Working With Your Adjuster After a Loss, and What ‘Insurance Billed Direct’ Means

A loss is hard enough. Then you have a claim number, an adjuster you have never met, and a restoration company asking for access to your house. Each of them has a different job. Here is what those jobs are, in plain terms.

Call your insurance company soon after the loss to report it. Many policies also expect you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, such as stopping water, covering an opening in the roof or moving belongings out of harm. Keep receipts for anything you buy or pay for during that first stretch, and keep your photos in one place. A small folder on your phone or a shared album works well, because you will refer back to it more than once.

What the adjuster does

The adjuster is the person the insurance company assigns to look at the loss, apply your policy to it and put an estimate together. They work for the insurer, not for you. That does not make them an opponent, but it does mean you should ask questions and keep your own record of what was said.

Adjusters often see the house once, or see it through photos, and the full extent of a water or smoke loss is not always visible at that visit. Moisture hides inside walls. Odor sits inside insulation and contents. A restoration company's inspection can find what a quick walk-through misses.

What the restoration company adds

A restoration company does the physical work, and it also produces the paperwork that supports the claim: the inspection, the estimate and the record of what was done. Paschall Restoration lists inspections and estimates as part of every call. On fire losses, the specialists estimate the extent of the damage on arrival and work directly with the insurance company.

What ‘insurance billed direct’ means

It means the restoration company sends its invoice for the work to your insurance company, rather than asking you to pay it all first and wait to be reimbursed. Paschall Restoration says on its water and storm pages that it will bill your insurance company direct, and it lists direct insurance billing among its services.

Direct billing does not decide what your policy covers. Coverage, limits and your deductible are between you and your insurer, and no restoration company can promise an outcome. Ask both your contractor and your adjuster how the deductible will be handled, and ask for the answer in writing.

Questions worth asking

• Who is my adjuster, and what is the best way to reach them?
• Has the adjuster seen the damage in person, or only photos?
• Does the estimate include drying, contents handling and repairs, or only part of the work?
• How will my deductible be handled?
• Who do I call at the restoration company when I have a question during the work?

What other homeowners have said

Patricia Weekley wrote in a Google review: “Having never made a claim on my home insurance I was sure it was going to be a daunting task.” If that sounds like you, you are in good company. Most people have never filed a large claim, and nobody is born knowing how. Asking plain questions of the adjuster and the contractor is a normal part of the process, not a sign you are doing it wrong.

Karen Dobson wrote: “Paschall Construction was recommended to us by our insurance adjuster and we're thankful for it.” These reviews are listed on Google under Paschall Construction Group, the sister company that shares Paschall Restoration's address and family and handles reconstruction. They describe two households' own experiences. They are not a promise about your claim.

Keeping the claim moving

A few habits help any claim. Answer your adjuster's calls and emails promptly. Send photos and documents once, in an organized folder. Keep a simple log of conversations with dates and names. And if something in the estimate looks incomplete, say so early, with the inspection findings in hand, rather than after the repairs are finished. Changes are much easier to discuss while the walls are still open.

If you have had water, fire, smoke or storm damage and you want to understand what a claim will involve, call 866.336.4070. The line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and Paschall Restoration serves homes across Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington, Plano, Denton and the surrounding North Texas cities. Ask them to explain the inspection and estimate, and how they work with your insurance company.