Once liability is reasonably clear, failing to attempt a prompt, fair settlement in good faith is listed as improper.
215 ILCS 5/154.6(d)Underpaid insurance claim help in Chicago and across Illinois
The check does not cover the repair. I set my own scope beside the insurer's estimate, find the missing lines and document each one for a supplement.
Free inspection and policy review. No upfront cost.
- IL Public Adjuster #19461872
- IN Public Adjuster #3556317
- HAAG Certified Inspector
- Licensed IL Roofing Contractor
- 10+ years in property restoration
How a replacement cost claim is paid in stages
- The estimateThe insurer's adjuster writes a scope and prices it.
- The first checkActual cash value: the estimate minus depreciation and your deductible.
- The repairPhotos of everything that was opened up.
- The restRecoverable depreciation and any supplement are paid after proof.
Read the first check before you call it short
Replacement costFull estimate
Held backDepreciation
Your shareDeductible
Actual cash valueFirst payment
Recoverable depreciation
Paid after the repair is finished and documented. Find this total first.
Non-recoverable depreciation
An endorsement, often on older roofs, can settle some items at actual cash value for good.
A short scope stays short
Depreciation released later is calculated on the same list, missing items included.
Missing work or a price dispute?
Each needs its own route, and one claim can have both.
A supplement fits
- Items absent from the insurer's estimate
- Damage found once a wall or roof deck was opened
- Code items, where your policy carries that coverage
- Areas measured smaller than they are
Use another route
- Same items, different pricesAppraisal, if your policy has the clause
- Part of the loss denied for causeA coverage rebuttal, or an attorney
- No reply for weeksA complaint to the Illinois Department of Insurance
Six lines I check first on a short estimate
- Matching undamaged materialOnly the damaged slope was written. Matching in Illinois
- Code-required itemsOwed where the policy covers them. Code upgrade coverage
- Overhead and profitOne trade assumed on a multi-trade job. O&P on a roof estimate
- Detach and resetGutters, fixtures and trim removed before the repair.
- Damage behind finishesNothing was opened at the first inspection.
- Contents and cleaningThe structure was walked; contents were assumed.
What goes into the supplement I send
Two estimates, one format
My scope in the insurer's own estimating terms, beside its version line by line.
A photo and a measurement per line
Each added item carries the picture taken when it was exposed.
Cause answered with the price
As a HAAG certified inspector and licensed roofer, I record cause and repair cost in one visit.
Depreciation followed to the end
I track the recoverable amount until the final payment.
Send me the estimate you were paid on
I'll read it line by line and tell you whether anything is missing.
+1 224-481-2095- The full line-item estimate
- Every payment letter
- Photos and any contractor bid
Three Illinois rules on how claims must be paid
Offering substantially less than owners later recover in court, forcing them to sue, is listed as improper.
215 ILCS 5/154.6(e)A claim payment that leaves out the coverage it is being made under is listed as improper.
215 ILCS 5/154.6(l)Questions about a low payment
+1 224-481-2095My first check was much smaller than the estimate. Is that the whole claim?
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Often not. On a replacement cost policy the first payment is usually actual cash value. Recoverable depreciation follows once the repair is documented.
What is a supplement?
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A documented request to add items to a claim already paid, each with a photo, a measurement and a price.
Can a claim be reopened after I cashed the check?
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Often, within the limits your policy sets. Its suit limitation and proof of loss dates keep running, so I read them first.
What does it cost to have you check my estimate?
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The consultation, inspection and policy review are free. If the claim was paid properly, I tell you so.
I hold a public adjuster licence under Article XLV of 215 ILCS 5 and act for the owner, never the insurer. I am not an attorney; your policy decides what is owed, and this page promises no amount.