What should we expect from the insurance company

HurdyGurdy

Two or three days before Christmas, we ended up with a large chunk of our kitchen ceiling, on the kitchen floor.

The insurance company sent out a contractor and the problem was traced back to the toilet in the bathroom, in which, apparently, a nut hadn't been tightened properly when the bathroom was refitted just over two years ago.

We still have a temporary bathroom floor and a temporary kitchen ceiling. Last time we had the contractors round, they decided that in order to replace the bathroom floor, they need to take the bath/shower unit out.

This isn't going to happen! The unit only just fits in the bathroom and it is not possible to remove it without literally breaking it up. There is no other option.

Given that we paid £2000 for this unit two years ago, what should we be anticipating the insurance company will replace it with? Should we be expecting it to be "like for like", or will they likely just replace it with a standard bath?

lewishardwick

Have you checked your policy wording?

They should be looking to return you to the same state prior to the ceiling collapsing. So pretty much like for like.

You should have a claim handler who van answer your queries.

Furts

Insurance contractors work on a basic principle. This is to minimise their work but to maximise the profit out of every job. In turn this can mean increasing the amount of work done when this work is not even necessary. To this will be added work you know nothing about - additions declared on the job and booked to the insurance company.

Where does all this put you? There is a chance that there is no need for your bath shower unit to be removed. In theory it should be adequately supported on your floor joists and a replacement floor could be butted up and joined to that under the bath shower unit. Regardless, only you know the answer here, and only you have seen the room and the work involved.

Bear in mind another principle of insurance work. The standard of workmanship can be dismal, and the materials used being low quality. Be on your guard here and manage the contractors.

Just to make that clear, you have to manage the contractors!

Remember the contractors have zero interest in you because you are not their client. Which in turn helps explain why standards can be dismal.

You have been warned!

HurdyGurdy

So far, we are pretty impressed. We have been given an allowance of £2,200 to choose a replacement bath/shower unit, and when, in conversation with the foreman, we mentioned that we would actually prefer not to have a bath, but just a nice large shower, they said fine - go ahead and choose what you want, up to the allowance amount

There has been a single workman here for the past two days, and he has worked like a whirlwind! Our bathroom is now, literally, empty. The walls are back to bare brick, so we will end up gaining a couple of inches of bathroom, given that the plaster was so thick, so that's a bonus.

I didn't even get as far as looking for the policy documents to see if we were entitled to new-for-old etc. The company has been really accommodating (so far anyway )

SuzieSue

HurdyGurdy wrote: »

So far, we are pretty impressed. We have been given an allowance of £2,200 to choose a replacement bath/shower unit, and when, in conversation with the foreman, we mentioned that we would actually prefer not to have a bath, but just a nice large shower, they said fine - go ahead and choose what you want, up to the allowance amount

There has been a single workman here for the past two days, and he has worked like a whirlwind! Our bathroom is now, literally, empty. The walls are back to bare brick, so we will end up gaining a couple of inches of bathroom, given that the plaster was so thick, so that's a bonus.

I didn't even get as far as looking for the policy documents to see if we were entitled to new-for-old etc. The company has been really accommodating (so far anyway )

Who are you insured with?