Insurance Claims

Vision Construction has been working with insurance companies since its inception. Our trained staff have been adjusters at one time or another and are highly skilled at understanding insurance jargon and knowing what will and will not be paid for on your claim. We offer our industry expertise as a service of our construction company. By being an industry leader in both realms, we give homeowners and business owners the satisfaction they are squeezing every possible nickel out of their insurance dollars.

How We Work

We are general contractors first and foremost. The insurance side is just a competitive advantage. When hail strikes, we know what to look for on your home and how to determine what was caused by hail. By knowing this, we are able to write up the entire claim before the insurance adjuster comes out. Most adjusters have between 10 and 20 claims they look at every day. Compound that with actually writing the adjustment, it is very easy to see why they miss things here and there. Our job is to ensure these things are brought to their attention. 

What does Hail Damage Look Like?

We have all seen hail damage on cars. The hail makes a physical indention on the car, and though only cosmetic in most cases, can be quite unsightly. On homes it is a little different. These pictures show a house in Coppell, Texas that got hammered by golf ball size hail during the hail storm that struck this April 2011. The black indentions you see on the roof are known as "bruising" of the shingles. Basically, if you have a composition roof, your roof is nothing more than asphalt (oil) covered in granules to protect the asphalt from the sun and elements. When this bruising occurs and the asphalt is exposed, it is only a matter of time before this opens up into a hole. Oil, in the congealed form of asphalt, will turn to a more liquefied form when heated. Many times, when you walk on a roof in the hot Texas sun, you will actually find the shingles melt underneath you! (These are known as foot traffic) Most roofers will not put roofs on homes if the heat is too great for this reason.

What to Expect

1. How to make the Initial Claim. After the storm has hit, call your adjuster and have them come to look at your home. Just know that what the adjuster finds is simply a starting point for your claim...the journey is ahead.

2. What Insurance adjusters look at and what you should look for. Insurance adjusters have programs that take into account certain things that he finds visible. Typically, these prices are grossly under adjusted for the rate increases a storm brings and do not cover the entire scope of work.

3. How to choose a contractor. Your insurance policy states that you have the right to choose your contractor. The three bid game is a bad idea. All you do when you do this is take the least qualified contractor who gets the work by underbidding the rest. And remember, your insurance company is only going to pay you for this price. When you submit the final invoice to the insurance company, if your contractor did the job for less money than the original claim and cut corners, not only will the insurance company make you live with the spotty work and possibly deny you future coverage, but they will not pay you except what the contractor charged! It’s better to just choose a contractor you are comfortable with and feel good that he is getting the job done. If your contractor doesn't have insurance experience, just realize that a lot of this burden will be on you! Choose a contractor who is going to back his warranty and who has the experience to help you! You and your contractor are going to be working together in this.

4. What is your best option? If you have the time to deal with the insurance company, the sub-contractors, and still work a full time job, then maybe being a general contractor is in your best interest.  It’s a tough job to get the going rate on jobs when the homeowner is the G.C. Typically, since banks hold the 1st mortgage, they will hold the money longer if you are going to take on this task, or in some cases, not let you do the work. We always suggest finding a good, experienced contractor who is specialized in this department. The money comes out of your pocket if you don't make sure the job is done right!

5. Dealing with the mortgage company. In many disasters, we have seen mortgage companies holding money that insurance companies have released. Whether this is because they are in dire straits with their own financial troubles or not has yet to be seen. It is imperative that you make your voice heard. Make sure that you are constantly calling and progressing their release of monies owed to you to get your house fixed. If not, this process could be dragged on for years.

6. Making it all work. Your best solution is to find a general contractor who does it all. If you have water damage or mold, this can be a little daunting. Let's face it, you pay your insurance premiums for a reason: to be protected. Unlike car insurance, your home insurance will not go up with a claim. It’s there to protect you and your family. No matter if you have accepted a check or not from your insurance company, call in an expert and get your home done right for you and your family's sake.

 Residential Claim Process Guide (printable version)