What is the common procedure for contractors when a customer calls for an estimate for repair work at their house. After talking to the homeowner for a few and asking some questions, you further find out that it’s insurance repair work, and they want to by-pass the insurance estimator, and obtain a free estimate from a contractor?
What does an insurance appraiser commonly charge?
How many quotes does an insurance co. commonly require H.O. to obtain & submit?
Any insight is greatly appreciated! I’m clueless on this! Chipper 2/19/04
Replies
I've done a few insurance jobs but those were long ago so things may have changed.
The HO always just got one estimate from the contractor they prefered. That being me in the cases I was involved in, if the price I quoted was higher than the compoany adjustor thought right, he then chewed on me for awhile to try and nibble the price down.
I never bargained with adjustors. I only provided info as to size and how I arrived at my figures. My relationshipis always with the HO and that is the person I want to satisfy. I tell the HO up front that they are the ones repsponsibble for paying me, regardless of how much they gotr from the insurance Co.
Most of these worked fine. I did one rebuild of over ten grand ( a lot back in the mid seventies) The only bad experience I had was with Allstate. It was a fire damagedeal. That adjustor wanted me to do things like to just cut in a patch in the vinyl sheet flooring right in the main traffic path, and paint over joists that were charred beyond a quarter inch where he knew there was going to be no inspections, and to partch/paint a small portiomn of ceiling instead of painting the whole ceiling in that room. He tried to chisle pennies off every item on my quote. After about fifteen items I cut him off -
I asked him if he thought his wife would be happy looking up at a job like that.
There have been other times that the insurtance adjustor from a company brought me in on a job.
They have a price figured out already before they even call. They are just looking to beat it and save the company money. The way some of them operate, I wouldn't be surprised if they got to pocket 50% of every dime they saved the company. Others are with the better comapnies and just make sure you keepthe customer happy is the way they worked.
But the essence of your question is whether to do the estimate for free.
The blunt answer is NO
Either charge for the estimate time and then offer to rebate the cost out of the job if you get the work, or just plain charge for the estimate. Tell them that you don't work for free. The babies have to be fed and all that.
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Insurance companies are all different when it comes to claims.
Some good .....many bad.
Had one that allowed $18.00 total for the removal and disposal of 500+ cubic feet of wet blown in insulation in an attic you could barely crouch in. I offered to sub it to the adjuster for $25.00... he declined.
The whole job went like that.
18 wouldn't even cover the dump fees after getting it all bagged!
But bt tearing down the ceiling you could scoop it up quick, right?
;-)
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
$18 wouldn't pay for the bags.
I never met a tool I didn't like!
Chipper,
Normally I give free estimates,but on insurance jobs I always charge and deduct it from the cost if I get the job.
It seems that where I live the adjusters all want three estimates,I can usually tell it's a claim by the type of damage.Here it happens mostly in winter,after heavy snows,cold temps,then rain and a warm spell. All sorts of calls start to come in for water damage.
Most folks seem to just want your estimate, not to have you do the work.
Vince Carbone