Umpire Resources
Got questions? Need to file a claim? Our resources section answers questions regarding damages, claims, and common insurance terminology.
FAQs
See if our FAQs answer your questions or Contact Us
Homeowner's insurance normally covers damage that is sudden and accidental. Examples are water heater ruptures, washer hose leak, pipe bursts, toilet overflows. Flooding from heavy rains, rivers, sewer backups is normally not covered by standard homeowners policies. To confirm coverage, always ask your insurance agent. Whether insurance is paying or not, our flat pricing is 34% less than competitors.
If we are on the job, we take before and after pictures for you and send everything (with your approval), including the invoice, to insurance when the mitigation is complete. You can see more on the insurance roles of claims professionals .
Our teams use experience, thermal cameras, and moisture meters to find all hidden moisture.
We can do as much as you want or as little. If you have a contractor you love and just want us to dry the water damage, that's what we will do. If you would like us to do the rebuild, we can help coordinate everything. It's your choice.
After the fire is out, check with the firemen to make sure it's safe to reenter your home. Next, call your insurance agent or company to make a claim and get help with resources. Be wary of signing any contract with anyone that comes to your home uninvited claiming to help you, these "fire chasers" are usually not good and may cost you additional money. We recommend, and offer, free advice and estimates with no strings attached.
It may or may not be safe to remain in your home during the cleanup. It depends on the amount of fire damage, utilities working, and other factors. Some small fires might not pose a risk to your health, while larger fires can leave soot and smoke that is dangerous to inhale until it is completely removed. We will be able to advise you on whether or not we think the home is habitable so you can make an informed choice.
We can help you evaluate what contents can be saved. If your insurance company is involved, we strongly recommend you DO NOT dispose of any contents until you communicate with insurance and understand their replacement process and your policy coverage/limits. Even if your insurance company agrees to replace damaged contents, their process may require an independent appraiser to value the item and may need to physically see item(s) BEFORE disposal.
No, we normally come out sooner than later to get everything dry and prevent more damage like mold growth. If it ends up being a covered loss we can send everything to your insurance for you. Covered loss or not, we are happy to quote pricing anytime you ask.
Our flat pricing covers the following services needed to properly dry the average water damage: photo document before & after, moisture readings before & after, move contents as needed, extract water, save carpet or remove carpet, remove padding, remove tackless, remove baseboard, remove drywall & insulation under 100 square feet, haul debris outside and take away, clean floor, apply anti-microbial, place & pickup fans and dehumidifiers, and customer satisfaction.
If the team is allowed to do everything they recommend, 1-3 days is the dry time.
Yes. We do residential homes, commercial offices, and retail stores. If it's wet or smoked up we clean it.
Maybe, it depends on what burned and your DIY skills. We still recommend calling us for free advice before trying to clean yourself. Soot and smoke can be dangerous to inhale and you could miss damage to the structural integrity of your house. Training, equipment, and the correct cleaning products are necessary to restore everything to their original condition. So, if you do try to clean yourself, sometimes you may make the damage worse. We are happy to walk you through the process and answer any questions.
Depends on the amount of the fire damage, size of the home, and the insurance company’s processes. It also depends on whether or not your home has other forms of damage, like water and mold damage. The average time to cleanup after fire damage is one week.
Absolutely! There are affordable sensors and subscriptions that help prevent water and fire damage. They usually cost less than your deductible. Email us at help@umpiremitigation.com to find out how.
Insurance Claims
Umpire can not file a claim for you; only the insured can. Nor can we verify coverage; only the insurance company can. But we do like to help any way we can, so we listed some of the insurance companies' claims contacts below.
Click on the company name to call or go to your insurance claims page, let them know what happened, and that Umpire is helping you. We can start mitigating the damage before you have a claim number. Once you have a claim number, we can send loss information and invoice to your insurance direct. We work with all insurance companies; if you do not see a name here, that doesn't mean we don't work with them; we just can't list all numbers.
Insurance Roles
These are our takes on the people involved in the insurance claims process. We wrote it to give Homeowners (policyholders) some experienced understanding and guidance.
Insurance Agent
They are your friend. They sold you the policy and want to see you year after year. Call them when you need them. *We always recommend buying insurance from a local insurance agent so you have a friend.
Inside Claims
They can normally take claim information, process calls/notes in their internal systems, and request resources for you. They may or may not be able to verify coverage, depends on the insurance company. May be different people you talk to every time, again, depends on the insurance company.
Insurance Adjuster
Usually experienced. May or may not be licensed, depends on the State. Probably uses a mixture of questions, technology (think Facetime), and mitigation or contractor input to verify coverage without physically coming to your home.
Field Adjuster
Usually experienced. May or may not be licensed, depends on the State. Normally schedules to come to your house within 1-3 days of the claim to verify coverage. You may not have a Field Adjuster on your claim, depends on the size of the loss and the insurance company.
Insurance Policy
Tells you what is and is not covered, why, and your coverage limits. All of the people above take their cues from this. None of them can deviate from this.
Customer Forms
Work Authorization Form
You can view & digitally sign the work authorization by clicking the link below.
Contents Disposal Form
You can view & digitally sign the contents disposal by clicking the link below.
Cabinet and Countertop Removal Form
You can view & digitally sign the cabinet and countertop removal by clicking the link below.
Antimicrobial Used SDS
You can view the Safety Data Sheets for the plant based antimicrobial we use at the link below.
Prevent Future Damage
The weather isn’t as predictable as it used to be. Extreme conditions like blistering heatwaves, blustery snowstorms, and big blasts of heavy rain are happening more often and more suddenly, causing untold damage to homes and businesses.
Homes aren't built like they used to be. Electrical fires occur, pipes break, appliances overflow, roofs leak.
But all this can be avoided.
With enough warning about severe weather, sparks, or leaks, you can take steps to protect your property. And to help you stay prepared, we recommend companies proven to help stop damage, solutions that cost less than your deductible.
Call us today to find out how.