What To Know Before Filing a Homeowner Insurance Claim
A pipe in your bathroom bursts and you’re standing in inches of water on your bedroom floor. Now, you’re stressed about getting it repaired. Accidents can happen, and damage can occur to your home unexpectedly. Luckily, Alfa® understands that, which is why our insurance claim process makes it easy to get you back to normal. It provides peace of mind for homeowners by protecting the investment of their property. Read more for things to know before filing a homeowner’s insurance claim.
How do you know whether to file a claim?
If you sustain damage that you believe may be covered by your homeowner’s insurance, please contact Alfa to file a claim. Alfa’s homeowners’ insurance claim process consists of 4 steps to resolve whatever the loss or damage is.
1. Tell us what happened.
Be prepared to give the name of the insured, policy number, date of the loss, what caused the loss, your contact information, and the severity of the damage. The more information gathered, the easier the process. It may even be helpful to take pictures of the damage. If you don’t have all the information needed to report a claim, please contact Alfa immediately for help to start the process.
2. We will investigate your home’s damage.
A claims professional will review the documentation and extent of damage to your home.
3. We will estimate the cost of repair.
Based on the investigation, we will review your policy and determine what may be covered.
4. Complete your claim.
Once all the paperwork and review has been completed, we will contact you about payment.
What should you do meanwhile?
It is advisable to do temporary repairs that will prevent any additional damage to your home. If you must relocate temporarily, keep copies of all expenditures such as hotel and restaurant receipts. If the loss is covered and your policy has additional living expense coverage, then you may be able to be reimbursed for such expenses. Once the claim is received, depending on the severity of the damages and the complexity of the claim, the length of time it takes to settle a claim varies. You can file a claim online or by contacting us.
If you've never been in a situation where you've had to file a claim, congratulations! However, preparing for it is a good idea. Bookkeeping records like receipts and serial numbers of valuable electronics and equipment would keep you one step ahead of disaster.