The first 24 hours
Whether it's a fire, a burst pipe, or a tree through the roof, the first day sets up the whole claim. Three things matter:
Make it safe, then stop the bleeding. Your policy requires you to prevent further damage — that's board-up, roof tarping, shutting off water, and starting dry-out. This emergency mitigation is almost always covered. Waiting is what creates uncovered mold and secondary damage.
Document everything before anything is moved. Wide shots of every room, close-ups of every damaged item, video walkthroughs. You cannot over-photograph a loss.
Report the claim, but don't guess. Tell the carrier what happened and when. Don't speculate about cause and don't accept a scope of repairs on the phone — nobody knows the full extent of the damage yet, including the insurance company.
Call us before the demo starts. Once damaged material is torn out and hauled off undocumented, it's very hard to get paid for it. We photograph and inventory as we mitigate, so nothing disappears from your claim.
How a claim actually works
Your carrier assigns an adjuster who inspects the damage and writes an estimate — usually in a program called Xactimate, which prices repairs line by line from a regional price list. That first estimate is the carrier's opinion of the damage, written in one visit, often before walls are opened up. It is a starting point, not a final number.
A restoration contractor who works in the same software can compare that estimate line by line against what the repair actually requires — and that's where most homeowners either get made whole or quietly leave money on the table.
RCV vs. ACV — the two numbers that matter
Replacement Cost Value (RCV) is what it costs to repair or replace the damage with new, like-kind materials today. Actual Cash Value (ACV) is RCV minus depreciation — the value knocked off for age and wear. A 12-year-old roof might cost $30,000 to replace (RCV) but be worth $17,000 in its used condition (ACV).
Most Ohio homeowner policies pay in two stages: the ACV check comes first, and the held-back depreciation — called recoverable depreciation — is released after the repairs are actually completed and invoiced. If you never do the work, or never submit the paperwork, the carrier keeps that money.
Total claim paid: $29,000 — the full RCV minus your deductible. Numbers rounded for illustration; every policy differs.
Your deductible, in one sentence
The deductible is the fixed share of the loss your policy makes you responsible for — it comes out of the claim payment, not on top of it, and it's owed no matter which contractor you hire. Any contractor who offers to "eat" or "waive" your deductible is describing insurance fraud in Ohio, and it puts you at risk. We don't do it, and you should walk away from anyone who does.
If you're adding upgrades beyond the covered scope — or the deductible itself is a stretch this month — monthly payment options are available through Service Finance Company.
Supplements — why the estimate grows
Adjusters write the first estimate from what's visible. Then demo starts, and reality shows up: charred framing behind drywall, saturated insulation, code items the original estimate never included. A supplement is the documented request that adds those items to the claim — photos, measurements, and Xactimate line items submitted to the carrier for approval.
Supplements aren't padding; they're the mechanism that keeps the homeowner from paying for covered damage out of pocket. On fire and water losses it's routine for the final approved scope to be substantially larger than the first estimate — but only when someone documents it and fights for it. That's the core of what we do.
You choose the contractor. Not your carrier.
Carriers often steer homeowners toward a "preferred vendor" — a contractor who works from the insurer's program, at the insurer's volume pricing, with the insurer as the repeat customer. In Ohio, the choice of who repairs your home is yours. The carrier owes the cost of a proper repair either way; the question is whether your contractor answers to you or to them.
If you have a mortgage, expect two names on the check
On larger losses, claim checks are typically made out to you and your mortgage company. The lender endorses funds in draws as work progresses, sometimes with their own inspections. It's normal, it's manageable, and we handle the lender paperwork on our projects so the draws don't stall the schedule.
How Resolute works your claim
Secure: 24/7 emergency response — board-up, tarping, and water mitigation to stop further damage and meet your policy duties.
Scope: full photo documentation and a line-item Xactimate estimate of the real repair, built on the same price list your carrier uses.
Settle: direct communication with your adjuster, supplements filed and defended, recoverable depreciation paperwork submitted so every covered dollar is released.
Rebuild: our own crews on roofing, tile, finish carpentry, and electrical — restored to pre-loss condition or better, backed by our one-year workmanship warranty.