Insurance is giving me less than estimates I received Fabi Eth asked 2 years ago
Insurance is giving me less than estimates I received

Hello,

We recently discovered a slow leak in our kitchen that resulted in mold and partial removal of cabinets, backsplash, countertops and walls.

Our insurance company sent out a contractor to do the removal of damaged items and mold. He also provided us with an estimate to replace everything.

The estimate from the contractor sent by the insurance company is considerably lower than 3 other estimates that I requested from other contractors. Our adjuster is not budging and will not give is any more money. She said we can hire a different contractor but the amount she gives us will remain the same.

We also have 4 kids and living in a house with no kitchen.

1 Answers
Stacy Tucker Stacy Tucker Expert answered 2 years ago
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I am so sorry you are having to deal with this. Unfortunately, your options are limited. You can accept the contractor who the insurer is willing to pay. You can choose to pay some out of pocket to use your preferred contractor. Or, you can exercise the right in your policy to request appraisal. Under the appraisal provision, you and your insurer select an appraiser, and then the two appraisers jointly select a third. They review the damages and determine the reasonable amount to pay to repair it. This option will be time consuming and you will need to pay for your appraiser, but it would provide a resolution to the problem. You can also consider hiring a public adjuster to represent you in the claim. They may be better positioned to push the insurer on paying the actual costs for repair.