catastrophe claims FAQs

The time it takes to complete the claims process can depend on the complexity of your damages, the availability of professionals or contractors to inspect and repair damages and any safety issues from the storm.

To track the status of an existing claim:

• Log in to My Account to track the status online
• Contact your claims team member (Find your claim contact)

If your loss involves personal belongings and your policy provides coverage for personal property damages that result from a covered loss, you will need to make a detailed description of damaged personal property including the manufacturers' names, model numbers, purchase dates and purchase prices to provide to your claims team member.

A home is considered to be uninhabitable on a case-by-case basis. Your policy may provide for additional living expenses if your home is uninhabitable due to a covered loss. Ask your agent or claims team member if your policy covers this.

Coverage for additional living expenses is for the reasonable increase in living expenses necessary to maintain your normal standard of living.

The coverage may help reimburse you for increased living expenses such as:

• Hotels or temporary housing, based on your current standard of living.
• Food and restaurant bills.
• Additional mileage for driving farther to work.

Lost income as a result of a major weather event is not usually covered by your policy. Coverage for Additional Living Expenses will depend on your individual circumstances and is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions and limitations under your policy.

Your claims team member will contact you and determine if a damage inspection is needed. When an inspection is required, we schedule an appointment as quickly as possible.

Yes, you must wait to begin repairs until we have completed an inspection and properly assessed covered damages. However, you do not have to wait for Allstate to inspect your property or settle your loss to select a contractor who can repair the damage.

If your damaged property requires immediate attention, consider making temporary repairs to prevent further loss. Most Allstate homeowner's policies cover reasonable and necessary temporary repair costs (up to a specified limit) that result from trying to protect the property on your policy from additional damage resulting from a covered loss. If possible, document your loss with photos and videos before any temporary repair is completed. Please be sure to save the receipts from repairs to share with Allstate.

• Talk with friends or family members who have recently had satisfactory repair work completed.
• Ask for contractor references and check them.
• Get information about your contractor's work history from your local Better Business Bureau.
• Discuss payment terms with your contractor before signing any contracts.

If additional damage is found during the repair process, you must contact your Claims team member immediately to report the damages. You can send a message via MyClaim or email the claims department at Claims@Claims.Allstate.com with your claim number in the subject line. We will determine if the damage needs to be re-inspected or if it can be resolved by working directly with your contractor.

If you purchased the personal property reimbursement provision, the policy will pay to replace your covered personal property if it's damaged, destroyed or stolen, with new items of similar quality. Although your damage estimate shows a depreciation amount, Allstate will make an additional payment to reimburse you for the cost of repairing, rebuilding or replacing your covered property. This is, of course, subject to the policy limits, coverage, conditions and exclusion provisions of your policy, as well as any applicable state laws.

If you disagree with our damage evaluation, please reach out to your claim contact to address your concerns. We are committed to always settle claims fairly. If you have an additional estimate prepared, please provide to your Claims team member.

The deductible is the portion of a covered loss that you are responsible for under the policy. For example, if the covered loss is $4,500 and your deductible is $500, you pay the $500 and Allstate pays the remaining $4,000.

In most cases, you will pay your deductible directly to the contractor once repairs are completed. Your damage estimate lists the total dollar amount of your covered loss, your deductible, any applicable depreciation and the amount Allstate pays toward the loss.

In most instances the adjuster inspects the damage, prepares a repair estimate, and once we have approved and processed the estimate, we will contact you for settlement. In some cases, the adjuster will complete the estimate at the time of inspection and provide you with both the estimate and payment so you can quickly begin the repair process. Our electronic payment options will speed up this process.

If you have a mortgage on your home, the mortgagee (usually a bank) is usually named in your homeowners policy. Most mortgagees require that their name is included on claim payment checks over a specified amount. You will need to contact your mortgagee to find out how to obtain their endorsement on the check.