Storm and Flood Damage Claims
Storm season brings the highest volume of claims in the year and the highest rate of under-settlement with it. The damage is spread across a property rather than concentrated in one room, and spread damage is easy to assess cheaply.
Storm damage to the building
Slates and ridge tiles, flashing, fascia and guttering, chimney stacks, glazing, doors, sheds and outbuildings, boundary walls and fencing. Once the roof covering has been breached, wind-driven rain enters the structure, and the consequential damage to ceilings, insulation, plasterwork and wiring commonly costs more than the roof repair itself. That secondary damage is what gets missed.
Flood and surface water
How the water entered decides which part of your policy responds. River or surface flooding, storm ingress through a damaged roof and escape of water from a burst pipe are three different perils with different cover, different excesses and sometimes different limits. Establishing the cause properly, with evidence, is the first thing we do.
Drying out is part of the claim
A flooded building needs weeks of controlled drying, and doing it too quickly causes its own damage. Plaster below the tide line usually has to come off, floors may need to be lifted, and electrics below the water line need certification. Reinstating before the structure is dry means doing the work twice, and a settlement figure that assumes a fortnight of drying is a settlement figure that is wrong.
Farms and land
Agricultural storm claims run wider than buildings: roofing on sheds and parlours, damaged fencing, contaminated or spoiled feed, livestock losses, forestry windblow and the cost of housing animals elsewhere during repair. Each element needs its own evidence.
What to do first
Make the property safe, photograph everything before you clean up, carry out emergency protective work only, keep every receipt and do not dispose of damaged items. Then phone us. The first consultation is free and we will tell you whether the claim needs an assessor.
Common questions
What counts as a storm for insurance purposes?
Policies generally require wind of a certain strength, and insurers check meteorological records for the date. Where a claim is refused on the grounds that conditions did not amount to a storm, the wording and the weather data are both worth examining.
My roof was already old. Will that defeat the claim?
Insurers do argue wear and tear, and sometimes correctly. Whether pre-existing condition caused the loss or merely coincided with it is a technical question, and it is one we deal with regularly.
How long does a flood claim take?
Longer than people expect, largely because of drying. From notification to completed reinstatement, three to six months is common on a significant domestic flood.
Talk to us before you agree a figure
The first consultation is free and there is no obligation. We will tell you honestly whether your claim needs an assessor.
Call 085 268 7871