Navigating Home Insurance Claims: A Contractor's Inside Guide

How Do You Handle Insurance Inspections And Appraisals?

Feeling outmatched by insurance companies after home damage? You're not alone. Most homeowners don't realize they're at a significant disadvantage when filing insurance claims – facing trained adjusters while lacking the expertise to identify what's missing or underpaid in their scope of work.

This eye-opening episode reveals how Remodel Contracting transforms the insurance claims process with their unique approach. Jeff Bass explains why they've created a dedicated position staffed by a former claims adjuster who negotiates directly with insurance companies. "We don't build to the check from the insurance company. We build to the scope," Jeff emphasizes, highlighting how this philosophy ensures homeowners receive full compensation for every item that should be covered.

The conversation dives into the details of their supplement process, where they review scopes, identify missing items, dispute square footage calculations, and advocate for homeowners until they're satisfied with their claim. Jeff shares practical advice on documentation homeowners should gather before inspections and explains how their advocacy continues if disputes escalate to appraisal. The most revealing insight? "Insurance companies aren't in business to give away money – they're in business to NOT give away money," Jeff explains, "so they're always, 100% of the time, going to undervalue your property."

Whether you're currently dealing with a claim or want to be prepared for future home damage, this episode provides the insider knowledge you need to level the playing field. Ready to have an advocate in your corner? Call 469-831-5620 or visit RemodelContracting.net for a free consultation. Your home deserves better, and honestly, so do you.

To learn more about Remodel Contracting visit:
https://www.RemodelContracting.net
Remodel Contracting
801 Alpha Rd, Ste 133
Richardson, TX 75081
469-831-5620

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
Welcome to the Remodel Contracting Podcast,
where outdated spaces meet theirmodern makeover destiny.
Hosted by Jeff Bass, generalcontractor, home renovation
expert and guy who firmlybelieves your avocado green
bathroom has gotta go.
Based in the DFW Metro, remodelContracting is here to help you
level up your living spaceBecause, hey, you updated your

(00:27):
wardrobe, now it's time toupdate your home.
Expect more, live better.
Let's remodel.

Speaker 2 (00:41):
Insurance inspections and appraisals can feel
overwhelming, but they don'thave to be.
Here's how remodel contractingmakes the process smoother and
less stressful.
Welcome back everyone.
I'm Sofia Yvette, co-host,slash producer.
Back in the studio with generalcontractor and home renovation
expert, jeff Bass.
Jeff, how's it going?

Speaker 3 (01:01):
Good morning Sofia.
I'm doing wonderful.
I'm very happy to be here today.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
Good morning and it's great to see you again, jeff.
So can you inform our listenershow you handle insurance
inspections and appraisals?

Speaker 3 (01:15):
Of course, yes.
So insurance claims, like yousaid, they can be stressful and
confusing for homeowners, so Ibuilt a system to take that off
their plates.
You know homeowners are oftenoutmatched, so I built a system
to take that off their plates.
You know homeowners are oftenoutmatched.
Insurance companies havetrained adjusters.
Homeowners don't always knowwhat's missing or underpaid in
their scope when they do have aclaim, and so the system that I

(01:38):
built is a little different thanhow other contractors and
remodelers handle it.
Our competitive advantage isthat remodel contracting has a
dedicated position thatnegotiates directly with
insurance companies.
This ensures that every itemthat should be covered is
covered and paid for.
We don't build to the checkfrom the insurance company.

(01:58):
We build to the scope, and whatthat means is, you know, many
GCs accept the initial payoutand they work within the
constraints of what theinsurance company has offered.
What we do is we review thescope, identify the missing
items and file supplements whennecessary, whether that be
disputing items covered, whetherit be disputing square footage,

(02:21):
whether it be noting items thatwere missing from the initial
scope.
We take that off of thehomeowner's plate and we
negotiate directly with theinsurance company until the
homeowner is satisfied withtheir claim and getting, like I
said, getting the items coveredthat should have been covered to
begin with.
You know, if a disputeescalates to an appraisal, then

(02:45):
we provide the clients withdocumentation, continue that
expert guidance and full supportAgain, like I said, to get them
back to the position they werein before they had their claim.
Our approach offers fasterresolutions and better outcomes.
Our approach means that clientsget more accurate settlements,
they get quicker resolutionsthan they would on their own and

(03:08):
they get the confidence thatthey're being fully taken care
of, because this is notsomething that is the normal
course of a homeowner's dailylife.
It is for us and you know Ilike to say that we're not just
builders, we're advocates, andthat's what sets us apart.

Speaker 2 (03:28):
So, Jeff, getting into it a bit more.
What documentation shouldhomeowners gather before an
inspection?

Speaker 3 (03:35):
What documentation should homeowners gather before
an inspection.
Well, they should gatheranything that they have not
previously provided to theirinsurance company, such as any
improvements that they've made,if they've replaced their carpet
with hardwood floors, ifthey've already updated a
kitchen, if they've painted awall, any updates they have done
to their home that theinsurance company does not

(03:58):
already have evidence of.
They need to have thatdocumentation ready, and the
more familiar they are withtheir home and its condition,
then the better their outcome isgoing to be.

Speaker 2 (04:12):
Makes sense.
So, jeff, how do you advocatefor a homeowner during an
appraisal?

Speaker 3 (04:22):
Well, so during the process of the insurance company
, the insurance company provideswhat's called the scope of work
, which means they will come tothe project and they put
together a list of items thatthey're going to cover.
It will list the quantity, itwill list the value, it will

(04:45):
list a recoverable value as wellas an actual cash value and it

(05:17):
will list depreciation and,depending on the type of policy
the homeowner has, willdetermine some.
We can actually have ouradjuster meet with the insurance
adjuster to do the initialwalkthrough to try to get items
covered up front to make thesupplement process even easier
down the road.
But typically what happens issomebody has a claim, whether it
be a roof claim or a waterdamage claim or a water damage
claim.
The insurance company comes outand the client is looking at
the scope of work and theinsurance company just isn't
providing enough money to coverwhat needs to be done.
And I deal with this every day.
And so the client will thenstart, you know, reaching out to

(05:39):
contractors and contractors aretelling them no, we can't do
the job for that amount of money.
And even when the contractortries to other contractors try
to negotiate with the insurancecompany, they're only going to
get so far because, again,they're not an expert in that
field.
They may be great at layingfloors and putting up tile, but
they're not great at negotiatingwith insurance companies.

(06:02):
That's why I took the stepfurther and I have a former
claims adjuster who handles thisposition for me, and so we hand
the scope of work over to thisposition and then he takes over
the supplement process.
He will go back out, he willreview the scope of work that

(06:23):
the insurance companies providedcompared to the damage of the
home and take into account anyimprovements the homeowner's
made.
He will redo the entire scope,redo all of the measurements and
then compare his scope to theinsurance company's scope.
Then he contacts the insurancecompany and works through that
supplement process to get all ofthese items covered.

(06:46):
And then how that affects thehomeowner is the homeowner is
now able to get himself into theposition where you know we can
rebuild the bathroom, we canreplace all the floors and and
just you know put them back intothe situation that they were in
before the damage happened,which is ultimately what they
want.
I mean, you know insurancecompanies aren't in business to

(07:09):
give away money, right, they'rein business to not give away
money, so that's why they'realways, 100% of the time, going
to undervalue your property.
Having damage in your home andhaving somebody on your side to
advocate for you is no differentthan any other type of claim.
If you get into a car accident,you know.

(07:30):
They have attorney commercialson TV all day, every day,
offering to advocate for you.
If you get into a car wreck,you know, and so basically I
just do the same thing for you,but for the damage in your house
.

Speaker 2 (07:45):
Wow.
Well, thank you for thoseimportant insights, Jeff, and we
will catch you on the nextepisode.
Have a blessed rest of your day.

Speaker 3 (07:53):
Thank you, I appreciate it, sophie.
I appreciate your time.

Speaker 1 (07:59):
That's a wrap for this episode of Remodel
Contracting Podcast.
Ready to kick that 90s kitchento the curb?
For a free in-home consultation, call 469-831-5620 or visit
remodelcontractingnet.
Expect more, because your homedeserves better and, honestly,

(08:20):
so do you.