House fire: hire insurance preferred contractor or independant contractor? Had a fire at my house 3 m ago. My...
Had a fire at my house 3 m ago. My insurance co. Dominion of Canada has a preferred index of contractors.
My adjuster supplied me with 2 of their contractors. The owner of the 1st one met up next to me but would not go over the latitude, would not allow me to hire a home inspector . 2nd one went over the compass but suggested that I hire the first one because that co did the emergency work and handled our content, it would be 'better' for me to hire them. 2nd also didn't donate anything to scope except an extra 8k supervision cost. 1st co subsequently mentioned they missed the spray primer to seal within the smoke. 2nd one never mentioned this important procedure, openly 2nd co didn't give review the latitude and something's going on behind the scene...
However, I'd like to step w one of the insurance company's preferred contractors for the extra layer of protection, recourse if anything go wrong etc.
should i go independent, other fire restoration contractors or insurance's preferred contract
Answers: I'm afraid my experience next to Canadian insurance claims is limited to watching the show "Holmes on Homes" on the Discovery Home meet people (I really like that guy, solely builder on TV that really knows what he's doing contained by my opinion). Check out his web site here www.holmesonhomes.com
My less-than-adequate conception though is that if you use a "preferred" contractor, the process is streamlined and the insurance company will stand behind the work. Is that correct?
Now, I don't know for in no doubt, but I believe that Canada has law similar to the US requiring builders to provide warranty coverage on a new or remodeled home anyway. So I presume the only difference is who you would christen in the event of a problem (the insurance company or the builder). Here (Minnesota) you attain (by law) a 1 yr "bumper to bumper" warranty, a 2 yr warranty on mechanical (elec., plumbing, HVAC) and a 10 yr. structural warranty. Now, most builders never even bother to relay a client about this.
I guess my point is that I don't know that an insurance company preferred contractor is adjectives that important. What's more exalted is that you hire somebody you trust to handle what is potential your largest investment. Sometimes it amazes me that people will expect the guy that handle their $100,000 retirement account to enjoy years of education and piles of credentials, but will trust their $500,000 home to a guy newly because he has a pick-up truck, an announcement in the washed out pages, and a cell phone.
A really worthy contractor will provide better service on problems than an insurance company in my evaluation. And the way to find a really dutiful contractor is to start asking everybody you know who they've heard is appropriate. Make a list and look for name that keep popping up. Avoid asking material estate people because frequent of them are getting "finder's fees" from contractors and will just refer you to the one that pays the biggest fees (at lowest possible that's how it works here).
One clue I always look for is a concrete phone. If they've only get a cell phone and no office, they may be well-mannered, or they may be some joker that will soon be out of business, but any way it's tough to tell short looking at previous work with a practiced eye.
Check out the flexibility. As you've already noticed that's a great indicator. Is it a one page sheet that say "repair fire damaged home," or is it page long listing specifically what will be provided (and sometimes more importantly what will not)?
Ask to see their insurance information. If a contractor singular has a minimum of insurance, it could be a tip bad that there's issues.
Ask to see their tools/warehouse. If they've only get a few tools and they don't look very professional, it's not well brought-up. (I actually met a plumber once that didn't hold a flaring tool for copper pipe, he got fired bad the job he be working on when I met him).
Check pictures of past projects, ask for the name and numbers of people that own some of the homes surrounded by the pictures, and see if you could go and clutch a quick hike through the house. This seems a bit forward, but is a great indicator.
And one of the most critical, don't ever pay too much up front. If a contractors asks for more than 10% or so past the work even begins red flags should be up everywhere.
To sum it up, I guess my vote go for an independent contractor that you locate and feel well brought-up about trusting next to your home.
Let me know if you would like more info than my fuzzy ramblings may provide.
Good luck.
this question depends on how your insurance provider will take-home pay. contact your rep.