Helping You Make Informed Decisions
Frequently Asked Questions
- Fire Damage Restorations
- Storm, Wind and Tree Damage Restorations
- Water Damage Restorations
- All Related Structural Repairs Caused by the Loss
Contact our main office at 302-455-0500 to speak to one of our qualified estimating staff to get the process started. We will need some basic information regarding your loss and resulting damages:
- The date of the loss
- Cause of the loss
- Your insurance company and your adjuster's contact information
- Your insurance claim number
- A general description of the damages and where they occurred
- Your contact information and the best way to reach you
- Provide the best time to meet you at your residence, so we can perform our initial inspection and begin the estimation process for your required repairs
Yes, your initial repair estimate is just the starting point for submission to your insurance company for approval for what is believed to be your required repairs.
In most cases, there will be additional repairs discovered during either the demolition phase or even during the reconstruction phase of your restoration. We will identify, capture, and submit any additional repairs to your insurance company for their approval prior to performing any extra work.
This additional work will be captured in what is called an "Insurance Supplement". There may be several supplements required based on the complexity of your restoration. We will document all additional work items and make sure that your home is properly repaired at the same time, keeping both you and your insurance adjuster informed during the process.
Absolutely! Our customers often use the unfortunate and unforeseen restoration due to a loss as a springboard to have long-wanted renovations performed. We would ask that, as you meet with your project manager at your project kick-off meeting, you inform them of any extra work that you may be thinking of. Your project manager will capture your “wish list” and convey those items to our estimating staff so pricing can be developed and a proposal can be generated.
These extra work proposals are called “Addendums”. We will issue you a proposal and accompanying estimate for all extra work that you may want to have done. After reviewing your proposal and estimate, you can then make an informed decision as to proceed with any extra work.
These extra work items may be a simple as upgrading from carpeted flooring to hardwood flooring in a room, or a more extensive change like renovating your kitchen or bathrooms. We can even increase the living space of your home by finishing an unfinished basement or building an addition onto your home. Please keep in mind that more work means longer construction schedules and later completion dates. We will do our best to compress your additional construction items into your original restoration and repairs schedule, but it will increase the length of your project to some degree.
As every restoration project is different, so are the timelines that it takes to complete the work. What we will tell you at the start of your project is an estimated or anticipated timeline or project duration for what we know at the start of your restoration. Please keep in mind that this is a restoration project or reconstruction project. These projects are not the same as “New” construction or grassroots construction projects. The timelines are totally different than that of building a new home. We often hear from our customers, "It only takes three to four months to build a new home; why are my repairs taking longer?” While this may be true, your home must be deconstructed at some level in order to remove the damage from your particular loss. This surgical demolition needs to be completed before we can begin the rebuilding process. This all takes time, not typical of new construction scenarios. Our job as your restoration contractor is to be an advocate for both you and your insurance company by making sure that all repairs are identified and expertly executed. The initial scope of work, in most cases, is just the starting point, and more times than not, additional work is required to complete the repair process. Rest assured, your home, when finished, will be turned over to you with each and every work item expertly and professionally completed.
All of our repairs come with a workmanship warranty, depending on what your insurance company’s warranty period is. We always warrant our work for the same duration as mandated by your particular insurance provider. This workmanship warranty also applies to any extra work that you have us perform as part of non-related addendum work or extra work not caused by the loss.
Yes, you can live home during repairs, if your repairs are not at the severity of the damage where your home becomes uninhabitable. Whether you are displaced from your home during the repairs or able to remain in your home during the repairs, your home’s security and your peace of mind are at the forefront of everything that we do.
We understand that we are working in your home, and if you are still living there, we never treat your home like a construction site, although we are performing construction services. We respect your home before, during, and after our repairs have been completed. This means that we start by securing the entrance to your home upon arriving and leaving at the end of the work day by means of a secured lock box or by directly interfacing with you, the homeowner. If you happen to be home during the repairs, we will notify you of all construction activities, from material deliveries, trash and debris removal, direct and subcontracted labor, and staff for the same entering and exiting your home. All of our direct and subcontracted employees are vetted by the means of security and background checks.
We will install protective measures, such as dust barriers, floor protection for walkways, and areas that are adjacent to the repair work. Daily and general housekeeping during the repairs is one of our key deliverables. As stated above, this is your home, not just a work site. We keep this in mind throughout the project. Your peace of mind is just as important as the work that we are doing, if not more so.
