Your insurance company has confirmed sinkhole activity at your home, chances are they will begin to solicit bids to implement the repairs recommended by their testing company. Most often the recommended repairs involve a type of grouting, often compaction grouting.  The adjuster will push and pressure you to select a sinkhole repair company and "sign a contract" with them.  You'll start to hear from sinkhole repair company salespeople.  Chances are you won't have a clue what to do, who to trust, or what your options are.

Don't be alone - the experienced professionals at SinkTeam can help you and guide you through this confusing process.

SINKHOLE REPAIR RECOMMENDATIONS
Do you know about the different types of sinkhole repairs?  Just because the geotechnical engineering company that your insurance company hired recommended one way to repair your sinkhole doesn't mean it's the only way, or even the best way!  Many times the repairs recommended are the cheapest, most low cost repairs - and the lower the cost, the more money the insurance company saves!

But the question isn't what's best (or most low cost) for the insurance company!  The question is, what is best for you and your family!

Learn about the different types of sinkhole repairs.  An educated homeowner is a smart homeowner.  The SinkTeam webpage Florida Sinkhole Repairs [insert hyperlink] gives valuable information about the different types of sinkhole repairs and how they work.  Remember - just because your insurance company's engineer recommended a specific type of repair doesn't mean it's the best repair!  Sometimes getting a second opinion is a great idea!

COSMETIC DAMAGES
Within a few weeks of receiving your sinkhole results which confirm sinkhole activity, you should receive a check from your insurance company for what they estimate to be the cost to repair your cosmetic damages.  Cosmetic damages are damages you can see - cracks in the walls, broken tiles, separate of walls and ceilings, nail pops, etc.  Sometimes an insurance company will send in a general contracting company to inspect or "scope" your home and prepare an estimate, other times the insurance adjuster will do it himself or herself.

If the amount of the check seems too low, it's probably because it is!  It isn't uncommon for cosmetic estimates to be "low ball" estimates!  Don't be afraid to challenge the estimate for cosmetic damages, or to get your own estimate!  The experienced sinkhole adjusters at SinkTeam can help.


OTHER REPAIR COMPANIES
You have the right to select any repair company you choose - not just the repair companies that your insurance company or engineering company asked to submit bids.  Insurers and engineers can play "favorites" with sinkhole repair companies and only solicit bids from repair companies who are friendly to them.  Some repair companies aren't friendly to the engineering company or the insurance company - some repair companies challenge the repair recommendations.

For instance, a repair company may know - through experience - that a certain type of repair won't work, or may even cause more damage if implemented.  If the repair company challenges the engineering company's recommendations, the engineering company may look incompetent - so guess what... Engineering companies tend to like the repair companies that don't challenge the engineer's opinions!

A homeowner's repair contractor should be on the homeowner's side, not on the engineer's side or the insurance company's side.  The repair company's loyalty should be to the homeowner.  But if an engineering company is only forwarding bids from their friends, how can a homeowner know for certain he or she is dealing with a fair, honest and independent repair company?

The answer is simple - do your own research!  Don't trust or rely on the few bids that you're sent from your insurance company or the engineering company!  Do your own research and solicit your own bids - and compare them to what your insurance company recommends.  You'll be surprised at what you find!

Two repair companies worth checking out are American Geotechnical (www.am-geotech.com) and Champion Foundation Repair (www.championfoundation.com).  SinkTeam is not affiliated in any way with either of these companies and receives no compensation from them whatsoever, but in SinkTeam's opinion, both of these companies are honest, straightforward, and work hard to take care of their customers.

The main point when it comes to repair companies is this:  trust your instinct and look for a company who is loyal to you, the homeowner.

DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO REPAIR YOUR HOME?
Sometimes a homeowner doesn't want to make repairs - what good does it do to make $150,000 worth of repairs to a home that's only worth $120,000?  Learn about other options you may have instead of repairing your home - these are options your insurance company doesn't want you to know about!

CALL SINKTEAM TODAY!

Call SinkTeam for a free no cost, no obligation evaluation today at 813-435-1616.