At the end of my last blog post, I posted a screenshot of a tweet issued by the Florida Department of Financial Services. While it pointed out the importance of working with a Licensed Public Adjuster, it also pointed the importance of working with a Licensed Contractor to complete the repair work. This is important for a several reasons. Licensed contractors are familiar with rules and regulations as they relate to construction projects, they provide greater quality of work, they can provide a more accurate accounting of cost of repair, and lastly, as I mentioned in my last article they are reputable sources that can help substantiate your insurance claim. Below is snippet of a comment posted by the Florida Department of Financial Services.
As mentioned above, the first reason and likely the most important reason to work with a licensed contractor is that they are familiar with the rules and regulations of Florida as they relate to construction projects. In Florida, The Florida Building Code contains all laws and rules pertaining to the design, construction, erection, altercation, modification, repair, and demolition of public and private buildings, including residential homes. These regulations are important as they outline structural design specifications required for safe and sturdy residential homes and commercial buildings. Believe it or not, the State of Florida, and it localities, have an interest in keeping your home in compliance with those regulations. Residential homes and buildings that are not in compliance with the specifications outlined in the building code are at higher risk of casualty; proper maintenance and repair is an integral part of maintaining property value.
Mortgage Lenders and Insurers also have an interest in the proper maintenance and repair of buildings and residences. Mortgage Lenders for the obvious reason that they have a financial interest in the home or building; Insurer’s because they don’t want to get stuck paying out a claim for a home that was predisposed to damage as a result of faulty repair or maintenance. For these reasons, The Florida Building Code has strict recording requirements, in the form of building permits, when it comes to the alteration, modification, and repair of your home on a structural level. Hiring a Licensed Contractor ensures that the repair is completed in accordance with structural design specification regulations and further ensures that the repair is properly recorded with the county comptroller. Failure to adhere to the Florida Building Code can spell disaster down the line at resale, obtaining property insurance upon switching carriers, or during a property insurance claim.
The second reason it is important to work with a Licensed Contractor is quality of work. Not only are Licensed Contractors licenses on the line if they don’t comply with the rules and regulations of Florida, but their reputations, with respect to quality of work, are on the line too. If a contractor installs a door frame uneven resulting in the door constantly swinging open or closed, you can bet the homeowner will be talking to their friends and neighbors about the contractor who didn’t install their door frame correctly. When it comes to construction, quality of work matters, and not just aesthetically, materials matter as well. Licensed Contractors are familiar with industry standard materials to ensure that the materials used for repair are those that are required under the Florida Building Code. Failure to use the correct materials can result in collapse, water intrusion, moisture intrusion, and even fire.
As I mentioned in my last Blog post, in addition to Public Adjusters, Licensed Contractors are reliable sources that can provide an estimate of the cost of repair. It is important to find the Contractor you plan to hire to complete the repair prior to the resolution of any insurance claim. Contractor’s estimates may vary depending on the specific contractor’s overhead and profit. As discussed earlier, Contractors gain reputations with regards to quality of work. As they grow more popular their demand goes up, more people want to work with them. When demand goes up, prices go up, causing variations among estimates for the same work. You don’t want to settle your claim for a specific price to find out the contractor you want to hire has written an estimate for an additional $700.00. Since the Contractor is the actual person completing the repair their estimate is naturally going to be more reliable than a Public Adjusters. However, remember that Public Adjusters have the ability to negotiate a pre-suit settlement with your Insurance Carrier. It’s important for these two parties to work hand in hand during the claim process to ensure full compensation for your damages.
The last step is choosing the Contractor you want to use. Ordinarily, most home owner’s insurance policies allow you to choose what contractor you want to use. You will want to choose a contractor that aligns with the type of damage your home has sustained. Generally speaking most damage can be repaired by one the following types of contractors: General Contractor, Building Contractor, Residential Contractor, or Roofing Contractor. Each one of these licensures requires passage of the state licensing exam. They are experts in construction and repair and an estimate written by licensed contractor can help you substantiate the amount of money required to repair the covered loss.
1 Fla. Stat. § 553.73
