Your Insurance Claim, Week by Week

Filing and assignment (Days 1-3)

Report the loss to your insurance company by phone, app, or online portal. You receive a claim number and are assigned an adjuster, usually within 24-48 hours. During this window, take immediate steps to prevent further damage.

Your policy requires it. For water damage, stop the source and start extraction. For storm damage, tarp the roof or board up openings.

Begin documenting everything with photos and video. Keep receipts for any emergency work.

Adjuster inspection (Days 3-14)

Your adjuster schedules an on-site inspection. Be there for it. Walk them through every affected area.

Point out damage they might miss: inside cabinets, behind appliances, in the attic. The adjuster takes measurements and photos to build the XactimateXactimate: The Software Behind Every Insurance EstimateXactimate is the industry-standard software used by insurers, contractors, and public adjusters to price repair work. It contains thousands of line...
Read more → estimate. After major storms, inspection scheduling can stretch beyond two weeks due to high demand.

If it's been a week with no inspection date, follow up. Don't wait for them to call you.

Estimate and first payment (Days 14-30)

The adjuster completes the Xactimate estimate and issues the initial payment. For RCV policies, this first check is the ACV amount (replacement cost minus depreciationThat First Check Is Not Your Full SettlementOn a Replacement Cost Value policy, your first check only covers the depreciated value. The rest, called the depreciation holdback, is released aft...
Read more →) with your deductibleYour Deductible Might Be Bigger Than You ThinkYour deductible is what you pay before insurance kicks in. It might be a flat $1,000-$5,000. Or it might be a percentage of your dwelling coverage,...
Read more → already subtracted. Review the estimate line by line when you receive it.

Compare it to the actual damage. This is the best time to catch missing items: overhead and profitOverhead & Profit: The 20% Most People Leave on the TableOn my own claim, I didn't know O&P existed until a contractor looked at my estimate and said, 'Where's the O&P line?' That missing line item was wo...
Read more →, appliance disconnectAppliance Disconnect & Reconnect: $800-$1,500 That's Almost Never ListedWhen your kitchen or laundry area needs repairs, every appliance has to be disconnected, moved out, and reconnected afterward. Xactimate has separa...
Read more →, texture matchingDrywall Texture Matching: Why Your Patch Still Shows After PaintingAfter drywall is repaired or replaced, the texture on the new section needs to match the rest of the wall or ceiling. Sound simple? It's not. This ...
Read more →, code upgradesYour Walls Are Open. Now the Inspector Wants $5,000 in Upgrades.Nobody warned me about this one. When the drywall came down on my claim, I thought we were just replacing what got damaged. Then the building inspe...
Read more →. It's far easier to add items before construction begins than to fight for them after.

Repairs and supplements (Weeks 4-16)

You select a contractor and repairs begin. During demolition, hidden damage appears: mold behind walls, rotted subfloor under cabinets, wiring that needs code upgrades. Your contractor documents each discovery with photos and measurements, then submits a supplemental Xactimate estimate to the adjuster.

SupplementSupplements: Getting Paid for What the Adjuster Could Not SeeA supplement adds items to your existing insurance estimate after the original scope was written. Hidden damage behind walls, code upgrades flagged...
Read more → approvals typically take 1-3 weeks. Multiple rounds of supplements are normal on larger projects. Material ordering, permit processing, and contractor scheduling all affect the overall timeline.

Kitchen and bathroom repairs commonly run 8-16 weeks.

Final settlement (After repairs)

When repairs are complete, submit all invoices and receipts to your insurer. If you have an RCV policy, this triggers the depreciation holdback release. Review the final settlement to confirm every approved item has been paid.

The insurer has a set number of days to issue the final payment, which varies by state. If you disagree with the final amount, you have formal options: request a re-inspection, file a complaint with your state's Department of Insurance, invoke the appraisal clause in your policy, or consult an attorney.