1. Estimate Review Meeting
We sit down with you, review the estimate you have, walk the property and identify the landmines in your claim.
Independent · Licensed General Contractor · CSLB#929897
Mitigation Done. Now Get a Defensible Repair Estimate.
After a fire or water loss, five landmines cost property owners the most: co-insurance, code upgrades, short business interruption or loss of rents, depreciation, and low-ball estimates. JH Construction documents, prepares and presents a defensible estimate to restore your property to its pre-loss condition. Nothing more, nothing less.
- 5Claim Landmines
- 3%Estimate Fee
- $0If JH Does the Repairs
- CSLB#929897
1
What Happened?
2
Who Did the Mitigation?
3
What Repair Estimate Do You Have?
4
Which Landmines Are You Running Into?
Tick any that apply. Not sure? Leave them blank and we will show you all five.
Your Landmine Check
Answer the questions, tick what applies, then click Check My Claim.
Your landmine check is ready
Tell us where to send it and your results appear here.
The 5 Claim Landmines
These are the issues that most often leave property owners short after a fire or water loss.
- 1
Co-insurance Clause
Insured for less than the policy requires? A partial loss can be paid in proportion.
- 2
Code Upgrades
Repairs must meet today’s code, often under a separate, limited coverage.
- 3
Business Interruption or Loss of Rents
Paid for the repair period. A rushed schedule shortens it.
- 4
Depreciation
Held back until repairs are done and documented, and often overstated.
- 5
Low-Ball Estimate
Missing items, short quantities, prices below what contractors charge.
Why You Need a Defensible Estimate
Remember: an adjuster’s low estimate is not wrongdoing. It is an opinion of what they saw and what they think the repairs cost, based on their experience. Adjusters are not contractors, so they cannot stand behind that estimate by doing the work. JH can. We are the licensed general contractor that builds to the estimate we write.
The burden of proof is on you, the property owner. Your policy lists your duties after a loss, including documenting the damage and, when asked, submitting a signed proof of loss stating what you are claiming. In practice, it is on you to show the insurer what it will take to restore your property to the way it was before the loss, with an estimate and backup documentation.
If you do not, the insurer will tell you what it thinks it owes, and its preferred vendors work under program agreements built around those terms, because that is how they keep receiving work from the insurer.
How We Work, and What It Costs
We are a general contractor. We are here to do the work, not to hand out free estimates.
2. Defensible Estimate: 3% Fee
Already have a contractor? We document, prepare and present a defensible line-item estimate to make you whole, for 3% of the estimate we produce. Example: a $200,000 estimate is a $6,000 fee.
3. Fee Waived If JH Rebuilds
If your contractor turns out to be busy or unfamiliar with the complexity of fire or water damage rebuilds, we gladly waive the 3% fee when JH handles the repairs.
4. Licensed Rebuild
We pull permits, run the trades, pass inspections and walk the finished work with you. One licensed contractor, CSLB#929897.
Independent: No Insurance Program Ties
JH Construction has no preferred vendor or third-party administrator agreements with any carrier. We are not bound by program guidelines, so our estimate is written to one standard: what your property needs to return to its pre-loss condition. Like kind and quality, matching finishes, current code, and a realistic schedule, with measurements, photos and 3D scans behind every line.
Who's Who After a Water or Fire Loss
Insurance Adjuster
Works for the insurer. Inspects the damage and determines what the claim pays under your policy.
Mitigation Company
Stops the damage. Extraction, drying, and removal of wet or burned materials. Its job usually ends when the structure is dry.
Preferred Vendor
Part of the insurer’s or an administrator’s network. Works under program agreements that typically set pricing and scope guidelines.
Public Adjuster or Attorney
Represents you on the claim. A public adjuster is licensed by the California Department of Insurance to negotiate your settlement, usually for a percentage fee.
JH Construction
Independent licensed general contractor. Documents, prepares and presents the repair estimate, stands behind it, and rebuilds. Does not negotiate your claim.
You
Carry the burden of proof and choose who does the repairs. In California you can choose your own licensed contractor.
Represented by a Public Adjuster or Attorney?
JH Construction has no conflict of interest working with public adjusters or attorneys. Our work is the same regardless of who represents you: a line-item Xactimate repair estimate written to pre-loss condition, with photos, measurements and 3D scans behind every line, and a licensed rebuild.
Public adjusters and attorneys can reach our estimating team at (888) 609-5681 or info@jh-construction.us.
Repair Estimate Questions
What does a defensible repair estimate cost?
The fee is 3% of the estimate JH produces. For example, a $200,000 repair estimate is a $6,000 fee. If JH does the repairs, the 3% fee is waived.
Why don’t you do free estimates?
A defensible estimate takes a site inspection, measurements, photos, 3D scans and hours of line-item Xactimate work, and we stand behind every line as the contractor who will build to it. That is professional work, and we charge for it unless we are doing the repairs.
I already have a contractor. Can JH just write the estimate?
Yes. We document, prepare and present a defensible estimate for 3% of the estimate amount, and your contractor does the repairs. If your contractor turns out to be busy or unfamiliar with the complexity of fire or water damage rebuilds, we will gladly waive the 3% fee if JH handles the repairs.
Isn’t the adjuster’s estimate what my claim is worth?
No. An adjuster’s estimate is an opinion based on what they saw and their experience. Adjusters are not contractors, so they do not stand behind that number by doing the work. JH is a licensed general contractor and stands behind its estimate.
Who has to prove what the repairs will cost?
You do. Most property policies list duties after a loss, including documenting the damage and, when asked, submitting a signed proof of loss stating what you are claiming. In practice, the burden is on you to show what it will take to restore the property to its pre-loss condition.
Can I use a different contractor for repairs than the company that did the mitigation?
Yes. Mitigation (extraction, drying, demolition of wet or burned materials) and repairs are separate jobs, and you choose who does the repairs. In California you can choose your own licensed contractor for repairs covered by your property policy.
Do I need a public adjuster or a contractor?
They do different jobs. A public adjuster is licensed by the California Department of Insurance to represent you on the claim and negotiate the settlement, for a fee. A contractor writes the repair scope and does the rebuild. JH Construction has no conflict of interest working with public adjusters or attorneys. Our work is the same regardless of who represents you.
Does JH negotiate my insurance claim?
No. JH is a licensed general contractor, not a public adjuster. We inspect, document, prepare and present the repair estimate with our documentation, and answer the adjuster’s questions about the repair scope. You and your insurer settle the claim.
More on your rights: Can you use your own contractor? and TPA contractors vs. independent contractors.
Mitigation done? Repairs next?
Book an Estimate Review
3% estimate fee · Waived if JH does the repairs · Bay Area · Central Valley · Sacramento
- Tracy CA
- Stockton CA
- Manteca CA
- Lathrop CA
- Lodi CA
- Ripon CA
- Modesto CA
- Turlock CA
- Ceres CA
- Oakdale CA
- Sacramento CA
- Elk Grove CA
- Rancho Cordova CA
- Citrus Heights CA
- Roseville CA
- Granite Bay CA
- Rocklin CA
- Lincoln CA
- Folsom CA
- Auburn CA
- Woodland CA
- San Francisco CA
- Oakland CA
- Berkeley CA
- Richmond CA
- San Leandro CA
- Hayward CA
- Fremont CA
- San Jose CA
- Pleasanton CA
- Livermore CA
- Walnut Creek CA
- Concord CA