MORE LIKE THIS Insurance Home insurance
Maybe it’s a loud crash overhead. Maybe it’s broken glass. Maybe it’s the constant dripping of water from your kitchen ceiling. Any of these sounds could mean you need to learn how to apply for home insurance fast.
You can’t just kick back and wait for your insurance company to pay. You will need to report the problem immediately, track all expenses and communicate with the insurer to make sure you get paid in full for your insurance claim. Here are seven tips to make the process easier.
Key terms in this article
Apply for Home Insurance Right Away
Depending on the insurer, you can apply for home insurance online, through an app, through your agent, or by calling the company. No matter which method you choose, reporting a claim right away can put money in your pocket faster.
Once your insurer receives your claim, they will assign you a claim number and send an adjuster to assess the claim. Shortly thereafter, the insurance company will issue an initial payment—minus your deductible—to cover the estimated cost of the repairs.
If your claim was due to storm damage, it’s likely that other homes in the area were also affected. This means that there will be more claims and more demand on your insurance company. Submitting your claim immediately can help you get to the front of the queue.
» MORE: How to claim an insurance event in the event of a windstorm
Document the Damage
Taking photos and making an inventory of damaged items gives you and your insurer a record of everything that needs to be repaired or replaced. The more information the insurer has, the better – so try to get pictures of the plates and model numbers, especially for more expensive items. Here’s how to create a home inventory.
» MORE: Best Home Inventory Apps and Templates
Make Temporary Fixes
If you have a hole in your roof, you don’t have to live with it until the adjuster arrives. Once you have documented the damage for your insurer, you can make temporary repairs if it is safe to do so.
Whether it’s to stop a leak or to board up a broken window, temporary penetration repairs can prevent further problems and save time and money. If you don’t take steps to fix an immediate problem and the insurer believes you might have, you may not be fully covered. Say you don’t board up a broken window and someone sneaks in and steals the TV. Your insurance company may not pay for it.
If you keep receipts and can document why the repairs were necessary, you can submit the expenses to your insurer as part of your claim.
» MORE: Home insurance won’t cover 10 types of damage
Communicate with Your Adjuster
Your insurance company will appoint an adjuster to handle the claim and this person will be your primary point of contact throughout the process. You’ll want to detail their damage, answer all of their questions, provide documentation of expenses, and update them on the status of repairs.
You will have to be your own biggest advocate. Remember that the adjuster represents the interests of the insurance company, not yours.
“Be politely assertive” with the adjuster, says Amy Bach, executive director of United Policyholders, a nonprofit and advocate for people with insurance. “Don’t come in with boxing gloves ready to fight.”
You can also hire a public insurance adjuster; they will manage the claim for you as the policyholder and act on your behalf with the insurer. In exchange for their expertise, you will usually pay the public adjuster a percentage of the final claim amount. This can range from 5% to 20% depending on where you live and the size of the claim.
» MORE: What is a public adjuster and do you need one?
Save Your Receipts
Before you receive payment from your insurance company, you can spend a lot of money on temporary repairs. If you receive a check from your insurer upfront, you’ll need to save all receipts—it won’t cut it for estimates. The initial payment usually does not cover the full cost of the repairs. If you want to get paid back in full, you’ll need to prove what you actually spent.
Consider Your Supplier
If your home is damaged, you don’t have to use an insurance company-recommended contractor for repairs. Bach says insurers tend to bring in companies they often work with. However, you can always get cost estimates from other suppliers yourself.
Before you hire someone, we recommend doing your research by reading reviews from previous customers and checking their Better Business Bureau listing. You can also search for a supplier on your state licensing agency’s website. Depending on the state, licensed contractors may be required to carry insurance, complete certain types of training, and comply with local building codes. (Note that not all states require contractors to be licensed.)
» MORE: The Best Homeowners Insurance Companies
Get Help with Living Expenses
If your home is so damaged that you can’t live in it, your insurance company can help. Loss of use coverage is part of a standard homeowner’s policy and will pay for things like hotel stays and restaurant meals if you can’t live at home. Again, you’ll want to keep all receipts to make sure you’re fully reimbursed for this portion of your claim.
