Storms happen frequently in Minnesota, and that means storm damage. There has been a lot of severe weather recently, and since Quarve Contracting offers exterior storm damage repair, we talked with owner Pat Quarve about why it's important to hire a professionals storm damage repair contractor to handle things. 
Interviewer: There have been a number of storms this year, especially the early July ones. Many homes around the Twin Cities in areas such as Anoka, Roseville and North Minneapolis had substantial storm damage. Can you tell me how you help someone who calls you for hail or wind damage? Pat: After a storm happens, homeowners get bombarded by people knocking on doors in their neighborhood. These people are often referred to as storm chasers, and what they’re chasing is an easy buck. We don’t work like that. We usually like to just wait and let everything calm down and then have the homeowner call their adjuster. And we want them to be comfortable with the contractor they’re going to hire. You may not know this, but you don’t have to hire the storm damage contractor your insurance company recommends. The homeowner should be the one to pick out the contractor first and then have that contractor meet the adjuster. Interviewer: And what is the advantage to having the contractor meet with the adjuster? Pat: Sometimes people deal with adjusters on their own, but that can be challenging because they might not know exactly what problems they have. Homeowners don’t have hail or storm damage every day and they don’t see insurance pricing. It’s best to have the contractor there to meet with the adjuster. We help them with that. There is more we can help with. We can meet with the adjuster and clarify what is damaged and needs repair as well as a fair value for that repair. Also, there is a lot of paperwork involved, and Julie is able help out with that. If the home has a mortgage, the mortgage company usually gets involved and the check goes to them. Or the insurance company holds depreciation money, so there is paperwork that needs to be done for that. We try to help through the whole process. But first we like them to pick their contractor because insurance companies don’t like to work with three different contractors. Interviewer: So do you work with the insurance company on behalf of the homeowner? Do you help them get a better deal? And how do you do that? Pat: In Minnesota you can’t act as a public adjuster unless you are licensed, but what we can do is verify things like is the amount of material such as Ice & Water correct. Or if the insurance adjuster has missed or overlooked items we can help them with things like that. Interviewer: Yes, I would think the homeowner would overlook things. We had a hail storm come through about a decade ago that damaged a home we were in. We didn’t even realize the wood fence had damage; we never saw that. And so probably when you arrive on the site you’re looking here and there and maybe you have a checklist where you’re checking things out, I imagine. Pat: Yes, but a good adjuster should do that, too. Primarily we’re advocates for the homeowner because of our professional experience. But we actually work together with the adjuster to get the homeowner taken care of. I’m there to help the insurance company and the homeowner, so we need to work together.
(Editor’s note: Quarve Contracting is a licensed Minnesota home remodeling contractor, and we offer exterior storm damage repair. As a full-service general contractor serving the entire Minneapolis and St. Paul area, we’re able to work with your insurance company on your behalf. We can handle all the necessary exterior repairs, and if you have damage in addition to the services we offer, we have a network of experienced, reputable contractors we work with. Our goal is to get your home back into shape as quickly as possible, with as little hassle as possible. If you have questions about storm damage or you think a recent storm has affected your home, please give us a call.)
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