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• What do I do if my home is damaged?

  • The first thing you should do is to contact us or your agent to report the damage or loss to start the process. Next, you should:
    •  Protect your home from further damage.
    •  Retain damaged property for inspection purposes or to help us determine cause of loss when appropriate.

    A personally assigned adjuster will work with you to estimate your damages. To complete the repairs, you can choose to get estimate(s) from contractor(s) of your choice or the adjuster may be able to provide you with a list of local contractors who have done work for our customers in the past. No matter which you choose, your adjuster and the contractor will work together to agree on a repair price.

    Other things you should know:
    •  You may be entitled to temporary living expenses and housing if your home is considered uninhabitable due to a covered claim.
    •  Some items may be cleaned or repaired per the terms of your policy.
    •  We may be required to protect the interest of your mortgage company and include their name on any payments. You may need to contact them to discuss their policies.

    Our Homeowner Repair Program and Workmanship Guarantee

    Our Homeowner Repair Program (HRP) connects customers with small property losses to experienced, reliable and fast-responding contractors. American Family Insurance guarantees the workmanship of the repair for two years.

• What do I do if my personal property is damaged or stolen?

  • •  You may be asked to retain items for inspection, so don't throw anything away.
    •  Please keep any receipts so you can document your reimbursement requests.
    •  You need to complete an inventory sheet, listing all missing or damaged property. The sheet requires purchase dates, amounts, brand names and other identifying information. Your reimbursement is in accordance with the Actual Cash Value or Replacement Cost Coverage provisions in your policy.

• What if someone is injured?

  • Please collect the injured person's contact information along with contact information for anyone else who was present at the time of the injury. You need to provide all names, addresses and all phone numbers for your adjuster.

• What are my repair options?

  • A personally assigned adjuster works with you to estimate your damages and may be able to provide you with a list of local contractors who have done work for our customers in the past. You can also choose to get estimate(s) from contractor(s) of your choice. No matter which you choose, your adjuster and the contractor works together to agree on a repair price.

    If your contractor questions the estimated repair cost or scope, contact your personal adjuster to reach a repair agreement prior to undertaking the repair work.

    It is usually best to select a repair service that is insured and bonded and gives you a written guarantee.

    Our Homeowner Repair Program and Workmanship Guarantee

    The Homeowner Repair Program (HRP) connects customers with small property losses to experienced, reliable and fast-responding contractors. American Family Insurance guarantees the workmanship of the repair for two years.

• What do my coverages mean?

  • You can learn more by taking our Tour of Homeowners Insurance.

• What does ACV (Actual Cash Value) mean?

  • Actual cash value is based on the cost to repair or replace the damaged item with an item of like kind and quality, less depreciation.

• What does Replacement Cost mean?

  • Replacement cost is the cost to repair or replace the damaged item with an item of like kind and quality, without deduction for depreciation.

• How am I reimbursed?

  • Your homeowners policy may have replacement cost coverage on the structure and your personal property. If it does, full reimbursement for replacement costs may take place in the form of two or more payments. You receive an initial payment from the adjuster with the estimate. This initial payment is for the full cost or for the actual cash value of the repair. If the payment is for actual cash value, an "amount deferred" is listed on the claim settlement report. This amount can be claimed upon completion of the work.

• How do I apply for deferred amount?

  • To receive the deferred repair amount (or recoverable depreciation), submit itemized receipts for the completed repairs or replacement. American Family Insurance pays the deferred amount or the difference between the initial payment and the completed repair bill, whichever is less. Submit a final itemized repair invoice or receipts to the address provided by your adjuster. Please write your claim number on all pages of the itemized invoice or receipts.

Have a question that you couldn't find here? Contact your American Family Insurance agent with your additional questions.

For claims related to storms, see Storm Info.

Return to Claims FAQ's.