We work for you — not the insurance company.

Your house should not wait on an adjuster's schedule to get dry. The traditional way: we bill your insurance, you sign the authorization and cover your deductible, and we start — with every job documented to claim standards, so a covered loss gets paid instead of argued.

Payment & Insurance — Straight Talk

We work for you — not the insurance company.

Restoration companies that wait on the insurance check leave your house waiting on an adjuster's timeline. We do it the traditional way: we bill your insurance, you sign the authorization and cover your deductible, and we start — and every job produces a claim-standard documentation package.

How payment and insurance work with us →

  • You are the customer

    You hire us, we answer to you. For covered losses it is the traditional way: we bill your insurance, you sign the authorization and pay your deductible, and we start — and we carry the claim to the end. Prefer to leave insurance out of it? Straight retail 50/50 — cash, check, or card. Part covered, part not? We do both on one project. Either way, work starts on your schedule, not an adjuster’s.

  • Documented to claim standards

    Room-by-room photos, daily moisture readings, equipment logs, and an itemized scope of work — the format adjusters expect, on every job, whether or not a claim is filed.

  • Line-item pricing

    Scope of work priced to Xactimate / industry-standard rates. Transparent line items, not lump sums — you see exactly what you are paying for.

  • We carry the claim

    Billing goes straight to your carrier on the signed work authorization — a real cost incurred, not an estimate to argue down. We handle the documentation, the adjuster communication, and any supplements, start to finish. We never promise what a policy will pay — we make covered losses easy to pay.

How payment works — three ways, all starting now

Every job starts with a signed document and work that begins right away — the only question is who pays for what. For covered losses it is the traditional way: we bill your insurance, you sign the authorization and pay your deductible, and we start. We go over it together, at the kitchen table, before anything is signed:

  1. 1.Insurance — the traditional route. We bill your insurance. You sign the work authorization, pay your deductible — the part that's yours either way — and we start. We bill the carrier directly for the covered work and take the claim from there: claim-standard documentation, direct adjuster communication, and supplements if more damage is found. Because the authorization is signed before we start, your claim is filed on actual charges — not an estimate for an adjuster to argue down. Your benefits stay yours — nothing is assigned to us — and any portion the policy does not cover is stated plainly up front.
  2. 2.Retail — cash, check, or card. Prefer to leave insurance out of it, or the loss isn't covered? 50% to start, 50% when the work is done and you've walked it with us. Simplest and fastest — no waiting on anyone.
  3. 3.Both — on one project. When the claim covers part of the job but not all of it — the water damage is covered, the upgrade you want while the floor is open is not — we split it cleanly: the covered scope goes on the authorization and to your carrier, the rest is a straight retail quote. One crew, one point of contact, two clear numbers.

The honest fine print

We never promise what a policy will pay — nobody honestly can, and you should be wary of anyone who does. What we promise is documentation so complete that covered losses reimburse cleanly: photos, daily moisture logs, equipment records, and line-item pricing on every single job.

What we deliver to your adjuster

  • 1.Room-by-room photographic documentation with timestamps and a written narrative of the original condition.
  • 2.Moisture readings and equipment logs — when each dehumidifier and air mover was placed, when readings hit dry standard, when equipment was removed. Adjusters look for this.
  • 3.Itemized scope of work priced to Xactimate or comparable industry-standard rates. Line items, not lump sums.
  • 4.Direct adjuster communication — we answer their questions on your behalf, attend the on-site adjuster visit if scheduled, and handle supplement filings if additional damage is discovered mid-job.
  • 5.Completion package for depreciation release. Final invoice, photos of completed work, lien waivers — the paperwork your carrier needs to release the RCV holdback.

A note on "preferred vendors"

You are not required to use your carrier's preferred vendor. Preferred vendor programs are a convenience offered by carriers — not a policy requirement. The carrier still has to pay the covered loss whether you use their network or hire us directly. Read the fine print of any "direct repair" or "managed repair" program before signing.

Insurance Claim FAQs

How does payment work if I have insurance?

The traditional way. We bill your insurance, you sign the work authorization, you pay your deductible — the part that is yours to pay either way — and then we start. We bill the carrier directly for the covered work, document everything to claim standards, and stay on the claim until it pays. Work starts right away; nothing waits on the carrier. Prefer to leave insurance out of it, or the loss is not covered? Straight retail — cash, check, or card, 50% to start and 50% at completion — is always available. And when a claim covers part of the job but not all of it, we do both on one project: the covered scope on the authorization, the rest as a retail quote.

Who actually handles the claim?

We do the heavy lifting, and the claim stays in your name. We document the loss to claim standards — room-by-room photos, daily moisture logs, equipment records, itemized scope — send our billing directly to the carrier, communicate with the adjuster so you do not have to, and file supplements if more damage is found. To be clear: we never promise what a policy will pay — nobody honestly can. But when the cause of loss is covered, real, documented, incurred costs are the easiest thing for a carrier to pay.

Am I required to use my carrier's "preferred vendor"?

No. Your insurance policy lets YOU choose the contractor — preferred vendor programs are a convenience offered by carriers, not a requirement. The carrier still has to pay the covered loss whether or not you use their network.

What does True Eden actually do for the insurance claim?

We document the loss in the format adjusters expect: room-by-room photos, moisture readings, equipment logs (when industrial drying equipment was placed and removed), an itemized scope of work, and Xactimate-style line-item pricing. We communicate with the adjuster directly so you do not have to translate technical language back and forth. If a supplement is needed (additional damage discovered during work), we file it.

What if my claim is denied or underpaid?

Denials and lowballed estimates are usually appealable with better documentation. We can provide moisture logs, photo evidence, and IICRC-standard scope justification to support an appeal or supplement. For complex disputes, public adjusters and policyholder attorneys are also options — we have referrals.

What is the work authorization?

The standard document on an insurance job. It authorizes us to do the covered work and to bill your carrier directly for it, and it states plainly what is yours: the deductible, and any portion the policy does not cover. Because it is signed before we start, our invoice is a real cost incurred — not an estimate — when the claim is filed, which is the strongest position a claim can be in. Your benefits stay yours — nothing is assigned to us — and we never promise what a policy will pay.

Is the work authorization a loan?

No. Nothing is borrowed and nothing is added on. What is yours is simple: your deductible, paid when you sign and we start, and any portion the policy does not cover — stated plainly in the authorization before anything is signed. The covered work is billed to your carrier directly. No credit application, no credit check, no extra charges of any kind.

How does the deductible work?

Your deductible is your out-of-pocket portion before insurance pays. For a $5,000 loss with a $1,000 deductible, the carrier pays $4,000 and you pay $1,000. On an insurance job the deductible is exactly what you pay when you sign the work authorization and we start; we bill the carrier directly for the covered work, and any uncovered portion is stated plainly in the authorization. We will not "waive" or "absorb" your deductible — that is insurance fraud and risks your coverage.

What is "ACV" vs. "RCV"?

ACV (Actual Cash Value) is replacement cost minus depreciation — the initial payment from the carrier. RCV (Replacement Cost Value) is the full replacement cost, paid out as recoverable depreciation once the work is actually completed and invoiced. Most policies pay ACV up front and release the depreciation withholding when you submit completion documentation.

How long does the whole claim take?

Emergency mitigation usually has a streamlined approval path (a few days to a week). Reconstruction scope approval depends on the carrier and the complexity — typically 1–3 weeks for the initial scope, plus any supplements. The actual repair work timeline depends on scope size and material lead times.

In the middle of a claim?

Whether you have an open claim with another contractor or you are about to file, we can help you build a clean claim file.

Call Now for Emergency Help(224) 454-4376

Insurance claim coordination from day one. We are not a "preferred vendor" — you choose us.

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