We read your backup endorsement, record the damage before tear-out and build the claim around its limit.
Gold tiles: the parts a first backup estimate most often leaves out.
Removed and discarded, not dried.
Cut out above the high-water mark.
Particleboard bases swell and wick upward.
Equipment below the water line belongs in the scope.
Often missedOften the larger half of the loss, and hauled away first.
Often missedDisinfection and clearance testing, not only fans.
Often missed| What happened | Where it usually sits | What we check |
|---|---|---|
| Sewage rose through a floor drain or basement toilet | Water backup endorsement | Whether it was added, and its limit. |
| The sump pit overflowed or the pump failed | Usually the same endorsement | How your form words sump discharge or overflow. |
| A supply line or water heater burst at the same time | Main dwelling coverage | Which damage traces to that leak. |
| The village requires a backwater valve on the rebuild | Ordinance or law coverage | Whether the policy carries it, and its separate limit. |
| Surface water came in through a window well | Flood, usually excluded from home policies | Whether a separate flood policy exists. |
“State Adjusting Services is hands down the best company I’ve partnered with in the Chicagoland area as a public adjuster. Thanks to their exceptional work, nearly all of my clients have received new roofs, gutters, downspouts, garage doors, and even new floors due to water damage. Their team is not only highly professional but also genuinely cares about each client. I highly recommend them!”
Water in a basement is where most homeowners give up. The actual cause and the policy language decided this one, and the claim was handled start to finish.
These apply to home policies the Insurance Code calls fire and extended coverage.
Actual cash value is replacement cost at the time of loss, less any depreciation.
50 Ill. Adm. Code 919.80On request, the insurer shows each depreciation deduction: age, condition, expected life.
50 Ill. Adm. Code 919.80The time limit to sue stops from the filing of proof of loss until a denial.
215 ILCS 5/143.1A denial must state in writing how many days were paused and how many remain.
50 Ill. Adm. Code 919.80Sometimes. If a supply line burst at the same time, that part may sit on other coverage. We establish the cause first.
The estimate treats sewage like clean water. Category 3 water means porous materials are removed; photos taken before demolition prove it.
We use the village record to show the cause in your insurance claim. Any claim against the village is a separate matter for a lawyer.
