Storms aren’t usually a major concern for those of us living in Mesa, AZ, and that’s exactly how we wind up being caught off guard come monsoon season. Sometimes it comes and goes with nothing but a few light showers to show for it, but you never know, so make sure you’ve got your storm windows installed, and your canned goods stocked up, and then be prepared to manage the aftermath of a storm:
What to do Before Calling Your Insurer
Calling your insurance agent is one of the first steps to take following a storm, but there are a few things to get out of the way, first:
- Know what’s covered. Read your insurance policy so that you can know whether or not you have a valid claim. In general, wind damages will be covered in most non-coastal cities by default, but flooding may require an additional policy. Luckily, flooding isn’t the biggest concern in Mesa, but in any event, it’s always good to know what’s covered.
- Protect your home from any further damage. Right now, any damage your home has suffered was the storm’s fault, and you’re probably covered. But if you allow a leaky roof to damage your expensive carpet because you didn’t put a bucket under it or point a room fan at the wet floor, then that’s going to be seen as neglect on the homeowner’s part.
Once these steps are taken care, call your insurance agent.
What to do Before Calling Your Contractors
Your insurance agency will have your damages appraised, so make sure that that’s all taken care of before you call a contractor. Next, you’ll want to follow these steps before signing anyone on to repair the damages:
- Do your research. You’re looking for the best contractors you can find for your money, so check online reviews, get recommendations, and ensure that you’re working with a reliable service provider.
- Learn to spot storm chasers. Stormchasers aren’t really contractors, because nine times out of ten they don’t even bother fulfilling the contract. These are con artists who go door to door or cold-call homeowners following a storm, trying to close the deal with shady sales tactics including strong-arming and even damaging the roof themselves during their “appraisal.”
- Get competing quotes. Everyone’s going to tell you they offer the best deal in town, but it’s always good to make sure.
Once you have all of this taken care of, the best thing to do is take some time and relax. Whatever you do to unwind, take some time to yourself and do it. The stress of managing a storm, and its aftermath, hunting down contractors, getting the damages repaired, sweeping up broken glass and tracking down leaks, it can wear you down pretty quickly. So take a little bit of time to unwind and rest easy knowing that the damages can be repaired, your home will be fine, and there’s nothing to worry about.
