Scranton Water Damage / Insurance claims
Water damage insurance claims in Scranton
A water damage claim goes best when the photos and readings start on the first day. Pennsylvania also has a few rules on contracts and adjusters that are worth knowing before you sign anything.
Which kind of water it was matters most
Homeowners policies sort water damage by where the water came from, and Scranton houses can see all of the common kinds.
- A pipe that splits in a January freeze, or a water heater that gives out all at once, usually falls under the sudden damage part of a policy.
- Water that seeped for a long time, and the mold that followed it, is commonly excluded.
- A backup through the cellar floor drain is often excluded unless the policy has a sewer or water backup endorsement. In a combined sewer town, that endorsement is worth asking your agent about.
- Water from the Lackawanna, Roaring Brook, or any other rising water usually needs a separate flood policy.
- Damage from the ground moving over an old mine is usually excluded. The state's Mine Subsidence Insurance program covers that separately.
Every policy is worded a little differently. Yours is the one that counts, and your agent can walk you through it.
Curious what a job like this runs? Five quick questions give you a ballpark range.
Try the cost calculatorWhat the crew documents
Adjusters want proof. The crew keeps it as the job goes:
- Pictures of where the water started and of each room it reached, taken before any plaster or carpet is torn out.
- First-visit meter readings marked on a sketch of the house.
- A reading each day until the plaster, wood, and stone are back to normal.
- Notes on each piece that was removed and why it couldn't be dried.
That packet goes to your insurance company. If you want, someone from the crew can meet the adjuster at the house and explain the readings.
Pennsylvania rules on contractors
Pennsylvania's Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act applies to most repair work on a house. A few parts of it matter after water damage:
- Contractors who do $5,000 or more of home improvement work a year have to register with the Attorney General's office. The registration number goes on the contract, and you can look it up on the Attorney General's website.
- For work over $500, the contract has to be in writing and signed by both of you.
- You have three business days after signing to cancel without penalty.
Contractors and public adjusters are different jobs
In Pennsylvania, a public adjuster you pay to negotiate a claim for you has to be licensed by the state. A public adjuster can't take part in repairing the damage or have an interest in the repair work. If someone holds both licenses, the state allows only one role on a claim at a time, with separate contracts.
So the restoration crew works on the house and documents it. It doesn't negotiate your claim. What gets paid is between you and your insurance company, and a public adjuster if you choose to hire one.
If the claim stalls
Start with your adjuster, then the company's claims supervisor. If that doesn't move it, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department's Consumer Services line is 1-877-881-6388, and you can file a complaint through the department's online portal.
Send the details
This page is a request form, not a restoration contractor.
Questions
Do I have to wait for the adjuster before anything is dried?
Open the claim and take your photos first. After that, policies generally expect you to keep the damage from getting worse, and plaster and framing that stay wet for days get worse fast.
How do I check that a contractor is registered in Pennsylvania?
Ask for the registration number. It has to be on the contract, and you can look it up on the Attorney General's home improvement contractor search.
Can I cancel a contract I signed in a hurry?
Under Pennsylvania's home improvement law, you have three business days after signing to cancel without penalty.