What to Ask Your Insurance Adjuster
Use this questionnaire the first time you call your insurance adjuster to make sure you get the information you need. And if you need some background information on all the different buckets of insurance money in your policy, read this first. 

You can fill out the information below online and if you put in an email address it will send you the results and a link to go in and update them as needed. We will also receive your email address and will reach out once to see if you would have any additional questions or if we can help in any other way. We will never share or use your email address for any other reasons unless you give us permission.

If you do not want to provide your email, you can print a blank form here.
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Insurance Company & Policy Number
(If you haven't already, ask for a copy of the policy that was in effect the day of the fire and the declarations page.)
Claim Number
Adjuster Name, Phone Number, Email
How much is the deductible? And is it only applied once and to which bucket?
PERSONAL PROPERTY    this is all your stuff
Does your policy cover “replacement value” or “cash value”?
Clear selection

**Tip: For Replacement Value policies, Recoverable Depreciation is typically taken out of the insurance payment. This is important to understand as it is a confusing concept. Essentially, Recoverable Depreciation is the difference between the Replacement Value and the Cash Value. For example, if you lost your bed in a house fire and the Replacement Value is $1,000, the insurance company will then calculate the depreciation of the item based on its age and determine the Cash Value is $800. You will then get a check from the insurance company for $800. Once you buy the new bed for $1,000 and give that receipt to the insurance company proving you purchased it, they will then give you the remaining $200 in Recoverable Depreciation.**

CASH ADVANCE
Will the insurance company give me an advance?
How much? When will I receive it?
Which bucket will this come out of? This should cover buying things for immediate needs – clothes, toiletries, groceries, etc. 

INVENTORY - PART 1

**Tip: Creating an inventory of your personal property is a grueling process - read our Helpful Tips here before you begin! Also, if you have a total loss and none of your items are salvageable, Colorado law requires the insurance company to provide at least 30% of your limit up front without requiring the inventory to be completed. This will give you more funds to start replacing items. But if you want to receive the recoverable depreciation, you will have to eventually do an inventory. So don’t forget to save your receipts!**

Will the insurance company provide a template for listing my lost or damaged inventory? (if not, use ours)

And what information do they need in the inventory? (age, manufacturer, original cost, replacement cost, etc.)

INVENTORY - PART 2

Once I provide the inventory list, will the insurance company send it to a 3rd party to calculate the depreciation?

**Tip: Remember, depreciation is negotiable so when you receive it back from the 3rd party, you can contest it to make sure you get more funds to start replacing your things.**

Is there a deadline as to when the inventory list needs to be completed and submitted?

Is there a deadline as to when the receipts need to be submitted in order to receive the recoverable depreciation?

Can I continue to add items to the submitted inventory list as I remember them?

CLEANING/DECONTAMINATING, PACKING & STORING YOUR CONTENTS

**Tip: Typically a restoration company can come in and do the cleaning, packing, inventorying, and storage of your items which can be easier than hiring different companies.**

Will the insurance company pay for the movers and packers? Are payments made directly to the moving/packing company on my behalf?

Will the insurance company pay to move items from my damaged home to storage and again from storage to my new home?

How long will the insurance company pay for storage?

ASBESTOS

**Tip: If your home was built before 1980 or you think there is the possibility the building materials contain asbestos, you will want to have it tested for asbestos contamination. Check out this video for more information on asbestos. Cleaning asbestos off of your items can be costly, so buying new may be more cost effective.**

Will the insurance company pay for the asbestos testing and cleaning of contaminated items?

Are payments made directly to the asbestos mitigation company on my behalf?

ADDITIONAL LIVING EXPENSES (ALE) or LOSS OF USE    this is all your temporary housing, eating out, etc.

Does the policy cover Additional Living Expenses (ALE) or Loss of Use?

Is there a financial limit to this bucket? Is there a time limit?

What type of temporary housing is covered (hotel, AirBnB, monthly rental, etc.)

**Tip: You will still have to pay your mortgage or rent while your home is being repaired. If there is no financial limit to your ALE bucket, then you are entitled to temporary housing that is equivalent to where you were living. If you had a 3 bedroom house, insurance should pay for a 3 bedroom rental.** 
How long of a lease will the insurance company pay for?

**Tip: Repairs always take longer than expected and insurance companies tend to not want to agree to leases longer than 3-6 months at a time. Try to push for a longer term lease so you don't run the risk of having to move again to change rentals.**
What other expenses are covered in the ALE bucket? (transportation, food, mileage reimbursement, utilities, etc.) 

**Tip: ALE should cover any expenses that you incur as a result of the fire that are above and beyond your normal expenses. If the utility costs in your rental are more expensive than you were paying at your home, ALE can cover the difference. Remember, all of these expenses come out of the same ALE bucket, so be mindful of your financial limit if you have one.**
How do I submit for ALE reimbursement?

**Tip: Save all your receipts!**
Use this space for any other questions you have for your adjuster. Remember, knowledge is power so make sure you understand what is covered in your policy. Insurance companies are focused on paying out the least amount, so you have to advocate for yourself to get what you deserve out of your policy.

 Our Front Porch is here to help explain this process and answer any questions. So don’t hesitate to contact us!
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