Claim guides
Everything we wish policyholders knew first.
Written by licensed Illinois public adjusters — the questions we answer on the phone every week, in plain English, with nothing to sign up for.
Claim estimates
How to Read the Carrier's Estimate: RCV, Depreciation, O&P and the Summary Page
How to read an insurance estimate: the summary page, RCV and ACV, depreciation, overhead and profit, and the line items carriers most often leave out.
Claim payouts
Mortgage Company on Your Insurance Check: How to Get the Money Released
Your claim check names your mortgage servicer. Why the loss draft account exists, the documents it needs, how repair draws are released, and what stalls them.
Claim documentation
What to Photograph After Property Damage — Before You Touch Anything
The scene of a loss lasts about 48 hours. The four-pass photo sequence, what each type of damage needs captured, and the shots homeowners skip.
Water damage
Sudden vs Gradual Water Damage — and Why That Phrase Decides Your Claim
Carriers call water losses "gradual" to exclude them. What sudden vs gradual means in an Illinois policy, and the physical evidence that dates a leak.
Hail damage
Why a Roofer Cannot Negotiate Your Claim in Illinois
Illinois law bars roofing contractors from negotiating your insurance claim. What a roofer may legally do, and what drops out when a roof bid runs the claim.
Storm damage
Storm Chasers at the Door: Contractor or Claim Scheme?
Storm chaser contractors knock in Illinois within days of a hail storm. The license, contract and deductible checks that separate a roofer from a scheme.
Commercial claims
Business Interruption Insurance Claims, in Plain English
How business interruption insurance pays after a commercial property loss in Illinois: the 72-hour wait, what counts as income, and what you must prove.
Claim deadlines
Deadlines That End a Property Insurance Claim in Illinois
The deadlines that can end an Illinois property insurance claim - notice, proof of loss, suit limitation - how carriers count them and what tolls them.
Appraisal
The Insurance Appraisal Clause: A Quiet Way Out of a Stuck Claim
The appraisal clause settles a disagreement over the amount of an insurance claim. What it can decide, how it runs, what it costs and when to avoid it.
Supplements
Insurance Claim Supplements: How Hidden Damage Gets Added to a Claim
A supplement adds hidden damage to an open insurance claim. What justifies one, what evidence to send, how carriers review it, and what to do if refused.
Additional living expenses
Additional Living Expenses: What You Can Claim While You Are Out of the House
Additional living expenses cover the extra cost of living elsewhere while your home is unlivable. What Coverage D pays, what it will not, how long it lasts.
Fire & smoke damage
Fire Claims: Why the Contents Inventory Decides the Settlement
A fire claim contents inventory decides what you are paid: carriers settle item by item from your list. What to record, where limits bite, how to rebuild it.
Ice & snow damage
Ice Dams in Illinois: What Insurance Covers and What It Calls Maintenance
Ice dam damage insurance in Illinois: policies usually pay for the water damage inside, not for removing the ice. Here is where carriers draw the line.
Flood & sewer backup
Sewer Backup vs Flood — Which One Your Policy Actually Covers
Basement water in Illinois is usually sewer backup or sump failure, not flood. Here is how the three coverages differ and how to prove which one applies.
Recorded statements
The Recorded Statement: What It Is and How to Prepare for It
Your insurer asked for a recorded statement. Here's what it is, what the adjuster is listening for, how to prepare, and what you can politely decline.
Matching / uniform replacement
Matching: When Illinois Policies Owe You a Uniform Roof, Not a Patch
A patched roof slope or siding panel rarely matches what's already there. Here's when Illinois policies call for a full, uniform repair, and how to prove it.
Hail damage
What Carriers Routinely Leave Out of a Hail Estimate
A hail damage estimate often misses ridge caps, ice and water shield, flashing and code upgrades. Here is what to check before you sign off on the number.
Recoverable depreciation
Recoverable Depreciation: The Money Most Homeowners Never Go Back For
Recoverable depreciation is real money many homeowners never collect. Here is the exact process, deadline and paperwork that actually releases the second check.
Claim denials
Your Claim Was Denied: The Five Things to Do in the First Week
A denied property claim isn't final. The five things to do in the first week: get it in writing, check the reason, gather documents, note the deadline.
Claim payouts
ACV vs. Replacement Cost: Why the First Check Is Smaller Than the Repair
ACV pays replacement cost minus depreciation, which is why a homeowner's first insurance check often runs short of the repair bill. Here's how that math works.
Claim basics
What a public adjuster actually does — and when you don’t need one
A licensed Illinois public adjuster represents you, not your insurer, on a property claim. What that work involves — and when it isn’t worth hiring one.
Policy basics
How to Read Your Homeowners Policy: The Six Lines That Decide Your Claim
Your homeowners policy has six lines that decide a claim: coverage limit, deductible, settlement basis, exclusions, endorsements and ordinance coverage.
Free claim review · No obligation
Find out what your claim is actually worth.
One conversation. We read the policy, look at the damage and give you a straight answer — even if that answer is "you don’t need us."
(630) 297-8136