How an Independent Construction Assessment Resolved a Hurricane Damage Dispute
The Hurricane Didn't Crack the Parking Lot.
A hurricane hit a newly constructed building. Roof took damage. That part was real, documented, and not in dispute. What was in dispute was everything else.
The building owner looked at the damage and saw an opportunity to get more out of the contractor's insurance than the storm had actually caused. The claim included the covered entry awning, specifically that wind had moved it enough to crack the concrete parking lot beneath it. Significant additional damage. Significant additional dollars.
I looked at it.
The roof damage was legitimate. Wind events do what wind does to roofing systems and this one was no exception. That scope was real and it needed to be addressed.
The parking lot cracks were not from the storm.
Concrete cracks. It cracks when it cures, when the ground beneath it shifts, when temperature cycles expand and contract it over time, when it was not poured correctly in the first place. It does not crack because an awning moved during a hurricane, not on a building that was constructed to engineered specifications and maintained those specifications through the event. The structure was sound. The engineering held. The awning moved the way awnings move in wind and returned to where it belonged. The concrete below it had its own history that predated the storm and had nothing to do with it.
The contractor's insurance agreed with my assessment. Roof damage covered. Structural damage claim denied. The building owner did not get the additional payout they were looking for because the additional damage they claimed did not exist in the way they said it did.
This is what an independent construction assessment actually does in an insurance context. Not advocate for the insurer. Not advocate for the property owner. Look at what is actually there, apply 30 years of understanding how buildings behave under stress, and tell the truth about what the storm caused versus what was already present versus what the structure was designed to handle and did.
Insurance adjusters are not construction experts. They are claims professionals. They know the process, the documentation, the coverage language, and the negotiation. What they often do not have is someone who can walk a property after a storm event and immediately distinguish between damage caused by the event and conditions that existed before it, or that the building's own engineering should have prevented.
That distinction is worth a significant amount of money. Sometimes to the insurer. Sometimes to the property owner when the adjuster's initial assessment underestimates what the storm actually did. The value of an independent expert is not which side they favor. It is that they are not on a side. They are on the facts.
I have been on every side of construction disputes that exist. I have worked for property owners, for insurers, for developers, for REITs, for attorneys. That experience is exactly what makes an independent assessment worth having, because I know what each side is looking for and I know when the evidence supports it and when it does not.
The hurricane did not crack the parking lot. The evidence said so. That is what I reported and that is what held up.
If you need an independent construction assessment on a property damage claim, storm, defect, dispute, or otherwise, that conversation starts at calendly.com/jeph-reit.
NOTE-
I understand the importance of being able to communicate effectively with my clients, regardless of location. That's why I offer a variety of remote communication options to make it easy for adjusters to consult with me on real property claims.
Whether you prefer video calls, phone calls, photos and videos, email, or text messages, I have the tools and technology to make it happen. My goal is to make it as convenient as possible for you to get the expert guidance and support you need to accurately assess damage, determine the cost of repairs or rebuilding, and maximize the value of your insurance claim.
I am always available to answer your questions and provide the information you need to make informed decisions about your project. So don't hesitate to reach out and get in touch - I am here to help!
