In this section you will find tips, tools and resources for navigating your insurance claim settlement. In addition to what you’ll find here, you can use the search box to find articles, surveys and reports, and you can watch videos of Roadmap to Recovery™ post-disaster workshops.

Claim Guidance Library 

Partial Loss                          Wildfire (Total Loss)
Claim Help Library              Claim Help Library

February, 2015 UPdate:

Extending deadlines

Many policies require you to repair or replace property within a certain number of days after a loss in order to recover full replacement value (above actual cash value). 180 days (6 months) is common.  It is also common for insurance companies to extend these deadlines, but generally they won’t volunteer to do so, you must ask in writing and give a valid reason.

The simplest way of getting your insurance company to extend a policy deadline is to make a clear request along with a good reason why you need the extension.  Try to make your request at least a month before the deadline.  Put your request in writing and ask the insurer to respond within a specific period of time.  If they say no, seek help from The Department of Insurance.  Unless you’ve got written confirmation of an extension from someone knowledgeable and authorized, you should assume all policy deadlines apply and are firm.

For more information, read our publication Requesting Extensions of Policy Deadlines

January, 2015 UPdate: 

Roadmap to Recovery Workshop – How to Navigate the Insurance and Rebuilding Process.

This workshop will cover communicating with your insurer, your legal rights in California and documenting and estimating your losses.

Tuesday, January 13th, 2015
6:00-‐7:30pm
College of the Siskiyous
Room: McCloud 112
800 College Ave., Weed, CA

Who should attend? Property owners and renters whose homes were damaged or destroyed in the Boles Fire.  Attendees will have the opportunity to ask questions during a Q&A portion of the program.  Roadmap to Recovery tools will be distributed free of charge to all meeting attendees.

Watch the workshop online

Click here to view the flyer

Download the Powerpoint Presentation

November, 2014 UPdate: 

Here are some items to help you navigate your situation – there is no one right path when recovering after a disaster:

• Home Inventory and Contents Claim Tips
• Underinsurance 101
• Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Public Adjuster
• Buy or Rebuild
• Survivors Speak Tip Series

For more information, visit the Claim Guidance Library

September, 2014 UPdate: 

Here are some items to get you started putting one foot in front of the other on the road to recovery:

• An open letter from one fire survivor to another
• Top Ten Insurance Claim Tips
• FAQs about Home Insurance Claims in California
• Sample Letter Requesting Copy of Policy
• Simplified Guide to Your Declarations Page
• ALE/Loss of Use: What expenses can you claim on your homeowner’s policy?
• Sample Letter Requesting Information About Insurance Benefits for Temporary Living Expenses (“ALE” or “Loss of Use”)
• A Guide to Your Insurance Legal Rights
• Speak UP: Tips for Communicating with your Insurance Company

To view our full menu of resources or for more information on this program, visit the Roadmap to Recovery page.