Do you ask contractors to break down the costs?

Claims & Dispute Resolution Topics
1

I just bought my first home, and a few months ago, a pipe burst. I filed a claim with USAA and got a contractor and water damage team through them. I didn’t know I could pick my own until I read about it on this forum.

The water damage team was awful. They tore everything out without ventilating the house, and I got so sick I couldn’t stay there. Now, months later, the contractors are finally doing repairs. I have the settlement breakdown from USAA, but do contractors usually give their own price estimates too?

They told me I had a $4 per square foot budget for tile, but the USAA estimate says $9. My contractor even offered to split the cost with me to keep my out-of-pocket costs down, which seems weird. Anyone else dealt with this?

2

You should ask your USAA rep for the full breakdown of both the damage estimate and the contract they have with your contractor.

3

NomadNerd said:
You should ask your USAA rep for the full breakdown of both the damage estimate and the contract they have with your contractor.

Thanks! I’ll do that.

4

Is the same company doing both the mitigation and the repairs?

What exactly did they tear out? Did you get any safety inspections?

USAA should have provided a full estimate showing the costs from start to finish, including the mitigation work.

5

@Eli
No, it’s a different company. I didn’t get any kind of safety survey or hazard check. I actually asked my adjuster about asbestos testing since my house was built in the early ‘80s, and he brushed it off.

I do have an estimate for repairs from USAA, but it doesn’t mention anything about the mitigation work.

6

@Riley
You should ask the contractor for a copy of what they sent to USAA.

And honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if the mitigation crew is somehow connected to the repair company.

7

@Riley
What exactly did they remove? The age of the house doesn’t matter—you always need to test for lead and asbestos if materials are being torn out.

If your adjuster dismissed your concern, get it in writing. Ask them to confirm their response in an email.

Were any materials left behind that you can still test? If so, you should get a professional to take samples. If there’s contamination, don’t try to clean it up yourself—report it and make sure everything is documented properly.

8

Ask your adjuster for the contractor’s full estimate. If you haven’t already, try using the communication center in the USAA app—it keeps everything in one place.

Their estimates usually come from a program called Xactimate, which might explain why the tile budget seems off. Sometimes it includes both the tile and labor costs together.

9

@Val
My adjuster just texts me from his personal number. He wasn’t reimbursing me for meals at first, and I only got one month’s worth after I messaged him through the communication center. This has been going on since October.

I’ll ask him about the estimate now. I really wish they explained everything more clearly from the start.

10

@Riley
Yeah, it’s super frustrating. You should submit all your receipts through the communication center, just to have them on record. If they don’t respond, call USAA’s main number and don’t enter your claim info—wait for a real person, then ask for your adjuster’s supervisor. Their number should be on the adjuster’s voicemail.