Insurance Claim Restoration in Charlotte, NC

Patriot Home Service helps Charlotte-area homeowners coordinate the construction side of an insurance loss: emergency mitigation, a free inspection, damage documentation, adjuster meetings, repair estimates, supplements, and authorized repairs. We document observed damage and repair scope; the insurance carrier decides coverage and payment. The company reports a 98% past approval rate across 500+ claims, but past performance is not a prediction or guarantee for a new loss.

The first 24 hours: safety before paperwork

Call 911 for fire, gas odor, electrical danger, injury, structural instability, or another immediate hazard. Do not enter an unsafe home or climb onto a roof. When it is safe, stop the source only if you can do so without touching wet electrical equipment or entering standing water, photograph the damage before disturbing it when practical, and take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. Give the carrier prompt notice as required by the policy and keep claim notes, receipts, photos, and correspondence.

Make people safe first: Leave immediately and call 911 for fire, gas odor, electrical danger, structural instability, injury, or any other immediate hazard. Keep children and pets away. Do not enter an unsafe home or climb onto a roof; wait for fire officials, emergency responders, or a qualified professional to say re-entry is safe.
Stop the source only if it is safe: Shut off the water at the fixture or main, turn off electricity only from a dry and safe location, or place a container under a small leak. Never touch wet electrical equipment, enter standing water, move a fallen wire, or attempt a roof or structural repair. Call the appropriate utility or emergency professional when the source is not safely accessible.
Document before disturbing the scene: When it is safe, take wide and close photographs or video of the cause, rooms, finishes, contents, serial numbers, and exterior elevations. Note when you discovered the loss, what happened, and what you did. Do not delay a reasonable safety or mitigation step just to take a picture; document what changed and keep damaged items when practical.
Protect the home and people from further damage: Move undamaged belongings away from water, place clean containers under active drips, cover an exposed opening from the ground if it can be done safely, and arrange emergency extraction or board-up help. Avoid permanent repairs, demolition, or discarding materials until the carrier has had a reasonable opportunity to inspect unless immediate mitigation requires it.
Give prompt notice to the carrier: Use the claims number on your policy or insurer website and ask for a claim number, adjuster contact, inspection process, and any emergency instructions. Policies often require prompt notice, but the right order is safety first. Keep every email, text, letter, estimate, and call note in one claim folder.
Start a simple loss log: Record dates, people spoken with, claim and policy numbers, affected rooms, emergency work, receipts, hotel or meal costs, and questions. Ask for written confirmation of important decisions. Save invoices for reasonable mitigation and temporary living expenses; whether they are covered depends on the policy and carrier.

Insurance claim services

Restoration services

Water mitigation — Extraction, drying, moisture documentation, and repair planning after a water loss.
Fire damage restoration — Condition assessment, soot and firefighting-water cleanup, contents care, and reconstruction planning.
Smoke damage restoration — Source-aware soot, residue, odor, contents, and HVAC-related cleanup considerations.
Mold remediation — Moisture-source assessment, containment, material removal or cleaning, and verification.

Our eight-stage process

Emergency intake and safe triage: We listen to what happened, identify urgent hazards, and coordinate the appropriate mitigation or trade. A dangerous property still needs emergency responders or utilities first; no contractor can make an unsafe entry safe by promise.
Free inspection and condition record: Our inspection is free. We look at visible and reasonably accessible damage, likely cause, affected materials, and immediate mitigation needs, then explain what we observed and what remains uncertain. An inspection is not a coverage determination.
Reasonable emergency mitigation: With your authorization, we document and address preventable secondary damage such as standing water, exposed openings, or unsafe debris. Work is limited to what is reasonably necessary and safe, with photos, notes, and receipts for the claim file.
Claim file and evidence organization: We help organize photos, measurements, moisture readings when relevant, cause information, contents notes, invoices, and a written chronology. You remain responsible for reviewing communications and meeting your policy obligations.
On-site adjuster meeting: When schedules allow and you authorize it, we can meet the carrier's adjuster at the property, point out observed damage, explain the proposed repair sequence, and answer construction questions. The adjuster and carrier—not the contractor—decide coverage.
Repair scope and estimate: We prepare a written repair scope describing observed damage, labor, materials, and necessary steps. An estimate can use the carrier's preferred format, but it is a contractor proposal for repair work, not a promise that the carrier will accept every line item or price.
Supplements and differences: If hidden damage is found or the initial scope omits a necessary, documented repair, we can submit a supplement with photos, measurements, invoices, and relevant construction information. A supplement is a request for review—not an automatic approval or guaranteed additional payment.
Repairs, completion, and closeout: After the scope and access plan are clear, we complete authorized repairs, keep you updated, and provide closeout documentation. If your policy holds back recoverable depreciation, ask the carrier about its proof-of-completion requirements and deadline; payment remains subject to policy terms.

Scopes, adjusters, and supplements

A contractor scope describes observed damage and proposed repair work. At an adjuster meeting, we can explain construction conditions and point out documented damage with the homeowner's authorization. A supplement requests review of documented damage or required work that was omitted or underestimated. None of these documents decides coverage or guarantees payment; the carrier applies the policy.

What is a contractor scope?: A scope describes the damage we observed and the work needed to repair it: preparation, demolition, drying or cleaning, materials, labor, permits when applicable, and finish work. It supports a conversation with the carrier; it does not establish coverage or bind the insurer.
What happens at an adjuster meeting?: The carrier's adjuster inspects the loss for the insurer. With your authorization, we can walk the property with them, explain access and construction conditions, and identify documented damage. Ask for the written estimate, covered items, deductible, depreciation treatment, and next steps.
What is a supplement?: A supplement is a request to revisit an estimate because documented damage, required work, code-related work, or actual repair conditions were not included or were underestimated. We can prepare factual support, but the carrier decides whether to approve, revise, or deny it.

Documentation checklist

Claim number, policy number, carrier, adjuster name, phone, email, and inspection date
Date and time the loss was discovered, suspected cause, weather or event details, and a running chronology
Wide, medium, and close photos or video before cleanup when safely possible; include unaffected adjoining areas for context
Photos of failed plumbing parts, appliances, tree impact points, roof openings, soot, moisture, and damaged contents
Room-by-room list of affected materials and contents, including brand, model, age, receipts, serial numbers, or comparable pricing when available
Contractor inspection notes, measurements, moisture logs when applicable, written cause information, estimates, invoices, and change orders
Receipts for emergency supplies, mitigation, temporary repairs, storage, hotel, meals, or other expenses; coverage varies by policy
Every email, text, letter, estimate, payment explanation, recorded-statement request, and note of phone calls
Mortgage lender or servicer instructions and copies of checks or payment letters, without assuming a payment is final or unrestricted

ACV, RCV, deductibles, and payments

ACV and RCV: Actual cash value (ACV) generally reflects replacement cost minus depreciation. Replacement cost value (RCV) generally reflects the cost to replace covered damage, subject to the policy; some policies first issue ACV and release recoverable depreciation after qualifying repairs and timely proof. Ask your carrier which valuation applies.
Deductibles, limits, and exclusions: Your deductible is a policy-set homeowner responsibility and is not waived by this guide or by choosing a contractor. Coverage is also limited by the policy's causes of loss, exclusions, sub-limits, endorsements, conditions, and available limits. A contractor cannot promise what the carrier will pay.
Payment and the mortgage lender: A mortgage company or servicer may be listed on a claim check, require endorsements, hold funds in an escrow or repair account, inspect progress, or release money in stages. Ask both the carrier and lender how to endorse and use a payment; do not assume a check is the final amount or immediately available.

Who is responsible for what?

Homeowner: Keeps people safe, gives prompt notice, authorizes work, preserves evidence when practical, shares policy information, reviews scopes and correspondence, pays the policy deductible and other agreed responsibilities, and meets policy deadlines.
Contractor: Documents observed conditions, performs authorized mitigation and construction work, prepares a repair scope, answers construction questions, and can submit factual supplements with your authorization. A contractor does not decide coverage, interpret the policy, set the deductible, or provide legal/public-adjuster representation.
Insurer and adjuster: The carrier applies the policy, investigates cause and coverage, sets the approved claim scope and payment, explains depreciation and deductible treatment, and communicates claim decisions. The carrier—not the contractor—decides whether a loss is covered and how much it will pay.

Fees and homeowner responsibility

Inspections are free. Our $500 representation fee applies toward the homeowner's deductible responsibility, as explained in the written agreement. It is not a promise that the deductible is waived, reimbursed by the carrier, or eliminated. It is not legal representation or licensed public-adjuster representation. Review the written terms and ask which work, materials, or other charges are included; do not assume the carrier will pay every project cost.

If a claim is denied or partially paid

Request the denial or partial-coverage decision in writing, including the specific policy language, facts relied on, covered and excluded items, and the appeal or reconsideration process.
Build an evidence packet: dated photos and video, cause documentation, inspection and moisture records, receipts, repair scope, estimates, expert reports if obtained, and a clear timeline.
Compare the written decision with your policy, endorsements, limits, exclusions, deductible, and any deadlines. Do not let a complaint or supplement deadline pass while waiting for an informal conversation.
Ask the carrier for a reinspection, supervisor review, or written reconsideration and identify the evidence that addresses its stated reason. Keep copies and proof of delivery.
A contractor can clarify observed damage and repair needs. If the disagreement turns on policy interpretation, claim strategy, or legal rights, consider a licensed public adjuster or attorney. No contractor can guarantee that an appeal, supplement, or claim will succeed.

We can provide factual construction documentation. Policy or legal disagreements may need a licensed public adjuster or attorney, and no contractor can guarantee an appeal, supplement, coverage decision, or payment outcome.

Insurance claim FAQs

Is the inspection really free?

Yes. The initial insurance-damage inspection is free. It is an opportunity to document visible conditions and discuss a possible repair scope; it is not a guarantee of coverage, payment, or a particular repair outcome.

Should I call the contractor or my insurance carrier first?

Handle immediate safety hazards first. Then give prompt notice to your carrier as required by your policy and arrange qualified mitigation when needed. You may contact us for a free inspection and documentation guidance; neither a contractor nor this page can tell you to delay notice or guarantee how a claim will be decided.

Can you handle the entire project?

We can coordinate the construction side from emergency mitigation and inspection through adjuster meetings, estimates, documented supplements, and authorized repairs. You remain the policyholder, the carrier controls coverage and payment, and another licensed professional may be appropriate for policy or legal disputes.

Does the 98% approval rate mean my claim will be approved?

No. The 98% figure and 500+ claims are past performance reported by the company, not a prediction or guarantee for your loss. Coverage depends on your policy, facts, limits, exclusions, deductible, documentation, and the carrier's decision.

What is the $500 representation fee?

Our $500 representation fee applies toward the homeowner's deductible responsibility as described in the written agreement. It does not waive or guarantee reimbursement of a deductible, and it is not legal or licensed public-adjuster representation. Ask for the written terms and any other project charges before authorizing work.

Will insurance pay the whole repair bill?

Not necessarily. The carrier may apply a deductible, limits, exclusions, depreciation, sub-limits, or other policy conditions. We document damage and propose a repair scope; the carrier decides covered work and payment. Review any gap between the approved amount and the contract before work begins.

What is the difference between ACV and RCV?

ACV generally subtracts depreciation from replacement cost. RCV generally allows replacement cost for covered work, subject to the policy, with some policies holding back recoverable depreciation until qualifying repairs and proof of completion. Ask the carrier about deadlines and documents for releasing withheld depreciation.

What if the adjuster's estimate misses damage?

Ask for a copy of the written estimate and compare it with the contractor's documented scope. If additional work is found or required, we can submit a factual supplement with photos, measurements, invoices, and construction support. A supplement is a request for review, not an automatic approval.

Can you appeal a denied claim for me?

We can provide factual documentation about observed damage, cause information, and repair needs. Start by requesting the written reason, policy provision, and any deadline, then submit organized evidence or request a reinspection. Policy interpretation, claim strategy, or legal disagreements may require a licensed public adjuster or attorney; no outcome is guaranteed.

Can I repair before the adjuster visits?

Take safe photos first and avoid permanent repairs or disposal when practical until the carrier has a reasonable chance to inspect. You should still take reasonable steps to prevent further damage, such as safe shutoff, extraction, or temporary covering, and keep records of what was done and why.

Who gets an insurance payment when there is a mortgage?

The lender or mortgage servicer may be listed on the check, require endorsements, hold funds, or release money in stages. Ask the carrier and lender about their process, keep copies, and do not assume the first payment is the final amount or that funds are unrestricted.

Are you a public adjuster or an attorney?

No. We are a contractor documenting damage and performing authorized construction work. We do not provide legal advice, decide coverage, interpret your policy, or provide licensed public-adjuster representation. Ask a licensed public adjuster or attorney about those issues.

Call (980) 999-0467 or request a free inspection to discuss the observed damage and next construction step.