When it comes to getting your water damage claim approved by your homeowner’s insurance, many people don’t know a few easy tips to ensure full coverage, no matter the damage.

• Familiarize yourself with your insurance policy – and don’t be afraid to change a policy, or a company, if you realize that your coverage is insufficient. The annual cost of a comprehensive policy is generally far lower than the risk of not having coverage.
  
  
• Remember that whatever the details of your policy might be it, will not cover “gradual damage.”
  
  
• Order an inspection as soon as you suspect something might be wrong – if you wait until you are sure (for example, until you notice a mold infestation), then damage will have had time to accumulate, and the inspector and insurance company will be more likely to declare it a result of gradual damage… and deny the claim.
  
  
• Any professional certified inspector YOU select is the right choice for YOU. Any inspector selected by your insurance company is also the right choice – for your insurance company.
  
  
• It is important to ensure that the inspector you order represents a company that has the resources, experience and orientation to deal with the underlying cause of your water damage and preventing the problem from recurring.