Boulder, Colorado Restoration Services Insurance Guide

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Your Insurance Claims Survival Guide

If your Boulder, Colorado home or business experiences a broken pipe, sewage backup, fire, or other emergencies, 24-7 Restoration is here to help you get back on your feet. We don’t experience these situations much (hopefully!) in our day-to-day lives, so the whole process can be very unfamiliar. We handle immediate cleanup needs at any time of day or night, and we will work with you and your insurance company to plan and execute any further cleaning, rebuilding, and other restoration services that are needed. Below are some commonly asked questions and tips to help guide you through the process of restoration services insurance.

How Do Insurance Claims Work?

Obtaining your restoration services insurance coverage following any type of emergency begins with filing an insurance claim. This written request informs your insurance company of what happened, what restoration services are needed, and how much the restoration company you are working with expects the project to cost. Your insurance company will then validate your claim and provide you with the appropriate funds. In Colorado, insurance companies are required to allow you to choose any restoration company you want, and we work with all insurance providers. You can begin filing your claim directly from our website if you are using one of our most popular providers.

Preferred Vendors?

Knowing your rights is critical: Upon contacting your insurance company to report the flood, fire, mold, hail, damage etc. you may be directed to a preferred vendor to address the issues you are facing. Do you have to use the insurance company’s preferred vendor? No! Stop! You have the choice to decide what contractor you will trust to handle your emergency restoration in your home. It may not be in your best interest to work with the insurance companies preferred vendor. Consider a neutral and independent company (like 24-7 Restoration) that has your best interest in mind.

Stay Involved

The restoration process always goes more smoothly when the client (insured) stays involved in the process. 24-7 Restoration will do everything in our ability to navigate this process with your insurance company but ultimately you are the insurance company’s client and it’s the insurance company’s job to keep your needs in mind, not necessarily the Restoration contractor’s needs (ours). Helpful tips:

Stay in regular contact with your insurance adjuster to make sure your claim is receiving the attention it should.
Insist that you want your restoration project completed in a timely manner and without unnecessary delays.
Ask for a detailed outline of payments being issued and what they are related to.
Insist that communications be in writing such as an email so that you have a record of all correspondence.

Mitigation vs. Reconstruction

The whole restoration process involves 2 separate phases: The Mitigation phase (drying and preventing additional damage) and The Reconstruction phase (rebuilding your property from the damages incurred during the initial loss and mitigation phase). These different phases differ in how they are presented to insurance for payment. The Mitigation phase is (for the most part) considered an emergency and that work is done (mostly) without pre-approval from insurance. The Mitigation phase is thoroughly documented and the method’s/protocols are specific and regulated (by the IICRC – which 24-7 Restoration is a certified firm with). The Reconstruction phase is different. Insurance companies request that The Reconstruction phase be estimated ahead of time and approved before work starts. “Who is going to fix my house back to the way it was prior to our loss?” Just as you are the ultimate decision-maker in which Restoration Company will handle your mitigation work, you also get to choose what reconstruction contractor you want to have working in your home. Under no circumstances are you required to work with an insurance company preferred vendor. Fortunately for you, 24-7 Restoration has in-house reconstruction managers who are familiar with how to get your home restored to pre-loss condition, or better! 24-7 Restoration provides you with Reconstruction services that will estimate the repairs needed to restore your home, and work with your insurance company (and you) to have that estimate quickly approved prior to beginning any work. This helps avoid incurring any out-of-pocket expenses that your insurance company might refuse to cover.

Mitigation

Once you have chosen a restoration company that works best for you, the first steps are crucial to the long-term success of your restoration. Extracting the water as soon as possible is one of the first critical steps. This prevents spreading and additional damage (secondary damage) if allowed to sit and soak in. If the water is clean, (category 1) both non-structural and structural components can usually be restored without needing to be removed or demolished. The affected areas are restored with state-of-the-art drying equipment such as hardwood floor drying systems, wall cavity drying systems, heaters, fans, and dehumidifiers: in place – no demolition! When the water is determined to be contaminated (category 2 or category 3) the affected non-structural materials that are porous in nature are also considered contaminated and will typically require demolition and removal and disposal. When removing affected building materials such as drywall, finished flooring, and ceiling tile to name a few, asbestos testing is required by both State and Federal laws. If any of the affected building material tests positive for Asbestos it will be necessary for that material to be removed by a certified asbestos mitigation company. We have a handful of carefully selected and certified asbestos removal companies we work with who will provide free estimates for our referrals.

Reconstruction

It is important for the insured (you) to understand that Reconstruction is handled as a secondary process to mitigation work. Reconstruction typically only begins once an estimate for repairs has been approved by your insurance adjuster and funds for the repairs are put in place. A 50% deposit of the agreed-upon amount is required to start the Reconstruction Phase and the remaining balance due upon completion. It is in your best interest (the insured) as well as the reconstruction contractor to have these costs of repairs agreed upon up-front.

Pricing

Mitigation and Restoration work is a very specialized industry. Companies such as 24-7 Restoration are held to strict guidelines put in place by the IICRC (Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification) as to how water losses should be handled. Additionally, the pricing related to these services has been pre-approved in accordance with the insurance industry. An estimating software program (Xactimate) is used both by the insurance industry as well as restoration companies to determine the cost of restoration services. 24-7 Restoration understands both the regulations of how water losses should be handled and uses this pricing software (Xactimate), the combination of which smooths out invoicing with your insurance company. There will typically be some back and forth between the insurance company and 24-7 Restoration during the invoice review process. This is normal procedure and simply part of the insurance company’s making sure policy-holders aren’t being billed for work that wasn’t done or wasn’t needed. 24-7 Restoration’s familiarity with the IICRC standards and regulations, and our careful documentation are critical during this process.

Supplemental Claims

On occasion, an unforeseen issue may arise in the repair phase. Not to worry! It is not unusual to issue a supplement to the claim to the insurance in this event. Insurance adjusters are familiar with this practice and generally will see that the appropriate allowance is issued so long as it is determined to be associated with the original claim. For example; There is heavy staining in the carpet from the water intrusion. The technicians did their best to clean the carpets and remove the staining but were unsuccessful. It is now time to issue a “supplement” to the claim for carpet replacement.

Restoration Services Insurance for Colorado Residents

Choose 24-7 Restoration for the Best Restoration Services in Colorado

At 24-7 Restoration, we know that property emergencies can happen at any time of day or night, and we are always available to help with a variety of situations. From handling immediate needs to prevent further damage to repairing and rebuilding your home or business, our wide range of services make us a top choice for customers throughout Longmont, Boulder, and surrounding cities.

Our Restoration Process Is Quick and Convenient

We know that acting quickly is the most important step we can take to help our clients preserve as much of their homes and businesses as possible following any type of emergency. That's why we're committed to having a crew of our skilled team members at your residence or business within an hour of speaking to you on the phone at any time of day or night. We won't make you wait to hear back from your insurance company before handling immediate needs to prevent further damage. If your building experiences water, sewer, or fire damage or you find mold or asbestos, we are always here to help.

Restoration Services We Offer

Our team members are trained to handle a wide variety of types of property damage. Each category of restoration services begins by assessing the level of damage your home or business has experienced to determine the most appropriate next steps to take. No matter what type of emergency you experience, our restoration process involves dealing with the immediate threat and cleaning up your building, and making repairs as needed.

Water Damage

Sewer Damage

After removing sewage from your home or business, we begin an extensive cleaning and rebuilding process to ensure that your building is free of bacteria, viruses, and other contaminants. We remove any carpets, floorboards, drywall, and other surfaces that the sewage came in contact with, pressure-wash any contaminated parts of the building's structure that cannot be removed with disinfectant, and make any necessary repairs and replacements to restore the safety, functionality, and appearance of your home or business.

Fire and Smoke Damage

After a fire, we take steps to help prevent further damage to your home or business, such as removing water and boarding up damaged windows or doors to protect what is left of your property and belongings. We will bring your possessions to our facility to remove as much soot and odor from them as possible, as well as to make cleaning and restoring your building easier. We handle every step of making your home clean and safe to live in again, from removing debris and odor to rebuilding areas that experience structural damage.

Mold

We begin by isolating the room or other area of your home or business where mold has been found to prevent cross-contamination to other parts of your property and removing carpeting, drywall, and other affected areas to make it easier to see and clean the structure of the building. We then use a variety of techniques to remove mold, apply fungicide to be sure it will not come back, and repair and replace your carpeting, flooring, and drywall.

Asbestos

The State of Colorado and Federal laws require that contractors, regardless of the age of the property, to test for asbestos when removing any potential asbestos-containing materials. In the event that an asbestos abatement service is required, different insurance companies have different coverages and procedures to follow. We stay on top of these procedures and are familiar with them and how to work with your insurance carrier to get the asbestos removed in as timely a fashion as possible. 24-7 Restoration will schedule and facilitate this whole process on your behalf.

We Work With Your Insurance Company to Meet Your Needs

At 24-7 Restoration, we understand that spending hours or days dealing with your insurance company before any work can be done does nothing to help your home or business. Because many building emergencies need to be handled immediately to prevent further damage, we begin work within an hour of receiving most calls. During each restoration project, we make detailed reports of the condition of your building, the work that we do, and the equipment we use, which we send to your insurance company after the restoration process is complete. We also work closely with our clients to keep you in the loop about what we are doing and provide an estimate of what to expect from your insurance company.

What Sets 24-7 Restoration Apart From Similar Companies

Choosing 24-7 Restoration instead of a similar company gives you peace of mind as you explore your options for restoring your home or business. We respond as soon as we get a call, and we'll never leave you hanging before we complete preliminary work. We handle the cleanup and restoration process at your convenience, and you usually will not need to leave your home while we are working. We are also committed to using eco-friendly products and giving back to various local and national humanitarian organizations. Visit our website to read testimonials from our satisfied customers to see why we're the Boulder area's go-to restoration company!

Dealing with a building emergency is disruptive, but it doesn't have to be a nightmare. We are always here to help residents in Longmont, Boulder, and surrounding areas as soon as we are needed, and we will work closely with you to make your restoration process as smooth as we can and do it right the first time. Contact us today to learn more about the services we offer or give us a call at 303-485-1730 for immediate assistance!

"Steve was great. He was timely and very courteous. He took time to understand my specific allergies and did his best to alleviate as much discomfort as possible while work was done. Thank you!"

-Liz Jones

"Even though a broken pipe can be catastrophic, 24-7 has always (this is the second incident in a year for us) been prompt, polite, thorough, reliable, knowledgeable and detail oriented. I have and will recommend 24-7 to everyone with a water mitigation problem."

-Tamara Dolittle

"Thank you so much for allowing us to make monthly payments. Tyson has been unemployed and we really appreciated it. We will highly recommend 24-7 Restoration anytime. Thanks for everything!!"

-Kari & Tyson Erickson

"Excellent response, explanations, progress reports and extremely professional team members. I have been impressed with the quality of 24-7 professional staff and services and will highly recommend your company to others. Thank you!"

-Lynn Brenner