An Independent Adjuster is a good suggestion here.
I’ve known of a number of cases where the IA, working for the insured, upped the provable damages considerably, and was successful in obtaining much higher insurance recovery… just because the IA knew how to establish and prove those damages, in language the insurance company understood.
Usually the IA, or Public Adjuster, has a background as an insurance adjuster, so knows the system and how to make it work for his/her clients.
A tenant moved two large dogs in my rental house without my knowledge and in violation of the lease. As soon as I found out I got a lawyer and when through the legal eviction process in a timely manner. The lock out was 7/2/02. I then had access to the property. The dogs had distroyed most of the carpets, chewed or clawed the woodwork and paint, dug holes in the fenced in yard. The tenant also left the place filthy, with holes in some walls and doors and with so much trash and junk for me to dispose of that I need to rent a dumpster. The cost to restore is about $10,000. How do I need to present this to my insurance company? I think it should be covered under vandalism. How should I proceed?
This is an insurance adjuster who works for you, not the insurance company.
The insurance company’s adjuster is going to give you as little as possible. Having someone who knows how to do it can result in a much better settlement for you.
Call your insurance company’s claims department and report your loss. They will tell you what to do next. They may want to send an inspector to the property, or they may just tell you to get repair proposals from several contractors.