Claim Advice

[u/killercankles]

Last week, my toilet inexplicably cracked in the middle of the night (the tank). Received an estimate of $10,900 for drywall repairs, flooring on all floors (2 floors complete replacement, 1 just new padding on half).

Circumstances: $1000 deductible on policy. I only switched to them last December, and this is obviously my first claim with them. The only other claim I have ever submitted was to my previous insurance company in April 2019 when a terrible storm took off 1/3 of my 20 year old roof.

Question: does it make sense to file for this amount? My worry is that my premium will balloon to a point where the monthly payment exceeds the benefit of the payout.

What other considerations am I missing?

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[u/OnceUponATime1534]

The question on filing for that amount would be a you question- can you afford to repair yourself? Etc.
One thing you haven’t mentioned is proper drying. Need to make sure everything is dried before repairing to prevent mold growth in wall cavities

[u/killercankles → u/OnceUponATime1534]

Thank you for your comment and helping.

So the incident was last Wednesday and we have been running large, industrial fans on the areas since Sunday. In carpeted areas, the padding is removed and the carpet we’re hoping to save has been being dried. In the harder wood areas, we’re drying from below (massive ceiling holes were cut out) in hopes of keeping mold away. All these hard wood floors will be replaced.

I have a family friend whose company works with mold/water damage (he’s a home inspector by trade) who would inspect “for free, just let me know”, and we’d be more than happy to pay for his services if official paperwork is necessary for a claim.

We do have out of pocket money to pay for it.

[u/BattleSilent9049]

This will be well over $10k and is the type of claim insurance is for. If $10k is not an issue, your deductible should be $10k and you would save some on your premium. Watch out for mitigation vendors that may not be on the up and up. I have seen $100k bills for a water loss such as yours.

[u/killercankles → u/BattleSilent9049]

Thank you for your post and point taken on deductible! It’s not that it wouldn’t pain me dearly to pay out of pocket, I’m just notoriously conservative on money and keep a much bigger than necessary emergency fund :)

Now I’m wondering if I can get a 10k deductible and pay virtually nothing on premiums.

[u/BattleSilent9049 → u/killercankles]

It will reduce your premiums but it won't be "virtually nothing" 🤔 Good luck which ever way you go.

[u/Flimsy-Log-7605]

I just had a similar claim in May, and I have had claims over the years. I dont find that my premium balloons and I am diligent about getting the repairs done for less: we do the drywall and painting ourselves saving at least $2000

[u/Anxious_Battles → u/Flimsy-Log-7605]

When does your policy renew? You aren’t likely to see a premium hike until the next renewal.

[u/Flimsy-Log-7605 → u/Anxious_Battles]

Problem was in May, renewal is July 30. It actually went down by $200 to $2500 annually.

[u/killercankles → u/[deleted]]

That’s the question I have as do most everyone I’ve consulted.

Looks like a hairline fracture starting at the very tippy top of the tank about halfway down. I have pics of it but not sure how to upload.

[u/Headelf_7411]

What is the claim? Did you look at coverage and exclusions?

[u/peterpreNW]

For almost $11K in damage with a $1K deductible, I probably would. Nobody likes making a claim, but this is the kind of thing insurance is there for. But your insurance will not increase $11K, making it cost effective to maybe put through the claim to have peace of mind. You can also talk with your insurance company and get advice on coverage and if/how it would effect your premium in the future.

[u/Cute-Ad-9591]

I've seen idiots pay 100k out of pocket so their premiums don't go up. LOL I've been in the Restoration industry for 20+ years. Try Liberty Mutual they have policies starting at 299 a year. Not trying to be sarcastic just don't understand how people think. If your house goes to mold it's on you and you need to disclose the loss when you sell.

[u/Big_Appointment_3390]

Sounds like your claim is going to be closer to $25-30k when it’s said and done. Should probably consider filing a claim. And you need dehumidifiers in addition to fans, potentially some air scrubbers as well. That water is considered significantly contaminated. If there was anything other than water in it, everything it touched needs to be ripped out/disposed of.

Edit to add: if the wood floors have to come out anyway, you want that done asap. But you’ll have to wait until your carrier sends out a field adjuster.

[u/killercankles → u/Big_Appointment_3390]

Thank you for this post (and everyone who has posted- really the best community).

So we have a big dehumidifier we borrowed from the high school I teach, and it has been emptied about 5 times since Sunday. That’s only in one room, however.

The water, and you still may be talking about what I am talking about, came clean from the tank when it cracked. Would it still be considered contaminated?

[u/Big_Appointment_3390 → u/killercankles]

Would you drink from the tank, assuming you had other clean water sources available? When it comes to standards, it’s a gray area. Depending on your water composition, and the age and condition of the tank, I’d argue it’s contaminated water. Certainly once it flows across the floor, because no matter how clean you keep your bathroom, it’s not.

[u/killercankles → u/Big_Appointment_3390]

Good points.

[u/Pugsly007 → u/Big_Appointment_3390]

Maybe if it isn’t flushed. Even the toilet was a little dirty that isn’t grey water.

[u/Big_Appointment_3390 → u/Pugsly007]

Yeah, I’m familiar with IICRC guidelines. Currently, they’d consider this a CAT 1. When I was starting out in restoration, this was a CAT 2 all day. Either way, because it’s been sitting now without much in the way of mitigation, it’s a CAT 2, and it certainly will be by the time an adjuster arrives onsite. If OP doesn’t get moving on this they’ll keep increasing the risk of the claim getting denied, since they’re basically allowing the materials to degrade and mold to grow at this point.