The Adventures of home ownership with Tone Gonzalez

02/06/2025

How to deal with an insurance claim:

When you have a water leak, a hail storm, fire, smoke damage or other home emergencies, making an insurance claim is in order. What is the best approach as a homeowner?

Here's one approach that I would suggest .

1. Make the call and make a claim.
Notes/ FAQ
Doesn't my insurance go up when I make a claim?

Calling your insurance company doesn't automatically mean your policy is going to go up. Its not until you recieve a settlement or payout that any of that happens.

If you make a claim and the adjusters report( offer ) is not favorable, you can close or withdraw most claims without worry. In the case of some reporting though, like flooding or water damage, you may have some lingering effects and possible policy changes if you refuse a payment. For instance you will have to show that any damage was resolved even if you get the repairs done for less than the deductible

2. Get the adjuster out to you home.
What people often say:
The insurance company told me to get estimates.

This is generally the worst way to spend your time. It is best to demand a field adjuster.

The insurance company has to pay someone to come out and give you a detailed itemized bid. They know what needs to be done and they can give you a starting point as to what to expect to pay.

Many companies can take that report and match the prices to get you back to whole quickly.

Tips:

Find a credentialed company (general contractor) thatchas experience workibg with insurance companies.

Franchise or very large Restoration companies are professionals at this but they often rush work and are not generous in any way.
Every detail can lead to an extra charge and they are also very hard nosed at times.

A more personal experience comes from a local general contractor that will do the work for what the insurance company offers

3. Homeowner Be aware!!!
(not beware lol)

The insurance company will pay for a general contractor.

If there are multiple trades (3 or more).it is highly probable that your insurance coverage will allow you to hire a general contractor. They pay the general contractor 2 things. 1 item is 10% for overhead. The second item is 10% for profit. This is on top of what they have to pay out to contractors.

If you don't demand those fees then you are taking on a couple new roles and careers.

Now not only do you have to interview contractors, drywall people, painters, flooring people, roofers, etc.
You also have to decide who to trust and hire. The worst part is every bid will be different. Sometimes bids are drastically different. You assume everyone will do the same thing but often bids aren't itemized and they are absolutely not the same.

You will have to manage, coordinate and pay the different trades and subcontractors.

You are doing the job of
1. A general contractor human resources department
2. You are being a general contractor.

I hope this helps if you ever have the misfortune of needing to make a claim.

If you need assistance we can help. Call us for free estimates for your next home project.

Toned Homes AC and Remodeling
Over 25 years serving San Antonio TX and the surrounding area.

Happy homeownering!
Tone

06/17/2024

Duct cleaning yes or no?
So for a long time I have avoided cleaning residential ducts. We had a machine I sold it. When asked I didn't recommend it.

The reason?
Brushes on Fiberglass.

Residential ducts made in the last 30-40 years have mostly used flexible ducts with Fiberglass plenums(supply boxes).

(BtW: If you have metal ducts and plenums clean all you want)

If it's a 2 story they used all Fiberglass boxes in between the floors of the up and downstairs.

When you so much as touch Fiberglass it gets sketchy.

Luckily we don't live in California. The Fiberglass duct material, when sold in California says that Fiberglass is known to cause cancer. I guess we don't have those stickers so it doesn't cause cancer in Texas. (LOL I hope people get that joke.)

In other words, little pieces of Fiberglass getting into our lungs and on our skin, furniture etc. isn't ideal.

Sometimes people run thier unit a long time with no filter which can cause a tremendous build up of dirt in the ducts so in those cases a 1 time cleaning of the ducts may be worth the risk.

Another factor is that if the ducts are dirty then so is the ac unit. So I would always recommend checking the ac before cleaning the ducts because cleaning ducts without a clean ac is like putting a band aid on a gunshot. It still isn't fixed.

Call me for an AC/ duct check.

Thanks for listening
Antonio Gonzalez
"Tone"

Toned Homes LLC
210-781-2581

09/21/2021

Insurance companies can't be generous but they can be fair. They only wanted to cover the lower cabinets on this water leak restoration.

We were able to justify all cabinet replacment and get all new counters and backsplash.

I think we work wonders with the budget we had to work with. What do you think?

Call 210-520-9200 for a free estimate!

11/14/2019

Make sure to protect your water lines, sprinkler lines, hose bibbs and extrrior exposed piping from freezing.

Simple steps from Abacus Pllumbing in Houston to keep the water flowing when freezing temperatures hit.

10/15/2019

Roof maintenance is key to protecting your home envelope:

Your insurance company will be happy to pay a claim...
if your roof is properly maintained
But if you let the maintenance get behind...
The insurance company will deny, deny, deny!

Your roof is a vital part of your home. Watch this video to learn simple maintenance tips that can be used to help prevent losses and prolong the life of you...