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Documenting Your
“Total Loss”

If your house is completely burned down and is clearly a total loss, your insurance company will still need to document the cost to rebuild it. In some states, a total loss leads to a simple maximum payout of your policy, but this is not the case in California. To document the loss, the insurance company will have one of their building experts draw up a floor plan and inspect the site to reconstruct what was there and determine its value. It is a good idea to send the adjuster photos of your house taken before the loss so they can better evaluate what was lost. Once the insurance adjuster has calculated this cost to replace, they will then compare it to your policy limits to determine the payout.

If their assessment exceeds your policy limits, they will simply pay out the claim. Simple. However, if the assessment is below your policy limits, you will need a contractor on your side to dispute their findings and demonstrate the real cost of replacement. Even the most experienced insurance construction expert will only have a partial understanding of what was once there, so you will need to provide additional details and fill in the blanks. It is not recommended to hire a public adjuster for this process, but you will need a contractor to challenge the insurance company’s estimate and provide your own assessment. You can attempt this process alone, but it is better to bring in a firm, like ours, with real construction cost knowledge. Only consider hiring a public adjuster as a last resort, such as when the process with the insurance company has stalled, and you are not receiving help from public agencies like the State Insurance Commissioner’s Office.

In a total loss situation, most insurance companies will offer an initial payout of 50% to 100% of your base policy to get you started. Take the money. This is not a final settlement. By accepting the funds, you are not giving up your rights to a fair assessment. It is simply an advance to help you start planning while the final settlement process continues.

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