Most Oklahoma Families Have a Storm Plan. Very Few Have a Claim Plan

September is National Preparedness Month. Most of the advice you'll see this month is about flashlights, weather radios, and where the family goes when the sirens start. All of that matters. If you want a place to start, our practical preparedness guide for Oklahoma homes covers the basics.

But there's a piece of being prepared that almost nobody talks about. It's the part that happens after the storm passes, when you're standing in the driveway looking at the damage and trying to figure out what to do next.

That part goes a lot smoother if you set it up now, on a calm September afternoon, instead of in the middle of a mess. The timing works, too. Oklahoma gets a second, smaller storm season once the weather starts to turn, and fall hail is not unheard of here.
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If something happened to your house tonight, would you know exactly what to do first?

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​Know What You Own Before You Need to Prove It

The hardest part of most claims isn't the roof. It's the stuff inside. When a pipe bursts or a storm opens up a wall, the adjuster is going to ask what was damaged and what it was worth. Most people can't answer that from memory. I couldn't either.

A home inventory fixes that. It doesn't have to be fancy. Walk through the house with your phone recording video. Open the closets and drawers and talk through what you're looking at. Get the serial numbers on the TVs and electronics. Then save the video somewhere other than your phone. The whole thing takes about an hour.
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It also shows you whether your coverage makes sense. A lot of homeowners have never looked at how personal property coverage works, or whether the limit on their policy would actually replace everything in that video.

Keep the Important Stuff Where You Can Reach It

After a bad storm, you may not be able to get back in the house. Or the paperwork you need may be sitting in a soaked filing cabinet. Take a few minutes and put the basics somewhere safe.

​That means your policy number, your carrier's claim number, our phone number, and a copy of your declarations page. A photo on your phone plus a copy in cloud storage covers most of it.

While you're at it, bookmark our Report a Claim page. You don't want to be hunting for it with the power out.

Most Claim Problems Start in the First 48 Hours

I've seen a lot of claims over the years. The ones that go sideways usually go sideways early. Somebody throws out damaged items before anyone takes a picture. Somebody signs with the first contractor who knocks on the door. Somebody waits a few weeks to report it because they weren't sure it was worth the trouble.

We wrote up the most common mistakes people make when filing a home insurance claim. Every one of them is easier to avoid if you've read about it before you're in the middle of it.

Timing matters more than people think. Your policy spells out how quickly you need to report a loss, and waiting can create problems that have nothing to do with the damage itself. If you've ever wondered how long you have to file a homeowners claim in Oklahoma, the practical answer is simple.

​Don't wait to find out. Call us first.

Know What the Process Looks Like Before You're in It

Filing a claim for the first time is stressful mostly because it's unfamiliar. There's an adjuster visit, an estimate, a deductible, and sometimes a second payment after the repairs are done. None of it is complicated once you know the order it happens in. Here's a plain walkthrough of what to expect during the home insurance claims process in Oklahoma.

It also helps to know that a denial isn't always the end of the road. Claims get denied for missing documentation, for late reporting, and sometimes over a misunderstanding about what the policy covers. If that ever happens to you, here's what Oklahoma City homeowners can do when an insurance company doesn't pay a claim.

​The best protection is having your records in order before anything happens. That's the whole point of this post.

Call Your Agent Before You Call Anyone Else

This is the one I'd put at the top of your list. When something happens, call us before you call the carrier, a contractor, or anybody else. We're an independent agency. We work for you, not the insurance company.
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We can help you figure out whether a claim makes sense with your deductible, what to document, and what to watch out for. A small claim can still follow you at renewal. That's a conversation worth having before you file, not after.

Take an Hour This Month

You don't have to do all of this in one sitting. Make the inventory video this weekend. Put your policy info in the cloud next week. Read one of the posts above when you have ten minutes. By the time the fall storms roll through, you'll be in better shape than most of your neighbors.

And if you'd like us to look over your policy while you're at it, that's what we're here for. We'll make sure your limits match what's actually in your house and that your deductible fits your budget.

So ask yourself, "Am i ready if something happens?" 

If that answer is "no" or "I don't know", let's talk!

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Scott Godwin
​Founder

Oklahoma Insurance Professionals LLC serves Oklahoma City and the surrounding Oklahoma communities by protecting the people we work with just like we protect our own family members. Home insurance, auto insurance, business insurance, and more. 

Whether in Moore, Edmond, Norman, Oklahoma City or surrounding areas, We can help you find the coverage you need.