Property owners, both new and seasoned homeowners, have different reasons for filing a claim on their property. There is not a one-size-fits-all way of handling a property claim and two different customers filing the same type of claim in the same area with the same insurance company can have very different experiences. I have been in the home restoration industry for over 15 years and have inspected thousands of properties during that time. I would like to share with you some of the common mistakes I see homeowners make before and during the claim process.
1. Homeowners should not always file a claim for any damages
For example, I have seen an insurance ad on TV where a kid throws a baseball into a front window of a house breaking the windowpane. The ad says to call your insurance company and file a claim. I say, hold off filing a claim. First, you need to know what your deductible is for this type of claim. Then you should get a quote to replace the window. Typically, you can replace the windowpane and may not have to replace the entire window unit. Make sure that the cost of the repair is significantly over your deductible and that you have not made any recent claims, before you decide to file a claim. For example, if the rough estimate for repairs will be approximately $850 and your deductible is $1,000, it would not make a sense to file a claim. If the rough estimate for repairs will be approximately $1,200 and your deductible is $1,000, it may not make a sense to file a claim. If the rough estimate for repairs will be approximately $20,000 and your deductible is $1,000, it would surely make a sense to file a claim. Depending what type of property damage, if your home is wet and mitigation (demo and drying) needs to take place as well as repairs add them both together to see if they (combined) are substantially higher than your deductible.
2. Filing too many claims in a short period of time
If you have file two claims in the past couple years and you are now about to file a third claim in a 3 year period, this could cause an issue with your insurance company either severely raising your deductible, sharply increasing your insurance premium, or the possibility of being dropped by your insurance carrier due to being a high risk insurer.
3. If my roof is old and deteriorated, the insurance company will pay for my roof to be replaced
This is not the case. I always tell homeowners this, your home was in a certain condition, an event happened such as a wind/hailstorm or a tornado. How did the condition of your home change from that specific event. That is what the insurance company is paying for. That is what will be covered.
4. Homeowners often think their insurance company will pay for everything that needs to be covered on any loss.
Remember, there are limits to any policy and exclusions. There is a limit for the dwelling, a limit for other structures which includes detached garages, fences, decks, gazebos, etc., a limit for contents, and a limit for ALE (Additional Living Expenses). If your policy includes code upgrades, which I strongly recommend having, there is also a code upgrade limit. If your insurance policy does not include code upgrades, you will be on the hook for these code upgrades which, if you have a large house fire and you have an old house, this could be tens of thousands of dollars.
5. Starting repairs before your property has been inspected by an adjuster or an insurance approved vendor can also cause proper compensation issues from your insurance company
This will make it more difficult for the adjuster to assess the exact condition of the property after the loss. If emergency or temporary repairs are necessary to prevent further water damage, that is acceptable, but make sure photos are taken of the affected area before these repairs are done.
6. Delayed reporting and notification
One of the most critical errors that policyholders can commit is the delay in reporting incidents to their insurance companies. Many policies contain explicit time requirements for filing a claim, and any deviation from these can jeopardize the entire process.
7. Many property owners fail to properly document their claim
Documentation is the backbone of a successful property insurance claim. Inadequate or incomplete documentation is among the most frequent causes of claim denials, delays, or insufficient claim compensation. A common misconception is that a verbal explanation or a basic written statement of the damages is sufficient for substantiating a claim. In reality, insurance companies rely heavily on detailed, accurately maintained documentation. Overlooking the importance of comprehensive evidence including before-and-after records and photos can result in significant under compensation for the property loss.
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Fred Turner is author of the new book coming out in August of 2025 The Happy Homeowners HANDBOOK For Navigating Property Claims available on Amazon.com. For more details go to HappyHomeownersHub.com. A digital download will also be available at HappyHomeownersHub.store
Disclaimer: Fred Turner is not a licensed public adjuster and this information is
only a recommendation from his knowledge and experience. Please
consult a professional in the appropriate field for any advice.
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