After the Eaton wildfire, our house suffered smoke damage and has soot and ash residue on some of the surfaces. As we have yet to undergo testing to determine the level of contamination and to have remediation, should we still compile a comprehensive inventory of the contents of our house since we do not yet know what should be thrown out or what can be remediated?
Marsha Tajima asked 3 weeks ago 1 Answers
Hi Marsha, we would strongly recommend that you speak with yoru carrier regarding pre-mitigation testing, as without knowing what the results are, you will not know how to properly mitigate or repair your damages. Testing results can affect whether or not soft goods can be remediated or need to be replaced and your adjuster will not know how to properly adjudicate your loss and bring you back to pre-loss condition without this information.
As there is currently no specific testing protocol for urban wildfires, carriers may be hesitant to require such testing and defer to their preferred remediation vendors for ‘standard’ cleaning, which may not be appropriate for your situation. We would recommend that you do what’s in the best interest for you and your family regarding testing in order to properly clean and repair your home. That may mean paying for testing in advance and submitting the invoice to your carrier.
And if your carrier is insistent that testing is not an issue, we would recommend that you consider filing a Department of Insurance Complaint, if needed.
UP has some great resources to assist you:
https://uphelp.org/claim-guidance-publications/survivors-speak-partial-loss-remediation-tips/
https://uphelp.org/claim-guidance-publications/home-inventory-and-contents-claim-tips/
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