What does a restoration company do to help with an insurance claim?
Our part is documentation and communication. On a water damage, fire and smoke or mold job, we keep a record your adjuster can follow:
- Photos before, during and after the work, including the source of the damage.
- Moisture readings on walls, floors and framing from the first day until the materials are dry.
- Notes on what we found, what we did and when.
- A list of what was removed and why, for example soaked pad, drywall below a waterline or insulation that held water.
- A written estimate for the work.
If you’d like us there when the adjuster comes out, we’ll meet them on site and walk through the damage together. We also explain the work to you in plain words, so you’re never signing off on something you don’t understand.
Do you handle the insurance claim for me?
No, and we want to be clear about that. We don’t file claims, negotiate them or make promises about what your insurance will pay. Whether something is covered depends on your policy and on your insurance company’s decision, not on us.
You stay in control of your claim. We give you and your adjuster accurate records and answer questions about the work. If someone tells you a contractor can guarantee your coverage, be careful.
Is water damage covered by homeowners insurance?
It depends on your policy and on what caused the water. Policies often treat a sudden pipe burst differently from a slow leak, outside flooding or a sewer backup, and some of those need separate coverage. We can’t tell you what your policy covers.
What you can do: read the water damage section of your policy, look for any exclusions or add-ons, and call your agent if it isn’t clear. Ask before work starts so there are no surprises.
What to do first after water or fire damage, before you call insurance
- Get safe. If there’s fire, smoke, a gas smell, a sagging ceiling or water near electrical, leave and call 911.
- Stop the source if you safely can, like shutting off the main water valve.
- Take photos and video before anything moves. Wide shots of each room, close-ups of damage, the source of the water, serial numbers on damaged appliances.
- Report the loss promptly to your insurance company and write down your claim number and adjuster’s name.
- Prevent more damage. Most policies expect you to take reasonable steps, such as getting water extracted and drying started. Waiting can make things worse, especially with mold able to start within 24–48 hours.
Why you should take photos before cleanup starts
Once water is extracted and wet materials come out, the scene changes for good. Your own photos are the record of how things looked before anyone touched them.
Walk every affected room slowly with your phone. Get the water line on walls, wet carpet, damaged furniture, stained ceilings and the cause, like a split pipe or a failed water heater. Open closets and cabinets. Video with you talking through what you see works well too. Save everything somewhere it won’t get lost, like a cloud folder.
We take our own photos as we work, but yours from the first minutes are worth having.
What receipts and records should you keep during a claim?
- Receipts for anything you buy because of the damage: fans, tarps, cleaning supplies, a hotel or meals if you have to leave home.
- Our written estimate, invoices and the documentation packet with photos and moisture readings.
- A list of damaged belongings with rough age and what you paid, if you know.
- Notes on every call with your insurance company: date, who you spoke to and what was said.
- Copies of anything you sign.
Keep it all in one folder. It saves a lot of digging later.
Can I choose my own restoration company?
Check your policy and ask your insurance company how they handle this. Either way, you decide who works in your home. Ask whoever you hire whether they’re licensed and insured, how they document the work and how they’ll communicate with your adjuster.
Clean Pros TN is family-owned, licensed and insured, and has served Knoxville since 2011. We guarantee our work: if something isn’t right, we come back and make it right.