Step 1: Call Your Insurer Right Away
Most policies want fast notice of damage. Call within one to three days. Use the claims number on your policy. That opens the claim for real. Write down your claim number. Write down the adjuster's name. Write down each date you call.
Ask about your deductible. Ask if you have a separate wind or hurricane deductible. Many Alabama coast policies do. These are often a share of the home's insured value, not a flat dollar sum.
Step 2: Stop More Damage
Your policy likely makes you guard the home from worse harm. That means tarps on a torn roof, boards on burst windows, and wet goods moved to dry ground. Do only what is safe. Keep each receipt. Your insurer should pay back fair urgent fix costs. Do not start lasting repairs yet.
Step 3: Photograph Everything First
Take photos and video of all damage before you move or toss a thing. Our photo checklist shows how. List hurt items in writing. Note each item's age and worth. Keep hurt items if you can. If a thing is unsafe, photo it well first, then toss it.
Step 4: Meet the Adjuster
Your insurer sends an adjuster to look at the damage. Be there if you can. Walk them through it all. Point out harm they might miss, like the attic or crawl space. Share your photos and list. Take notes on what they say. You do not have to take the first sum on the spot.
Step 5: Get the Offer in Writing
Ask for a written, itemized offer. It should show what is paid, what is not, and how they aged your goods. With replacement-cost cover, you often get the aged value first and the rest after repairs. Keep all repair bills. If the sum looks off, you can ask for a second look, get your own repair quote to compare, or file a complaint.
Step 6: Know Where Alabama Can Help
The Alabama Department of Insurance helps with policy and claim questions. Call Consumer Services at 1-800-433-3966 or 334-241-4141. Email [email protected]. They have live chat at aldoi.gov on work days. They cannot force your insurer to pay. But they can spell out your rights and take complaints. For legal fights, talk to a licensed Alabama lawyer.
Flood Damage Is a Separate Claim
Most home policies do not cover flood. If you have a separate flood policy, file that claim on its own with the flood insurer. Wind harm and flood harm get judged apart. So write down which harm came from which.
Sources: Alabama Department of Insurance (aldoi.gov), Consumer Services 1-800-433-3966.