Homeowners in the state of Florida face some threats to their homes that people who live in other states don’t. As The Property Advocates explains, in addition to the typical threats, many Floridians also must face the possibility of damage to their home from hurricane winds and floodwaters.
That’s why understanding what your property insurance covers and what it doesn’t is so important. If your home ever suffers damage, you’ll want to tend to it as soon as possible to mitigate further damage and get back on the road to recovery fast.
A big part of that process is filing a property insurance claim with your insurance company. Below is a guide for how that process works in Florida.
Report Your Loss
Anytime your home suffers damage, you’ll want to report it to your insurance company as soon as you can. Depending on your insurance company, you might be able to report the loss via phone, email, or other ways, such as through a mobile app.
When you contact your insurance company, you’ll want to have your policy number with you and be able to provide in-depth details about the damage.
Wait for the Adjuster
Once the insurance company records the fact that your home has suffered damage, they will assign an adjuster to your case. That person will come to your property so they can inspect all the damage in person, gathering information regarding what might have caused the damage and how much it might cost for repairs or replacement.
While the adjuster will take their own pictures of the damage, it’s important for you to do the same before the adjuster even comes out. That’s because the adjuster might not come out to your home for at least a few days, if not more, depending on their backlog of work.
Take as many pictures and videos as you can right after you report the damage to your insurer. That way, you can show the adjuster the original damage. The adjuster often only sees the damage after it’s already been cleaned up.
Review the Results
After the adjuster has done their job, your insurance company will provide you with the results. It will be a written report that will detail how much they estimate it will cost to repair and/or replace the damage.
Many people just accept this report without questioning the details in it. But, as The Property Advocates advises, you should never blindly accept what the insurance company is saying they will cover.
If you disagree with the findings of the report, you can always ask to have the property inspected again. And, if that effort doesn’t change the outcome at all, you can always enlist the services of an experienced property insurance law firm who can help you fight for what you deserve.
Whatever the outcome, it’s important to remember that the Florida property insurance claim process can be lengthy, especially if your home sustained damage during a weather-related event that affected many other people in the state.
Greg Grzesiak is an Entrepreneur-In-Residence and Columnist at Grit Daily. As CEO of Grzesiak Growth LLC, Greg dedicates his time to helping CEOs influencers and entrepreneurs make the appearances that will grow their following in their reach globally. Over the years he has built strong partnerships with high profile educators and influencers in Youtube and traditional finance space. Greg is a University of Florida graduate with years of experience in marketing and journalism.
