What We Have Learned Fighting Property Claims In Colorado And Wyoming
Plain-English guides to hail and storm damage, denied and underpaid claims, the appraisal clause, and what a public adjuster actually does. Written by a licensed public adjuster who reads these policies for a living — not by a marketing department.
Colorado Hail Roof Claims
Colorado is hit by more damaging hail than almost anywhere in the country. This is the whole claim, start to finish - what the adjuster is looking at, what gets missed, what your policy actually owes, and where owners lose money without realising it.
The Cosmetic Damage Exclusion
Cosmetic damage endorsements spread across Colorado policies after the big hail years. They are narrower than carriers apply them, and half the owners they are quoted to do not have one on the policy at all.
Hail And StormThe First 72 Hours After A Hailstorm
What you do in the three days after a storm decides how the next six months go. Here is the order, what to photograph, what to sign, and the one door-knock offer that should end the conversation.
Hail And StormHow To Tell If Your Roof Has Hail Damage
You do not need to climb up to know whether you have a claim. The soft metals at ground level tell you almost everything, and they are the evidence an adjuster has the hardest time arguing with.
Hail And StormMatching: When The Carrier Owes The Whole Elevation
The carrier will pay for the damaged slope. The question is what happens when the replacement does not match what is left - and the answer is in your policy language, not in the adjuster's habit.
Denied And Underpaid Claims
What a denial letter is really telling you, why most underpayments are scope problems rather than price problems, and the four routes back - in the order worth trying them.
Your Hail Claim Was Denied - What Happens Next
A denial is a position, not a verdict. Most hail denials come down to three stated reasons, and each of the three is answered a specific way. Here is how to read the letter and what to send back.
Denied And UnderpaidWhat To Do About An Underpaid Claim
Most underpayments are missing scope, not low prices. Here is the checklist we run on every estimate that comes through the door, in the order that finds the money fastest.
Denied And UnderpaidUnreasonable Delay Or Denial Of Benefits In Colorado
C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116 give a Colorado policyholder a remedy that most people have never heard of - two times the covered benefit plus attorney fees. Here is what it covers and what it does not.
Denied And UnderpaidWhy Property Claims Get Denied
Not conspiracy, not malice - process. Understanding what actually produces a denial tells you exactly which part of it to attack.
Insurance Appraisal
Already in your policy, binding on amount, and far faster and cheaper than a lawsuit. Appraisal is the most under-used tool a property owner has - and the most misunderstood.
Appraisal Or Lawsuit?
One question decides it: are you arguing about whether it is covered, or about how much it is worth? Get that wrong and you spend a year in the wrong process.
AppraisalChoosing Your Appraiser, And What The Umpire Does
Your appraiser is your advocate on the amount. The umpire is nobody's. Confusing the two is the most common way an appraisal goes badly for a property owner.
The Claim Process
From the phone call to the last check, what happens at each stage, how long it should take, and the three points where most claims quietly lose money.
ACV, RCV And Recoverable Depreciation
Why the first check is smaller than the estimate, what the missing money is called, and exactly how to get it released. This is the most expensive thing property owners do not know.
Claim ProcessHow To Document Property Damage Properly
Your photographs are the claim. Here is the method we use on commercial files, cut down to what a property owner can do in an afternoon with a phone.
Claim ProcessHow Your Deductible Actually Works
Flat deductibles, percentage wind-and-hail deductibles, per-occurrence versus per-building, and why "we will cover your deductible" is an offer to commit a crime with you.
Claim ProcessHow To Supplement A Property Insurance Claim
The carrier's estimate is an opening scope built in twenty minutes. A supplement is how the rest of the loss gets added - and the format matters as much as the evidence.
Claim ProcessThe Sworn Proof Of Loss
A sworn statement, under oath, with a hard deadline. Get it wrong and you can lose a valid claim on a technicality - which is precisely why carriers send them.
Working With A Public Adjuster
There are three kinds of adjuster and only one of them works for you. Here is what a public adjuster is licensed to do, what the work looks like week by week, and the claims where hiring one is not worth it.
How Much Does A Public Adjuster Cost?
A percentage of what is recovered, paid when you are paid. The number itself matters less than three questions about what the percentage attaches to - and those are the ones nobody asks.
Public AdjustersPublic Adjuster, Company Adjuster, Contractor - Who Does What
Three people will tell you they are handling your claim. Only one of them is licensed to represent you, and only one of them is allowed to build the job. Mixing them up is how claims go wrong.
Public AdjustersHow To Verify A Public Adjuster's License
Two minutes, public record, free. Do it before you sign anything - including with us.
Public AdjustersWhen To Hire A Public Adjuster
Six situations where it changes the outcome, three where it does not, and the timing question that costs people the most money.
Every article
Choosing Your Appraiser, And What The Umpire Does
Your appraiser is your advocate on the amount. The umpire is nobody's. Confusing the two is the most common way an appraisal goes badly for a property owner.
Denied And UnderpaidUnreasonable Delay Or Denial Of Benefits In Colorado
C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116 give a Colorado policyholder a remedy that most people have never heard of - two times the covered benefit plus attorney fees. Here is what it covers and what it does not.
AppraisalAppraisal Or Lawsuit?
One question decides it: are you arguing about whether it is covered, or about how much it is worth? Get that wrong and you spend a year in the wrong process.
Claim ProcessThe Sworn Proof Of Loss
A sworn statement, under oath, with a hard deadline. Get it wrong and you can lose a valid claim on a technicality - which is precisely why carriers send them.
Public AdjustersHow To Verify A Public Adjuster's License
Two minutes, public record, free. Do it before you sign anything - including with us.
Hail And StormThe Cosmetic Damage Exclusion
Cosmetic damage endorsements spread across Colorado policies after the big hail years. They are narrower than carriers apply them, and half the owners they are quoted to do not have one on the policy at all.
Denied And UnderpaidWhat To Do About An Underpaid Claim
Most underpayments are missing scope, not low prices. Here is the checklist we run on every estimate that comes through the door, in the order that finds the money fastest.
Claim ProcessHow To Supplement A Property Insurance Claim
The carrier's estimate is an opening scope built in twenty minutes. A supplement is how the rest of the loss gets added - and the format matters as much as the evidence.
Claim ProcessHow Your Deductible Actually Works
Flat deductibles, percentage wind-and-hail deductibles, per-occurrence versus per-building, and why "we will cover your deductible" is an offer to commit a crime with you.
Claim ProcessHow To Document Property Damage Properly
Your photographs are the claim. Here is the method we use on commercial files, cut down to what a property owner can do in an afternoon with a phone.
Hail And StormMatching: When The Carrier Owes The Whole Elevation
The carrier will pay for the damaged slope. The question is what happens when the replacement does not match what is left - and the answer is in your policy language, not in the adjuster's habit.
Denied And UnderpaidWhy Property Claims Get Denied
Not conspiracy, not malice - process. Understanding what actually produces a denial tells you exactly which part of it to attack.
Public AdjustersWhen To Hire A Public Adjuster
Six situations where it changes the outcome, three where it does not, and the timing question that costs people the most money.
Public AdjustersHow Much Does A Public Adjuster Cost?
A percentage of what is recovered, paid when you are paid. The number itself matters less than three questions about what the percentage attaches to - and those are the ones nobody asks.
Denied And UnderpaidYour Hail Claim Was Denied - What Happens Next
A denial is a position, not a verdict. Most hail denials come down to three stated reasons, and each of the three is answered a specific way. Here is how to read the letter and what to send back.
Hail And StormThe First 72 Hours After A Hailstorm
What you do in the three days after a storm decides how the next six months go. Here is the order, what to photograph, what to sign, and the one door-knock offer that should end the conversation.
Public AdjustersPublic Adjuster, Company Adjuster, Contractor - Who Does What
Three people will tell you they are handling your claim. Only one of them is licensed to represent you, and only one of them is allowed to build the job. Mixing them up is how claims go wrong.
Claim ProcessACV, RCV And Recoverable Depreciation
Why the first check is smaller than the estimate, what the missing money is called, and exactly how to get it released. This is the most expensive thing property owners do not know.
Hail And StormHow To Tell If Your Roof Has Hail Damage
You do not need to climb up to know whether you have a claim. The soft metals at ground level tell you almost everything, and they are the evidence an adjuster has the hardest time arguing with.