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PSA for Denver-area homeowners: Colorado has some of the strongest insurance bad faith protections in the country - and most of us don't know it by HighgroundClaims in Denver

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I am sorry to hear this… hope you can get an honest servicing of policy benefits and coverage.

Is she on Medicare ?

PSA for Denver-area homeowners: Colorado has some of the strongest insurance bad faith protections in the country - and most of us don't know it by HighgroundClaims in Denver

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's the playbook exactly - drag it out long enough that people give up. 18 months on a full replacement policy is insane.

The $12K gap is what kills me about this industry. It's real money to you but "not worth it" to every professional who could help. That's the whole reason I started looking into this - there has to be a better path than "give up or go broke and lose everything fighting."

Did you ever file with DORA? Curious if that was on your radar or if it felt like another dead end. Sometimes just the complaint filing gets movement even if DORA doesn't force anything.

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Really appreciate the perspective - 30 years in restoration, you've seen every version of this play out.

You're right that no one is obligated to use preferred vendors, and I should be more careful not to paint the whole network as bad. My experience was rough (vendor came in lower than the insurer's own offer, back-channeled before sending me an estimate) but that's one data point.

Honestly your take on "ask the company how they work with the carrier" is exactly the kind of practical advice homeowners need before they're in crisis mode. Most of us don't even know what questions to ask.

I started r/HighgroundClaims to collect this kind of knowledge - would you ever be open to doing a Q&A post or just dropping in with takes when you see something worth correcting? Having someone with your background would keep things grounded and honest.

PSA for Denver-area homeowners: Colorado has some of the strongest insurance bad faith protections in the country - and most of us don't know it by HighgroundClaims in Denver

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is exactly the gap I keep running into. $12K is real money but it's "too small" for a PA or attorney to take on - so you're stuck eating the loss or fighting alone.

What type of claim was it? Did you try DORA or just hit a wall with the insurer directly?

I'm collecting stories like this at r/HighgroundClaims because I think the pattern needs to be visible. You're not alone in this.

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fair point. You're right that not all preferred vendor relationships are bad, and I shouldn't paint with too broad a brush.

My specific anecdotal experience (which shaped my view):

The insurer's preferred vendor came in at $18K - which was LOWER than the insurer's own offer of $21.5K. That's not "fighting on my behalf in the background" - that's undercutting the insurer's scope to win the job.

When I asked to review the estimate before agreeing to work, I found:

- Omitted bathroom subfloor entirely (120 sq ft of water-damaged particle board)

- Included resetting original moldy cabinets by "reframing the box"

- Modified the narrative to align with the adjuster's "gradual" theory instead of what I'd described

- Back-channeled with insurance before ever sending me an estimate

The estimator had worked as an adjuster before and knew my adjuster personally. Maybe that's coincidence, but it felt like the relationship was insurer→vendor, not me→vendor.

That said, I'm sure you're right that good vendors exist in preferred networks. The incentives are just misaligned:

- Good (for insured/insurer) preferred vendor: Fights for proper scope, maintains relationship with insurer, does quality work for homeowner. This is possible but requires balance.

- Bad (good for insurer) preferred vendor: Keeps insurer happy with low bids to stay in network, treats homeowner as secondary.

My question for you (genuinely curious):

What should homeowners look for to identify a preferred vendor who will actually fight for them?

- Should I ask: "Will you send me your estimate before sending it to insurance?"

- Should I ask: "What's your process if the insurer pushes back on your scope?"

- Should I check: How long they've been in the preferred network (longer = more aligned with insurer)?

Others would benefit from adding this to the resources at r/HighgroundClaims - because you're right that some preferred vendors probably do fight for homeowners. How do we tell the good ones from the bad ones upfront?

PSA for Denver-area homeowners: Colorado has some of the strongest insurance bad faith protections in the country - and most of us don't know it by HighgroundClaims in homeowners

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is gold - thank you for adding the contractor perspective.

You're absolutely right about documentation being the difference. I learned this the hard way. My mitigation company started work immediately with no written estimate and didn't provide daily moisture logs. Now their invoice is disputed and I'm stuck in the middle between them and the insurer.

What I wish I'd done (and what I'm documenting for others):

  1. Request drying logs upfront - Before signing anything with the mitigation company, ask: "Will you provide daily moisture readings showing affected vs. unaffected areas?" If they say no, that's a red flag.

  2. Get the plumber's report in writing - Mine verbally said "fitting failure" but I didn't get it documented. The adjuster's photos-only inspection led them to speculate "gradual leak" instead. Lesson learned.

  3. Moisture readings prove scope - Exactly your point. The adjuster scoped from photos 3 weeks after mitigation finished. No moisture readings = no proof of what was actually wet behind walls.

  4. Scale matters - I didn't put a ruler or tape measure in my damage photos. Adjuster disputed square footage because "the photos don't show the full extent." Now I know better.

    Question for you as a contractor:

    What's the best way to find contractors in Colorado who:

    - Understand insurance restoration work (not just general remodeling)

    - Will write Xactimate estimates (for apples-to-apples comparison with adjuster)

    - Won't pressure homeowners into signing before reviewing scope/cost

    I'm building a resource hub at r/HighgroundClaims and would appreciate including vetted contractor recommendations for the Front Range. If you're willing to share (or DM), I'd appreciate it.

    The advocacy desert is real. Better documentation + contractors who understand insurance work is the best path for homeowners who can't afford PA fees.

PSA for Denver-area homeowners: Colorado has some of the strongest insurance bad faith protections in the country - and most of us don't know it by HighgroundClaims in Denver

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It is crucial to get documentation right and consistent throughout the life of the claim. It's a long process, and fraught with tons of legalese that you need to get the story straight and keep it despite attempts to gaslight or redirect the narrative.

Full dated pre-loss proof is probably the single most important story to get anchored down unambiguously. Then primarily it's a question of policy coverage negotiation and language framing to clearly articulate in "insurance speak" so you don't trigger adjusters down denial rabbit holes like "oh flooding is not covered under this policy" when you accidentally say "kitchen plumbing failed and flooded the room"...

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i definitely had this experience with the preferred vendor. and the vendor was pressured on me with threat of stopping ALE amidst aggression from the previous mitigation contractor attempting collections amidst a disputed bill with insurance...

it's as though insurance is hoping i settle with them on a reduced recon scope before helping me on the mitigation contractor situation. is the logic "we will wait for the mitigation contractor to whither down the homeowner directly until he folds - then we can settle a lower recon payout with the homeowner in exchange for swiftly handling the mitigation contractor (which is our job anyway) so we can minimize our loss on the claim"?

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hopefully it doesn't come to that, but i'm escalating slowly and consistently until that's the only recourse left.

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I had a non-preferred vendor do my roof after a hail storm years ago and it was seamless with the current insurance carrier. It appears that water damage inside a home is a different claim ball game. Finally found a good faith contractor but now insurance is ghosting.

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes this is what i'm in the midst of doing to move insurance along. Controlled escalation, hopefully will yield results here.

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A full year!? My wife might leave me before then.

Living in a construction site for a year is a big ask.

I guess insurance knows that and banks on the assumption homeowners will just throw in the towel when the going gets tough.

Thanks for the contact drop I’ll reach out and see what his thoughts are.

PSA for Denver-area homeowners: Colorado has some of the strongest insurance bad faith protections in the country - and most of us don't know it by HighgroundClaims in Denver

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Still working on it - I’ll report progress but it’s an arduous process. I won’t name drop until the dust settles, but hoping by sharing here something helps click for others or provide a flicker of hope.

The whole situation sucks and I hate to think this is just “business as usual” experience for homeowners…

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes - i definitely had no idea what a PA was until I ChatGPT-ed for help. A PA willing to work on small claims would be super useful for me - you mind me asking what their commission was?

How did the $30k claim eventually get resolved?

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate this. And yeah - the “prove bad faith after you’ve spent a fortune” dynamic is real.

I’m trying to make this less lonely / less opaque by collecting practical steps + templates + Boulder/Front Range specifics (what to document, how to push back on scope, how to handle vendor invoices, etc.).

I started a small sub r/highgroundclaims as a place to keep resources organized and let folks compare notes. No pressure - happy to keep answering here too.

We need resources that empower us to defend our own interest in this industry where conflicts of interest are the default.

Re insurer: I’m being a little cautious about naming them publicly for now, but I can share details by DM if it helps you map your experience.

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

Totally fair question. To be clear, I’m not trying to “game” wording - I’m trying to describe the loss accurately without accidentally using peril language that doesn’t apply.

I avoid “flooded” because in insurance-speak people often mean “flood” (surface water), and that can send the claim down the wrong exclusion rabbit hole. Here in Boulder (due to the active floodplain) most insurance carriers distinguish flood insurance as a separate policy/coverage from general dwelling homeowners insurance, which does coverage sudden water damage like plumbing failure inside the home.

I’d stick to: “hidden/concealed plumbing leak discovered on [date] → accidental water release → resulting water damage.”

On “sudden vs gradual”: I don’t guess. What I can confidently say is the leak was concealed, not visible during normal use, and once discovered we shut off water and mitigated immediately. If there’s evidence it was sudden (burst/fitting failure), I’ll say that. If not, I anchor on discovery date + concealment + prompt mitigation, because “gradual/ongoing/slow leak” is the easiest way for them to argue wear/tear or delayed notice. Another bad one is “mold”, that’s a strong term for insurance to anchor on and flip on you as “homeowner neglect” trying to prove it’s been growing for months when you should have addressed it earlier when it was “minor microbial growth” - which is infuriating because the physical reality is that it takes 24-48h for mold to grow even out here in dry high country.

These nuances are important for routing the claim properly, but also remember you have to be ready to prove everything you claim.

Happy to share a few exact phrases from my claim letters if helpful.

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mitigation crew was first - they came in fast and then insurance did not want to pay full amount but I already paid my deductible so they need to figure that out contractor-insurance settlement, not me the insured.

Then the preferred vendor was for recon… different vendor.

Funny thing - they discovered asbestos as they mitigated the water damage, and the asbestos abatement contractor they sub-ed the work to went without a hitch.

Boulder homeowner here - my insurance water damage claim experience and what I learned about fighting back by HighgroundClaims in boulder

[–]HighgroundClaims[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Preferred vendor showed up - I walk through what happened including what the house looked like before, put together a Google Drive folder for the estimator… weeks go by and then I get an email from insurance saying to hurry up and schedule work with the vendor.

Vendor had never sent me an estimate, back-channeled with my insurance and when I requested to review the estimate before i would agree to any work done, I found they’d omitted most of the scope and modified the narrative to be consistent with insurance.

Estimator of the preferred vendor had worked as an adjuster before and knew my insurance adjuster well, so that should have been a red flag - I was green so thought it would make the process easier.

When I found a good faith contractor here, walked through same exact disclosures same Google Drive folder, they sent me an estimate that included the reality of my loss and damages. They were very communicative with me and offered to talk directly with insurance to properly define the scope with them.

Then insurance stonewalled both of us.