Navigating the Claims Process

ARCHER RESTORATION CAN HELP YOU UNDERSTAND THE CLAIM PROCESS

Filing an insurance claim for damage sustained from a fire, water, or other type of
catastrophe is not something most of us do frequently. The process can be intimidating, confusing and overwhelming, especially if certain processes are not followed. With over 20 years in the restoration industry who is familiar with the claims process we will ensure your property is properly restored. Archer Restoration specializes in the insurance restoration process. Our IICRC trained estimators and courteous staff are here to offer our assistance in the insurance claims process.

1. Initial Assessment

When you have fire or water damage from a recent event, the first call should always
be to an experienced restoration professional. By choosing Archer Restoration as
your insurance restoration specialist, we will conduct a FREE complete,
comprehensive inspection of your property for any and all event-related damage.
If there is damage, we will find it. We will photo-document and review in detail
with you all of our findings.

No Damage: If we don’t find enough damage to warrant an insurance claim, we’re happy to give you the peace of mind that your home is in fine condition and an insurance claim is not necessary at this time.

Damage: If there is damage to your property, we will recommend filing an insurance claim to restore your home back to its pre-existing condition.

2. Filing a Claim

When damage is found, the first call should always be to your insurance company’s
claims office – not your personal insurance agent. Most agents are not
responsible for or trained to handle the claims aspect of your policy.
A claim handler will assign a claim number and a claim adjuster. Write this
number down, it will be very important throughout the claim process. Call your
Archer Restoration representative and provide the adjuster’s name, contact
information and appointment time, if an appointment has been scheduled. Archer Restoration can negotiate with your insurance provider to help you obtain a fair insurance settlement.

3. Meeting Your Claim Adjuster

A field adjuster from your insurance company will contact you to schedule a time
to inspect your property. Let your Archer Restoration sales representative know
the day and time of your adjuster meeting, and we can arrange for an Estimator to be there. As much as they value your business, the insurance carrier’s principal goal is to keep expenditures down. For this reason, it is important for your Archer Restoration representative to be present when you meet your claim adjuster and to to serve as your advocate. An Estimator from Archer Restoration can meet with the insurance adjuster to review the damage and agree to the necessary scope of work for any mitigation, cleaning and repairs. Whenever possible, your Archer Restoration Estimator will provide a report detailing the affected area which will further assist in documenting the damage.

4. Assuring a Trustworthy Settlement

Once the insurance adjuster inspects the extent of damage to your home, he or
she will provide a claim summary detailing the scope of repairs or replacement.
Most insurance providers use a pricing software called Xactimate to determine
the fair market price of your roof replacement. For this reason, Archer
Restoration also uses Xactimate, ensuring that all of your losses are fully
accounted for. When you receive the adjuster’s claim summary we will review it
to ensure every detail is accounted for. From time to time, the pricing on the
adjuster’s claim summary can fall under what is considered fair market value. If
any items are omitted, or there is a discrepancy, our insurance claims
professional will negotiate the difference with the insurance company on your
behalf. This isn’t always necessary, but when it is, it’s a great benefit for the
homeowner to have a company like Archer Restoration that is familiar with all
insurance companies on your side. Once the negotiation process has been
completed, the insurance company will release a supplemental check to cover
the additional amount that was determined through negotiations with the
insurance representative. The Supplement Process is handled 100% by Archer
Restoration, freeing you of the inevitable paperwork, phone calls, and stress.

5. Flexibility on Insurance Claims

Once Archer has negotiated a settlement with your insurance adjuster, the
repairs process will begin. You have a choice of our skilled staff getting your
property back to pre-loss condition or if you may choose to make enhancements
to your damaged property. Archer Restoration can give you a FREE estimate on
the cost of upgrading the affected property.