How a Restoration Insurance Claim Actually Works
The full claim lifecycle: first notice of loss, adjuster meeting, scope, supplements, depreciation recovery.
Full Transcript
An insurance restoration claim has six phases. First Notice of Loss, emergency mitigation, adjuster inspection, scope agreement (we use Xactimate), reconstruction, and final invoicing with depreciation recovery. Estate Solutions bills your insurance directly. If we accept your project, we never charge more than insurance agrees to pay. Your policy deductible still applies.
The Six Phases, One by One
The transcript above names the six phases of a restoration insurance claim. This written guide explains what happens in each one, in order. It is a companion to the recording, not part of it, and it uses only what the transcript and our insurance claim pages already say.
- First Notice of Loss. The claim opens when you notify your insurance company of the damage. Photographs taken before any cleanup help from the very first call.
- Emergency mitigation. Mitigation is the work that stops the damage from getting worse: water extraction and drying, emergency tarping, or board-up. It happens before the full scope is agreed, because waiting would let the damage grow.
- Adjuster inspection. Your carrier's adjuster inspects the property. Estate Solutions attends adjuster meetings, so the person who will do the work is there when the damage is reviewed.
- Scope agreement. The scope lists the work and its price, and it is agreed between the contractor and the carrier. Estate Solutions writes scopes in Xactimate. If you already have a scope of loss from your insurer, we review it at no charge and tell you whether it appears to cover the full damage.
- Reconstruction. With the scope agreed, the home is put back together. Timelines depend on scope; you'll get a written schedule with your estimate.
- Final invoicing with depreciation recovery. The last phase closes the claim. The final invoice goes to your carrier, and on policies that hold back depreciation until the repairs are done, that amount is recovered at this stage.
Who your carrier pays
Estate Solutions bills your insurance company directly, so you are not paying the contractor and then waiting to be reimbursed.
Supplements
If we find gaps in a scope, we submit a supplement. You don't need to start over; we can pick up wherever your claim is now.
Denied or underpaid claims
Claim denials and underpayments are not final. You have the right to dispute an adjuster's scope through a supplemental claim, or if needed through an appraisal process or a complaint with the Georgia Insurance Commissioner. Call us and we'll review your existing settlement paperwork.
Will a claim raise your rates?
The answer depends on your carrier and your claim history. We'll give you an honest assessment of whether your damage is worth claiming or worth paying out of pocket before you decide.
Coverage decisions
Coverage depends on your specific policy and the cause of loss, and final coverage decisions are made by your carrier, not by us. Our part is documenting the damage thoroughly and working directly with your insurance company. That documentation starts before cleanup where it is safe: photographs of each affected area, the source of the damage, and damaged items before they are removed. The record then grows with the job, through the adjuster inspection and the Xactimate scope, so each phase of the claim can be checked against what was found at the start. If something new turns up once work begins, it is added to the record and submitted as a supplement.
Storm claim deadlines
Most homeowners insurance policies in Georgia require storm damage claims to be filed within 1 year of the storm date, and some carriers allow up to 2 years for roof claims. Check your own policy.
The six phases at a glance
First Notice of Loss opens the claim. Emergency mitigation stops the damage from getting worse. The adjuster inspects. The scope is agreed, written in Xactimate. Reconstruction puts the home back together. Final invoicing closes the claim, with depreciation recovery where your policy provides it.
Do you need a public adjuster?
Public adjusters are third-party advocates who charge a percentage of your insurance settlement. For most residential claims, you don't need one when you have a contractor who knows the process. We attend adjuster meetings, review scopes, and supplement on your behalf at no additional cost; our fee comes from the contracted repair work, not a percentage of your claim.
Confirming a storm date
For storm claims, we cross-reference your address with NOAA and NWS storm reports to confirm qualifying weather events on specific dates. That documentation is often required to support a claim, and it is free with every inspection.
Getting started
Call (404) 913-3030. Estate Solutions is a Georgia-licensed contractor, license #RBQA006428, at 5493 Westmoreland Plaza, C-100, Douglasville, GA 30134. The insurance claims page linked below covers each phase in more detail.
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