount. Many policies pay actual cash value first. That's replacement cost minus depreciation and the deductible comes off too. The depreciation that's recoverable usually gets released after the repairs are done. Some policies set a time window to claim it. Open your policy PDF and type Ctrl+F (Cmd+F on a Mac) for recoverable depreciation or replacement cost. Then put that window on your calendar. Did your first payment surprise you?

[ClaimOwner @ClaimOwnerApp]

@micheal_easler Signed and dated is the part that makes it count. When I look at a loss a dated record beats anybody's memory of what was already there. Keeping it in the same folder as the warranty means it actually gets found. Do you hand them that copy at the walk or send it after?