Who Does the Repairs After You Have Filed a Claim?

Companies You Can Use

There’s often a lot of confusion on how to get your house or car repaired in the event of a claim. Many people think you must use whoever the insurance company recommends, and that’s absolutely not true. You can use anyone you want to fix your car or make repairs to your house after a claim has occurred.

How do you go about doing that? At Hanby, we recommend using someone you know and trust. If you don’t know anyone in these fields, the insurance company typically has contractors and collision repair centers on hand they can refer you to. Again, you’re under no obligation to use these companies; you can go to anyone you want.

We also keep a list in our agency of people and companies we’ve used, like and trust. In the end, it’s up to you.

What if the Estimates Don’t Match?

Now what if your chosen contractor or body shop’s estimate is higher than the estimate you receive from the insurance agency? Don’t stress too much. This actually happens pretty often. And quite frankly, insurance companies somewhat expect it. There is normal cost that is used by claims adjusters on auto and home. Most body shops and contractors are familiar with the software that insurance companies use. However, sometimes damages can be hidden. So it’s very normal for a supplement to be requested. If your contractor or collision shop has worked with insurance agencies before, they should be familiar with the supplement process. The way this works is if they find additional damage that isn’t included in the original estimate, they take pictures, document, and send a new quote to the insurance adjustor. Nine times out of ten, the adjustor is going to pay that check and they won’t ask any questions. In the end, everyone wants what’s good for you – the customer. So, they will pay that.

Occasionally, we have come across body shops or contractors where the estimate doesn’t match up with the software that the claims adjustors use. What is your recourse to do in those situations? Should something like that happen, you can do a couple of things. You can get an estimate from a third party or you can negotiate with the insurance company. Most of the time, these issues can be resolved.

Hanby Helps

To answer the original question, you can use anyone you want for your home or auto repair in the event of a claim. You can get recommendations from your insurance company or insurance agent if you don’t know anyone. And if for some reason things don’t quite match up, don’t panic. A supplement is a very normal part of the repair process. And as always, feel free to reach out to us at Hanby Insurance if you have any further questions!