Project Process & Phases
A complete and transparent understanding of your project is the first step in any successful remodel, renovation or damage repair.
Projects can be overwhelming at first. The following information to better help understand the process and possible timeline you should expect during your project.
Planning Phase
1-2 weeks
Remodel, Renovation and Damage require different approaches and expectations with regard to speed and timing. Your attention to detail, willingness to ask questions for clarification, responsive communication and timely decision making during the Planning Phase will ensure your project is completed in a timely fashion and you're satisfied with the quality and cost results.
Contractor Selection: When your repairs are being done as part of an insurance claim, be sure to select a contractor who has experience working with insurance adjusters and the claims process. Most contractors and remodelers do not have reliable experience working with 3rd parties and this usually leads to delays, higher out-of-pocket payments and frayed nerves.
Repair Estimates: It's important to realize that home repairs as part of an insurance claim are different from standard self-pay repairs or remodeling. Estimates of the repair cost are normally established by the adjustor assigned to your claim. This is the amount the insurance company will pay to repair your home. Many contractors unfamiliar with the estimating procedures used by adjusters and insurance companies will struggle to understand how the pricing is determined and attempt to describe the estimate as too low, implying the adjuster has failed to properly cover your loss. Other contractors may simply accept the reimbursement amount to get the job, and look to you after the project is started to make up any difference in their actual costs. We will prepare a repair estimate to validate the adjuster's estimate and work with the adjuster ensure your claim is accurately processed. Having a contractor who is experienced with this process can result in productive discussions with the adjuster and ensure proper coverage reimbursement.
Up Front Payments: Reputable contractors will require an initial payment up front of 20-35% before beginning work to purchase materials and confirm schedules of tradesmen to perform the repairs. Sometimes this payment may have to be made by you before insurance reimbursement has been made. Other times, your adjuster may issue a partial payment to accommodate this industry practice. Also, if not already paid, most insurance payments for repairs will be reduced by your home owners insurance deductible.
Mortgage Companies: (Damage Reconstruction) If you have a mortgage on your home, some insurance companies will make reimbursement checks payable to you and the mortgage company. This will require you to contact your mortgage company's insurance claims department to obtain the necessary paperwork to be submitted with the check which will be held until repairs are complete or, if it's a large repair, paid to you in partial amounts as the repairs are completed. This will require consistent attention from you throughout the repair process to ensure there are no delays. Given the service levels of most mortgage servicing companies, this situation is almost always very frustrating for customers and contractors alike!
Materials Selection: Making the time to research and select the materials such as carpet, tile, flooring, cabinets and paint as soon as possible may yield significant time savings over the term of the project as some items may have long lead times or be backordered.
Construction Phase
2-8 weeks
The construction phase of your repair project can begin ONLY after you have completed the Planning Phase items including 1) finalization of the repair estimate, 2) signing the repair contract, 3) payment of any up front money and 4) selection (and potentially receipt) of replacement materials.
Scheduling Tradesmen: Arranging access to your home and communicating scheduling constraints, for both us and our tradesmen, is critical to an efficiently run repair project. Coordinating schedules between tradesmen and homeowners are the most common reason for project delays. Please be sure to talk with us about any questions you have and the impact of any limitations you require.
Weekly Communication: We will contact you at least weekly during the construction phase to provide information on the status of your project, discuss recently completed work, confirm schedules for upcoming work and address any questions you may have. We will contact you regardless of the activity level on your project to ensure you adequately informed and have the opportunity get your questions or concerns addressed. Please be sure to notify us of the best times and method for communicating with you.
Inspecting Work-In-Progress: If your repair project requires several different jobs such as carpet, flooring, drywall, painting, etc., it is important that you inspect each job as it completes to make sure any uncompleted or substandard work is identified quickly and addressed.
Supplements: Occasionally an unforeseen issue arises after the project is started or the estimate is discovered to be incomplete in some way. Experience with insurance companies and their methods for addressing supplements is critical to ensuring your claim is properly modified so you are not required to pay out-of-pocket for work performed as part of the claim.
Change Orders: Sometimes customers want to change or upgrade the materials used to repair their home. While these expenses are not usually covered by your insurance policy, we can work with you to minimize the cost of changes and incorporate them into your repair project. These are choices and decisions that should be communicated and made early in the planning phase.
Progress Payments: If your repair project is more than $10,000 you may be asked to make interim payments as your project progresses. It is important to maintain close contact with your adjuster and mortgage company, if applicable, to ensure payments are made promptly or work on your project may be delayed or stopped.
Wrap Up Phase
1-2 weeks
After each of the tradesmen have completed their respective portion of your repair project, a final walk through will be scheduled to confirm the quality of the work, any outstanding items, if any, will be addressed and you'll be asked to sign a "Certification of Completion".
Construction Standards: Industry standards for quality of work will be used to identify incomplete or substandard work. If issues with work quality are identified quickly as the repairs are made during the project, the walk-through should be a simple confirmation of the work performed and final sign-off.
Certificate of Completion: Once all repairs have been completed and their quality confirmed, you will be asked to sign a Certificate of Completion. This document is required by your insurance and mortgage companies to confirm project completion and issue payment. Some mortgage companies also require an independent inspection before releasing funds.
Final Payment: You'll be invoiced after the final walk-through and payment will be expected with a reasonable time frame. Receipt of funds from insurance and/or mortgage companies can take several weeks. As the customer, you are the person with the most power to drive these payment processes forward. Again, close engagement with the adjuster and mortgage company are critical to timely payment.