Sinkhole claims are not processed overnight – but they shouldn’t take forever, either. A sinkhole investigation is a complex process, and sinkhole delays do legitimately occur. The question is, however, how long is too long for a sinkhole claim to be processed? Let’s look at what needs to happen.

INSURANCE COMPANY ADJUSTING
Upon filing a Florida sinkhole claim, the insurance company is required by Florida law to inspect the home to determine if there is damage to the home consistent with the possibility of sinkhole activity. Section 627.707, Florida Statutes, spells out the exact investigation requirements. Often insurers will send either an in-house adjuster or an independent adjuster to a home to inspect it, photograph it, measure it, and ask a homeowner questions (called a “recorded statement”). Typically this should happen within ten business days of first filing a sinkhole claim, and the visit itself should take no more than an hour or two.

SINKHOLE TESTING
Once the insurance company has conducted their visit, Florida insurers are required to engage a geotechnical testing company to conduct a sinkhole investigation. This investigation should involve a two part, two visit process: the first visit by the geotechnical testing company should take between two to four hours, and will likely involve surveying your home, conducting GPR or other geophysical tests, inspecting damage, and conducting a floor elevation survey. The second visit will involve drilling SPT borings (Standard Penetration Test) in two to four locations around your home. The SPT drilling will likely take most of the day. SPT testing should occur within two to four weeks of the first geotechnical testing company visit.

SINKHOLE REPORT WRITING
Once the testing is completed, the geotechnical testing company then undertakes to write a report summarizing their findings. The length of time this process takes depends largely on who the testing company is – some testing companies produce reports within a week or two, while other testing companies can take months. Don’t expect the report overnight – but don’t wait months for it either!

REPORT SENT ONLY TO INSURANCE COMPANY
Once the report is written, virtually every geotechnical testing company violates the explicitly clear language of section 627.7073, Florida Statutes, which requires the testing company to forward the report to BOTH the insurance company and the homeowner. Many insurance companies receive the report and want time to “review it” before forwarding it to their insured homeowners. Be careful – “review it” is simply code language for “delay.”

Long story short, sinkhole investigation and claims take time. Don’t expect it to take a few days or weeks. On average, the process should take somewhere between six weeks on the short end, to 3 months on the long end. If the process is taking longer than six months, start asking why, how, and where the delay is occurring. Sometimes the delays cannot be helped – if there is a backlog at the testing company for scheduling the drilling. Other types of delays can be short circuited – really, how long can it take to “review” a sinkhole report?

If you believe you’re being subjected to unduly long or unfair delays, take action. Call the experienced Florida sinkhole insurance adjusters at SinkTeam today to discuss your situation. Contact SinkTeam today for a FREE consultation at 813-435-1616.