Choose the situation closest to yours
The beginning of a claim can be confusing. Start with the path that best matches where you are now.
Most property owners encounter multiple companies and incomplete or conflicting information at the beginning of a claim. This page is designed to provide direction so decisions can be made with a clearer understanding of the process.
Situation A
Property damage just happened.
Understand what to do immediately after damage — and why the first steps matter more than most people expect. The decisions made in the first 24–72 hours can affect the entire claim.
What to do after damage →Situation B
I have an insurance estimate.
Most initial insurance estimates are starting points — not the complete solution most people expect when they receive one. That gap can be surprising and disappointing. There is usually more to the story.
Understanding your estimate →Situation C
I'm ready to talk to someone.
We will review your situation and help determine the next step in the process. Every project starts differently, and it is better handled directly rather than through a preset sequence.
Start the process →Most property owners encounter telemarketers, mitigation companies, insurance adjusters, public adjusters, and contractors in the early days after a loss. Their roles are all different. They are not interchangeable. Understanding who does what — and in what order — is one of the most valuable things you can do before signing anything.
Why this page exists
The first party you meet is rarely the right one to make decisions with.
After major property damage, the first companies frequently directed toward property owners by insurers are mitigation companies — they handle immediate stabilization, cleanup, drying, and temporary services. Insurers value this work because it reduces immediate costs and moves the claim forward quickly. That work has its place. But it is not reconstruction, and the people doing it are not reconstruction contractors.
The most common mistake is committing to the first company that arrives before understanding how reconstruction works. That can lead to incomplete project planning, policy funds spent on work that may not have been necessary, and difficulty changing direction once work has begun.
This site exists to explain the process before those decisions get made — so you can move forward with clarity rather than confusion.
Mitigation vs. reconstruction — what the difference means →Start with clarity
Three things to understand before you sign anything.
- You have the right to choose your own contractor and vendors. California law prohibits insurer steering. No one can require you to use a specific company.
- The initial insurance estimate is not a construction plan. It is an early claim document. Important items are commonly missing or incomplete at this stage.
- Mitigation and reconstruction are separate industries with separate licenses, separate scopes, and separate contracts. The company that cleans up is not the company that rebuilds. Many mitigation companies carry a limited CSLB license that permits cosmetic repairs — drywall, flooring — but not full structural reconstruction. The distinction matters, and not everyone selling these services will be forthcoming about it.
- Licensed contractors are legally required to display their license number wherever the public may encounter them — including business cards, websites, contracts, and vehicles. If a contractor you are considering does not display a license number consistently, treat that as a signal worth investigating before you sign anything. The CSLB license record is publicly searchable at CSLB.ca.gov and shows whether the license is current, what work the license actually covers, and whether any disciplinary actions have been taken. The CSLB is California's contractor licensing and enforcement agency — its records exist specifically to protect consumers, and they are free to use.
A licensed reconstruction general contractor should be involved early — before the scope of work is finalized. This allows the project to be developed properly. Permits, plans, and scope refinement need to begin in parallel with the insurance process, not after it.