After a really wet week - with some heavy rain storms in our greater Twin Cities metro area even producing hail - it's nice to get a break with what looks to be a drier week. But those chilly temps, with some overnight lows dropping below freezing, might put a damper on your desire to get outdoors.  But we highly encourage it - take advantage of it while you can! You know more fall storms are just around the corner. Which brings up the topic of what do to if your home gets hit with storm damage. We realize that after any unexpected event like a storm that causes damage to your home you just want to get back to life as normal. That's understandable. But there are things you need to do as quickly as possible after the storm. Taking these steps will help you get things taken care of, especially with your homeowner's insurance company.

What To Do In the Event You Suffer Storm Damage to Your Minnesota Home

Step One:  Document, document, document. We can't emphasize this one enough.  Your homeowner's insurance company is going to want proof that the problems with your home were the result of a particular storm. Having photos as quickly as possible once the storm is over will be helpful, both working with your insurance agent was well as your storm damage repair contractor. We suggest that before you even contact your insurance agent or adjuster that you take pictures of the damage.  Videos are even better. Using a cell phone or camera that records a time and date stamp is very helpful.  Walk around your home, inside and out, and make note of damaged items and areas.  Step Two: Assess the damage. Make an inspection of your home, inside and out.  We suggest wearing rubber boots and avoiding walking through any standing water, since there may be live electrical power. Make a list of damaged or missing items.  For example, your patio furniture might have been blown away by strong winds. (Hopefully you have some pictures of what you had.) Look for things like broken windows, cracked siding, missing shingles or pieces of siding, or gutters that have been ripped off.

Check utility service. Do you have electrical power, gas and water? If not, record that information as well. You'll need to contact your utility company if you have no service.

Step Two:  Contact your insurance company.  But don't sign - we repeat - don't sign anything up front.  Ask about how to start the claim process going.  Find out how they handle claims - do you get the check, or do they pay your storm damage repair contractor directly?  They will in all likelihood send out an adjuster to assess the damage and assign a dollar value. But you also have the right to hire your own independent adjuster or have your contractor work with them on valuation.  An insurance company's job is to pay out as little as possible. Our job is to work on behalf of our customers with their insurance company to make sure they get all the coverage they are entitled to.  We also suggest you review your policy carefully so you are clear on its terms.  Each insurance company and each policy is different, so it helps to be up to speed on what yours provides. And we're experienced in working with insurance companies on behalf of our customers, so we're here to help you through the process, from the filing of your claim through making sure you're satisfied with your repairs and can get your life back to normal.

Quarve Contracting, Inc. is a licensed Minnesota residential building contractor specializing in exterior work.  We offer storm damage repair in addition to a variety of other services.