When your home or business is impacted by fire, flood, or storm damage, you’ll likely be approached by several third parties who state they are there to help. One of the first will be a representative from a restoration company. Within hours after you sustain your property losses, they’ll be on the scene offering to:
- Handle the cleanup
- Bill your insurance directly
- “Take care of everything for you”
While this may sound reassuring, especially while you are dealing with a sudden negative turn of events, the important question to ask these allegedly well-intentioned parties is: “Who are you really working for?” At a time of crisis, when your home or business has sustained considerable property damage and/or losses, who you call first will make a critical difference in the outcome of your property damage insurance claim. For the best possible outcome, from a team of experts who work solely on your behalf, call United Public Adjusters & Appraisers first.
In this posting, we’ll clarify the major differences between remediation/restoration companies and licensed Public Adjusters. Because making a mistake at the onset will likely cost you more than the disaster itself.
What Restoration Companies Actually Do
Restoration companies (independently owned or smaller fire/water franchises) are skilled, fast, and often recommended by insurance carriers. They specialize in:
- Emergency water extraction
- Fire/smoke cleanup
- Mold remediation
- Structural drying
- Demolition and hauling
- Odor and soot control
The Restoration Trap: “We’ll Handle the Claim”
Many restoration vendors pitch themselves as “one-stop shops.” They offer to:
- Coordinate with your insurance adjuster
- Provide scope and pricing
- Get the job done quickly
- “Help move the claim forward”
But what they don’t say is:
- They are not licensed to interpret your insurance policy
- They don’t negotiate for you. Instead, these companies will most often align with carrier-approved scopes
- Their incentive is to get paid, not to maximize your claim
- Once demo starts, you may lose the ability to challenge or expand the claim
They’re not bad actors; they’re just not fiduciaries. And they definitely don’t represent you, the policyholder and your best interests.
What Makes a Public Adjuster Different?
Public Adjusters are the only professionals licensed by the state to represent policyholders in property damage claims.
| Task | Restoration Company | Public Adjuster |
| Cleans and remediates property | Yes | No |
| Submits claim documents to insurer | Sometimes | Yes |
| Represents you, the policyholder | No | Yes |
| Licensed to interpret and argue policy coverage | No | Yes |
| Documents hidden damage or contamination | Limited | Yes |
| Paid by the insurance company | Yes | No (paid by you, as % of recovery) |
United Public Adjusters & Appraisers, as your public adjuster in the New York Tri-State area and nationwide, will be your advocate, strategist, and property damage claim expert from start to settlement.
Real Case Study: A Cleanup That Cost the Owner $250,000
A client in Westchester County suffered a kitchen fire. A well-known cleanup company showed up and offered: “We’ll demo and clean everything and bill the insurer directly. No stress.”
The owner agreed. By the time United Public Adjusters & Appraisers were brought in:
- No forensic documentation had been done
- Attic insulation (soot-contaminated) had been removed and discarded
- HVAC ducting hadn’t been tested or scoped
- Moisture intrusion behind marble wall panels was overlooked
The insurance company paid based on what the cleanup crew said; not what was actually damaged.
End result:
$240,000 recovered vs. $500,000+ in actual damage.
Who Should Come First When Submitting a Property Damage Claim?
Here’s the sequence that protects your interests:
Step 1: Call United Public Adjusters & Appraisers
We assess the full damage (including what’s not visible), coordinate environmental testing, review your policy, and control your property damage insurance claim narrative.
Step 2: Bring in Cleanup Vendors, but only on Your Terms
Once the damage is documented and scoped correctly, remediation companies can clean and restore.
Restoration Companies Work for Themselves. We Work for You.
It’s easy to confuse early help with real representation. Here’s the bottom line:
- Restoration companies want the job.
- Insurance companies want to minimize your payout.
- You need someone who only wants what’s right for you. That’s what Public Adjusters do.
Don’t Sign Before You Know What’s Missing
If a cleanup company hands you a contract the same day as your loss, stop. Call United Public Adjusters & Appraisers immediately. We’ll make sure your property damage claim is protected before your damaged property gets tossed in the dumpster. Call us at 800-718-5677 for a prompt response.
MY FREE CONSULTATION
"*" indicates required fields
