Ok, I Found Damage. What Do I Do Next?

QUESTION: Ok, I found damage. What do I do next?
ANSWER: There are two things that must be done after finding out storm damage exists on your home. The first is to call your homeowners insurance company and file a claim. You can find the phone number on any bill or declaration paper that came along with your policy. The insurance company will give you a claim number and inform you that an adjuster will be contacting you to set up an inspection. Write down the name and phone number of the adjuster, along with the claim number and put it aside. This will be needed later.

Secondly, you need to find someone such as USRCT to help represent your interest with your insurance company. (DISCLAIMER: USRCT is not licensed as, and does not in any way, represent ourselves as an attorney. We have extensive experience in the field of storm damage and advise customers based on our experience) Although most are honest, your insurance company is not your friend; you are their customer. They are a business that is out to make money.
When you call for a claim, it is defined by them as a loss. They will send over a professional adjuster (most likely a catastrophe adjuster) who is trained to keep customers happy, but pay out as little money as possible. There are a few ways that they do this, and are listed in the “Businesses Don’t Like to Lose Money” article on the next page.