Thinking about your insurance isn’t usually the first thing on your mind when your home is the site of a crime, or loss of a loved one. While we hope it’s something you never have to consider, it can be helpful to know ahead of time what your homeowners insurance covers – and the good news is this: most homeowners insurance policies cover cleanup services.

Homeowners Insurance

Insurance is a safety net, to help you recover from life’s curveballs. However, a safety net isn’t any good if it doesn’t cover those surprises! You know your policy covers a fallen tree, you know it covers hail, but what about disasters, riots, or crime? For the most part (we can’t say all of them) your homeowners insurance has your back. Here are some, perhaps surprising, things your policy covers you might not know about.

Your Homeowners Insurance Can Cover…

Protesting Masses

Times are turbulent. With a country more politically active than ever, it seems like a daily occurrence that there is a march or protest somewhere.  If your home is damaged from protests or rioting, worry not – your homeowners insurance will cover the cost to repair damages.

Disasters

If you’re local to SoCal like us, then you know how insurance handles earthquakes or floods (usually separate policies for those specific disasters) but damage to your home caused by falling volcanic ash is frequently covered under standard policies. Not bad huh?

Break Ins

If you have ever been the victim of a breaking and entering, you know criminals don’t tend to treat your home with respect when they are thrashing your home. If your home is trashed, furniture broken, that sort of thing, your homeowners policy will cover the damages – though the amount covered varies on individual policies and how they handle depreciation.

Deaths

It is not something we ever hope to see, but it can happen. Homes can be the site of an unattended, undiscovered passing, or a crime that leaves a biohazard state behind. If this should happen, rest easy knowing your homeowners policy likely covers the necessary work to bring it back to a livable condition. 

Final Resting Places

You might be surprised to learn that your policy covers family member’s final resting places, whether they are on the property or elsewhere. Should a grave marker be damaged, vandalized, or removed your policy will help cover it.

The important thing to take away from this blog is that homeowners policies often cover much more than we might initially suspect. The only way to be certain is to reach out and ask!

The BIOClean Team and Homeowners Insurance

We are a bit of a niche industry, as you might imagine. A part of what enables us to help people as quickly and seamlessly as possible is to work with insurance companies as much as possible. That’s why The BIOClean Team works so closely with insurers to have solid relationships. When they know what our process is it makes us an easy call for them to make, or recommendation to give. It cuts out the run around and gets everything on the path to normalcy that much faster.

It makes the whole process smoother, and now you are a part of that process. You know your policy covers these kinds of incidents, you can move to get help right away, as soon as you’re able.

You Don’t Need Insurance For Our Help

If you are in a situation where you don’t have insurance but you need help don’t hesitate to give us a call. The BIOClean Team is here to help you, not companies. When dealing with the aftermath of trying times, the last thing you should have to worry about is cleaning. 

Hopefully finding this blog has given you the peace of mind you need to move forward. Know that the BIOClean Team works to make the process as efficient as possible, whether that’s with or without insurance. You already have to deal with so much, let us shoulder that burden and bring your home back to a livable space again. Should you need our services, give us a call – we are available 24/7/365 and ready to move out and restore your property to livable conditions.

In homes all across America there is something sinister lurking just beneath the surface… all houses have a history and some of them are dangerous.  In the spirit of the season we’re looking at something spooky here on the BIOClean Team Blog, we’re looking at what can happen when you live in a former meth house and how to identify them. 

Dangers of Living in a Former Meth House

Living in meth houses is dangerous, everybody knows that. The handling of volatile chemicals can lead to explosions and fires amongst other health concerns. What many might not realize is that even when the house is no longer an active meth lab, the health complications are still there. Here’s why.

Methamphetamine is a crystal substance that when heated vaporizes, that’s how people ingest it. That vapor  goes off and into surfaces and as it cools, it recrystallizes. This trace amount increases over time and in the case of homes that used to be meth labs, can leave incredibly unhealthy levels of the chemicals in the walls, ceilings, carpets – you name it. When meth is ‘cooked’ in a home these toxins spread everywhere.This remaining chemicals can harm those living in the home, as they are exposed to the residual meth daily.

In some cases families report constant sickness, inability to sleep, sinus problems that require surgery, babies unable to gain weight. Others have methamphetamine traces show up in their bloodwork without any history of using the substance. Migraines, respiratory difficulties, skin burns, irritation. The list goes on, and these are just the short term effects. The possible long-term health problems are less understood, but no less scary.

Coming down with these illnesses repeatedly, seemingly out of nowhere can seem like something out of a horror movie!  If you have experienced any of these symptoms after moving into a new home, it may very well be that your home’s history wasn’t properly disclosed to you. 

Signs of a Former Meth House

Whether you are looking at purchasing a new home or you’re renting out a property and wonder what might be going down – keep your eyes peeled for some of these common meth house signs.

Stay Alert for Strong Scents

While older homes might have a normal, musty smell, meth homes have a clear scent. Smell for ammonia, vinegar, or a rotten egg smell. These are definitive flags that something is up, if you haven’t bought the property yet now is the time to ask some serious questions.

Ask Your Neighbors

One of the couples we mentioned earlier had no idea until their neighbors clued them in. Talk to your neighbors, they have likely been in the neighborhood longer than yourself and may have seen things that the seller of the property didn’t see (or didn’t want to disclose). 

Test Your Home

If you have noticed any of these signs, or want to get right to the scientific truth of the matter, you can get a test. You can buy a methamphetamine test to test the levels in your home for relatively low costs (some on Amazon for as little as $10 at the time of this writing). Each state has a ‘safe’ limit so check against that number to determine whether your result is acceptable for you. And if that tests proves positive for even a minuscule amount, you are allowed to feel it is unacceptable. It’s your home, you don’t have to go by a recommended safe amount if you don’t feel safe!

While we hope you never have to deal with a situation like these fine people who discovered, perhaps too late, that their home was a former meth lab, it’s worth it to have this knowledge ahead of time! 

Call The BIOClean Team

Get bad news? Did your house test positive for meth residue? It is time for a serious cleanup! We have talked about meth cleanup before, the necessities and how it works. But the long and short of it is: if you suspect your home or home-to-be was a meth house,  get professional assistance and make sure your home is habitable! If you need the help, get in touch! The BIOClean Team is prepared to handle the hard work necessary to rehabilitate properties just like yours. Giving your family peace of mind and a safe place to live again.

Last time on the we talked about how to get ready to clean the home of a recently passed love one, the first steps in getting things settled and this time, we are looking at getting things sorted. Once you have the home secured, the will read, and limits set it’s time to begin the possibly long process of house cleaning after death.

Remember:  Be Kind to Yourself. This is an emotionally stressful time, but you will persevere, you will get through this. Ask for help if you need it. The process is physically and emotionally taxing. If you need people to help move furniture, or help to get through the grief, lean on your support system – people are there for you!

How to Start House Cleaning After a Death: Claims, Donations and More

Go Through the Home

Now that will has been read, a date set, and the family informed, it’s time to get to the actual work of house cleaning.  First things first, make sure anything that has been willed has been taken care of with the beneficiary. If someone is willed a painting, get them in the home and make sure they receive the painting. Your loved one wanted them to have it, a final gift, so make sure you honor those wishes.

After the will has been executed on, it’s time to take care of the rest of the stuff. This will likely have to happen in stages.

While it might seem like an easier path, do not just get the family together at once and let them run wild through the home. Instead, take a first lap around the house doing a rough sort of each room.

Set aside the high-value objects for appraisal such as fine art, silver, jewelry, antiques. If your family member collected anything specific like coins, stamps, etc. that would be worth appraising as well.

Sentimental items like blankets, quilts, or anything else should be kept to a separate area from the valuables.

When the home has been sorted you can bring in the family. Does everyone get along? Bringing everyone in a large group so they can talk about it might work well. If two parties should find themselves both wishing to get something, they can handle it out there and keep the processing moving along (when this happens and one party got ‘first choice’ it can cause unfortunate rifts).

If, however, there are already frictions in the family, bringing in smaller groups one at a time can make everything run smoother. Start with immediate family, then move out to family and friends the deceased was the closest too. Allow them to place sticky notes on items they wish, when multiple people want the same thing you can make sure they are in contact with each other. The goal is to make sure everything is done by that date, so they’ll have to come to an agreement by then!

Donate and Remove Unwanted Items

After everyone has had their chance to claim any leftover items, if there are any pieces of furniture or items that are in good condition think about donating them! Did your loved one have a church, or community group they were active in? Did they have a favorite charity or cause? Donating to those groups can be a great way to help them and honor the memory of your loved one.

After donations and claims from family and friends you might still have some stuff lingering around the house. In those cases it’s time to rent a dumpster and haul away what’s left. This moment can feel overwhelming. Remember, these aren’t items that were wanted, they don’t hold the memories you might feel they do at that moment. Most likely, these are just pieces of old junk your loved one would have been happy to get rid of themselves.

With everything removed, donated, or claimed, you should be left with an empty residence ready for a good cleaning. Should it need serious work, call in professionals (it’s our job!). The home is ready to be put back on the market, for new family members to inhabit, or for another person in need to move in. The home is clean and the stuff is gone, but the person who passed, they live on in your heart, and the memories can never be taken away. Remember to be kind to yourself as you process in this time, seek help, attend a grief support group, or speak with a professional if you think it will help you.

We’ll see you next time on The BIOClean Team blog!

While the immediate results of someone passing are often within the scope of our work here at The BIOClean Team, it is not the only house cleaning after death. After a loved on passes, the task of tending their home falls on the family, and in this stressful time, it can seem a daunting, overwhelming chore. This month on the BIOClean Team blog, we are talking about handling an estate cleanout. First let’s talk about the process before the actual cleaning out.

How to Prep for House Cleaning After a Death

Assuming you didn’t need to have any serious cleaning services, or after they have been done, it’s time to tend to the belongings and home that have been left behind. If you are the one responsible for this, you will want to follow these steps to make it work

Secure the Home

The first thing necessary to doing a proper job house cleaning, is securing the home. You may not be able to clean out the home immediately and you also don’t know who has keys to the residence.  To protect everything in the home, change the locks as soon as you can. You might not have the time to fully clean the house, but swapping out locks should be a quick enough job. If your loved one was renting the property, you will want to speak with their landlord about the proper way to secure the belongings.

Track Down Important Paperwork

Before you get into the nitty gritty of tossing, taking, or selling off property, make sure you have located all of the essential paperwork necessary to take care of your loved one’s affairs.

Documents to look out for include:

• Social security card
• Utility bills
• Credit card statements
• Mortgage payments
• Car registrations
• Deeds
• Insurance policies
• Receipts or paperwork for jewelry or art
• Any username and passwords for online accounts
• Wills

That last one (wills) is going to be incredibly important for the next step so be sure you have it before proceeding.

But… What if There Is No Will?

If in the course of hunting down the important documents you come to find that there is no will in place, your loved one had died ‘intestate.’ That’s just a fancy word for not having made a will before they died but it does put everything in a legal space that varies state by state. Get in touch with a legal eagle in your area to determine exactly how to handle it.

Go Over the Will and Set Limits

The will is going to guide you on your path to cleaning house. If the passing of your loved one was expected, you very well may already be familiar with what their will entails, but it’s possible it is all new to you. Either way, it is incredibly important to read over the will carefully before beginning any estate cleanout.

Most wills are straight forward. ‘I leave my jewelry to Nancy, my oldest daughter. My furniture to Frank, my younger son.’ This sort of direction. But not all are so easily deciphered. You may need the help of a probate attorney. If the will lists an executor, they should be the one to choose an attorney, should it be required.

While you are tending to the will, make a time limit for the process. If you set a firm date and let everyone know with plenty of time to work through it, you avoid a lot of problems that can occur. Remember, everyone is grieving, everyone is going through the process differently and emotions are running high. No one wants to be mean or hard to deal with, but the emotional toll can make me people irritable.

If the home is going to go back on the market following cleanup (should it be a rental, or if you are choosing to do so) having a firm due date can help the process stay on track.

We will pause there for now. Next time on the blog we’ll get into the specific stages of cleaning out the house after a death that mind help give you a guideline to follow. It is an extremely emotionally tough time, we know. Remember to be kind on yourself as you go about this necessary work. If you think the home needs serious, professional cleaning efforts give us a call and see how The BIOClean Team can help.

Ever get stuck in a traffic jam, and after waiting twenty minutes you come up to see the source of the problem – an accident. Whether a small fender bender or something more serious, car accidents leave plenty of wreckage. Ever wonder who takes care of the leftover debris, smashed glass, and spilt fluids? That’s  what this blog is all about! This time on The BioClean Team blog we are looking at car accident cleanup!

The world is full of messes, and we’re here to help clean them up! Whether it’s meth labs (link) or human feces (link) we know the importance of proper cleaning procedures. When it comes to car accident cleanup, there are a few different steps and groups responsible.

Car Accident Cleanup

First Responders

When an accident happens, police and/or fire departments are first on the scene making sure everyone is alright and getting them the emergency help they need. Part of that is also about maintaining the order of the traffic space, getting the road blocked off if necessary and rerouting traffic. Depending on the severity of the accident, they may be able to move any larger pieces of debris from the roadway.  In the case of more severe car accidents, cleanup will be managed by a tow company. 

The Tow Company

Police departments typically maintain a contract with tow companies to ensure they have the needed manpower to help clean up after significant accidents. When vehicles are so damaged they can’t be driven away or easily maneuvered, that’s when the tow crew comes in. They have the tools necessary to move the large wreckage, any of the loose debris, and spilled fluids. They carry a material that they can spread out to absorb the harmful liquids and make clean up much easier, it’s like kitty litter on steroids.

With these in hand they use their trucks winches to get the wreckage pulled up off the road, the larger pieces of debris moved, sweep up glass and other smaller particles and lay down the mix to clean up spills. If the accident ended with just vehicle damage, then that’s settled (at least until time for repairs.) If however, the accident caused more harm to the people inside than the car itself, you’ll need to look elsewhere for cleanup support.

What Comes Next?

Sometimes, an accident leaves the vehicle in a condition that a simple trip to the body shop won’t fix. We are talking about any accident (or any reason) that might leave the interior of the vehicle a potential biohazard. That’s where companies like the BIOClean Team can help! Whether a private or emergency vehicle, the BIOClean Team takes care of everything! We deodorize and decontaminate the vehicle, removing all trace of debris and odors. Using the proper EPA-approved cleaning agents, disinfectants and solvents, the BIOClean Team takes care to clean every area affected directly, and those that may have unknowingly been cross-contaminated.

So, who cleans up after car accidents? It all depends on the severity, the situation and what kind of clean up is necessary! If it’s an instance where there is not need for police assistance, it is up to the owners of the vehicles to pick up their debris (though they may not realize it!) In those cases it is up to city services to head out and take care of the cleanup.

Do you have a vehicle that is in need of remediation? Exposure to bodily fluids ruined your car’s carpet and cushions? You need a professional to decontaminate and deodorize! Give us a call and see what The BIOClean Team can do for you! 

Here at the BIOClean Team we take care of some serious messes. From hoarding homes to aftermath of crimes, death, meth labs, we handle it all. One that might surprise our readers to hear is cleaning up human feces. That’s right. In the words of Dr. Ian Malcolm in Jurassic Park “When ya gotta go, ya gotta go.” Whether it’s a stranger leaving a surprise in your yard, or an apartment that has been used as a restroom, whatever the reason for the buildup of human (or animal!) waste, we can help you!

Cleaning Up Human Feces

Cleaning up human feces and urine is not something to take lightly! Businesses have gotten into hot water because they ask untrained workers to handle these kinds of messes, there is a reason you want to have proper training to handle any sort of human waste cleanup: human feces is a biohazard!

We have talked about what biohazards are previously on the blog but to put it quickly here: a biohazard is any biological substance that can be a threat to the health of living things, whether that’s blood carrying bloodborne pathogens or human tissues. Anything that came into contact with human fluid or waste can be the host for infectious diseases and human feces is no different.

Human Feces Can Carry:

• C-diff
• Cholera
• E. coli
• Norovirus
• Dysentery
• Giardia
• Salmonella
• Hookworm
• Ringworm
• Tapeworm

The moral of the story? Human feces can carry a whole mess of biological organisms that are no good for you! That’s why you need to approach it with the proper precautions and training to handle it safely!

If it is a small amount (hopefully!) that you think you can tackle yourself, here is an easy, quick breakdown of how to safely clean up human feces!.

What You’ll Need

• Cleaning Gloves
• Disposable Bags
• Paper Towels / Cleaning Cloths
• Something to Scrape With
• Dish Soap / Detergent
• Bleach or Disinfecting Wipes

Step 1 – Scrape Clean

First thing first, scrape up as much solid waste as there is remaining. You always want to work inward, from the least soiled areas to the most to prevent unnecessary spreading. Toss that in a disposable bag.

Step 2 – Wet Wipe

Now using paper towels, cleaning cloths, or wipes it’s time to do a preliminary pass on the soiled area. Use hot water and wipe up the obvious mess. The hot water will help break up anything that has been allowed to set. Throw the disposable materials into the bag. This might take a few passes until it appears clean – it won’t truly be but that’s where we want to get it for this pass.

Step 3 – Disinfect, Disinfect, Disinfect

Depending how you are going about disinfecting there will be slight variations. For one, if you are using disinfecting wipes you need to be sure to wipe and leave the area wet for several minutes. Look at the manufacturer’s instructions for whatever disinfectant product you are using. You might be surprised to see it but for the chemicals to fully breakdown the infectious materials left by waste it can take several minutes. If you are using chemicals such as bleach, make sure you follow the proper procedure for mixing it with water.

Step 4 –Rinse and Let Dry

Once you’ve left the disinfectant on long enough to do it’s job, you can rinse off the surface, cleaning the chemicals from it. Wipe away with clean water, let it dry and you have yourself a safe surface once again!

On the small scale, these kinds of cleanups can be handled safely on your own, if you know what you are doing (hence this blog!) For large scale urine and feces cleanup, don’t try to manage it yourself, instead call in the professionals! The BIOClean Team will respond 24/7, promptly, and are equipped to get the job done correctly, and safely, for everyone involved.

Cleaning up the worst of the worst is kind of our bread and butter here at The BIOClean Team. Whether they’re after deaths, crimes, hoarding, or doing meth cleanup work, we do it all to our own high standards. Many of these have regulatory standards either state or federal that they must meet for the location to be considered livable again. Meth falls in a bit of a grey area as the standards vary on a state by state basi. The amount of residue of 0.1 ug/100cm2 is fine in Alaska with a written disclosure, while North Dakota doesn’t have any laws on the books for it. Some allow The EPA has a great document out on guidelines for meth lab cleanups but it’s a ‘voluntary’ guide, meaning states don’t have to use their suggestions. Confused? Don’t worry, we are here to help!

Meth Cleanup – Why it’s Needed, How it’s Done

Methamphetamine is a growing problem in America. NBC San Diego just did a write up on the situation, noting that San Diego was once the ‘meth capital of the world’ in the late 1980s. When those who are cooking it are busted, they leave behind a mess in the homes they use as laboratories. And it really is a mess that gets left behind.

Was Your Property a Meth Lab?

Over 50% of meth labs are found in rental properties. If you are a landlord and you see any of these telltale signs, you will want to call 911 immediately. Meth labs are dangerous, so don’t poke around yourself.

• Cold Medicine

  • The key ingredient in homemade meth, pseudoephedrine, is found in cold medicine. If you see a large number of cold medication containers or discarded packages, it’s a clear sign.

• The Smell

  • Home meth labs are rarely sanitary. There is usually a strong chemical smell. If the meth lab is active it may smell like paint thinner or varnish, ether, sour or vinegary, or have a smell like ammonia.

• Equipment

  • Glass kitchen ware, rubber tubing, funnels, rubber gloves, large plastic storage containers, plastic soda bottles, dust masks. These are all signs that someone’s been using the place as a lab.

Why Meth Cleanup is Necessary

Proper cleanup following a meth lab is absolutely vital for anyone to live in the home safely. Exposure to the residue can result in symptoms similar to those who use meth such as nose and throat irritation, dizziness, nausea, headaches The effects of long term exposure are under study but these symptoms alone are enough to warrant cleanup.

How Meth Cleanup Works

Prep

First the structure is going to be secured. This is to prevent any unauthorized access to the contaminated areas. The whole idea of meth lab cleanups is to limit the exposure that people endure so making sure no one can enter without the proper gear is crucial.

Ventilation plays a big part in the cleanup process. The HVAC systems will be shut down before and during the cleanup process to prevent it from circulating residue and recontamination. Airing out the labs will allow fresh air to move through the home and help in the removal of fumes and odors.

Initial tests and samples around the structure are an important way to find out just what needs cleaning and what may be too far gone to safely decontaminate. Then a plan is developed covering the scope of work, the level of PPE technicians will need, everything that will go into the job is planned out here.

Clean

Once a plan has been made and the cleanup techs are geared up it’s time to start! Removing the contaminated material is the first step, discarding remaining meth paraphernalia as well as pulling furniture and porous materials like carpet if necessary. The EPA suggestions are to then allow the structure to ventilate for 24 hours following this initial removal.

Using a commercial grade vacuum and HEPA filters to do an initial cleaning of the floors and walls. This will remove some residue but doesn’t decontaminate entirely. It’s a necessary step but far from the last!

Once everything has been vacuumed it’s time for hard surface washing. We use specifically formulate cleaners, not bleach (bleach can have a chemical reaction with the chemicals used to create meth and can create a toxic gas). There will be a few passes of cleaners, thoroughly rinsing after each wash, moving from ceilings to walls to floors.

Remember that HVAC system? Now is the time to ensure that it is clean. The ducts will need a testing to see if they are contaminated as well (they likely are). The HVAC system will be cleaned and sealed.

Flushing the plumbing and septic systems is a solid idea here as well. Meth chemicals are often flushed through drains and toilets, causing corrosion. If there is a large amount of chemical waste in a septic or private waste water system it can cause problems.

Final Tests

When it all is said and done, more tests will be taken to ensure that the levels of residue are below the state standard.

This has of course been a brief overview. There are an incredible number specifics to the tools, the cleaners, and the process that we put all meth cleanup projects through. We want to ensure that no matter the state of the home when you call, when we’re done you are satisfied and can safely resume living there. If you suspect your home has been used for a meth lab and need restoration done, you give us a call. #WeCleanTheScene

One of the few certainties in life, death is inevitable. Unfortunately for everyone, we will have to have some experiences with death, whether our own or that of a loved one. For many, this final moment of life comes when they least expect, a heart attack in bed, or some other natural disaster. When people die at home, for whatever the reason, one of the things that must be taken care in the immediate aftermath includes cleaning up the home following the death. This time on the blog, we are going to go over after death cleaning services, what you can reasonably expect, and what’s necessary so that life can continue.

After Death Cleaning Services – Why is it Necessary

When the natural functions of the body fail, the intricate balance that keeps us put together starts to break down. The body cools, the blood pools, the body stiffens. The living microbes, the enzymes, and bacteria that exist inside the guts and in the world begin to break down the body. The body changes colors to green, purple, black. The bacteria create a gas the smells terrible and cause the body to bloat.

These processes create a biohazardous environment, as we have talked about blood, bodily fluids, and material potentially carry infectious diseases. For people to resume living in a place where someone has passed, rigorous after death cleaning services are necessary to sterilize and create a safe environment.

What Constitutes After Death Cleaning Services

As you might imagine, with that kind of a mess, the cleaning needed is pretty intensive – it’s not something you can take care of in an afternoon. The restoration or biohazard clean up company you hire, like BIOClean Team, will likely have a lot of intensive work ahead of them.

First, the team will assess the scene, looking for the potential areas of contamination. Much of the interior of homes are filled with porous objects. The carpet itself, couches, cushions, all of that can allow blood, etc. to seep in. Any furniture, flooring like carpet, or wall coverings will need to be removed. If they may have come into contact with the remains they may have been contaminated.

Using commercial grade cleaning agents, the crew will disinfect and clean the scene, destroying all potential biohazards in the process. All blood and biological material are removed, the area is sanitized and disinfected. Stains are removed, decontaminants are used, and deodorizers are applied to remove any foul lingering smell (which there no doubt will be).  This is the most critical part of the entire job.

All of the removed material and waste is disposed of in compliance with the state and federal laws to ensure there is no biohazard danger to anyone else.

All of this is done with the necessary gear (such as our PPEs) and up to the highest standard of health and safety in the industry, for both the workers and the inhabitants of the affected space.

When the space has been properly cleaned by a professional, you can then begin the process of moving forward. It won’t be easy of course, loss never is, but with a safe home to live in you can start putting the pieces back together.

Should you ever need after death cleaning services, you will want to reach out to someone you trust. It’s a trying time already and working with a company that is disreputable, cheap, or otherwise out for themselves, can only make the process worse.

The BIOClean Team approaches it like this, it’s a difficult, often terrible time for the people we help, all we want is to make it easier. That’s why we go above and beyond, to ensure that the problems are addressed. We talked about the process of choosing a restoration company last time on the blog, and should you ever need it we hope you give us a call. Our owner Stacy Houston has over 10 years of experience as a registered nurse in addition to the years with The BIOClean Team and her empathy and passion for service and truly helping people shines through in everything The BIOClean Team does. That’s a factor that other restoration companies just can’t match.

Question: When dealing with Property Damage due to Biohazards (blood, feces, bodily fluids), Water Damage, Fire, or Mold, who gets to hire the restoration company? Does the insurance choose or does the insured?

Answer:  The insured!!!

Everything to Know About Property Claims and Hiring the Remediation Company

When making a claim most property owners are already feeling overwhelmed. Opening a claim means there has been a loss, and whether it is property damage due to a fire, water, or biological hazards, this is already a trying time without having to then navigate the claims process vetting vendors.

Calling the insurance company can be daunting, and when the call is made there will be a multitude of questions, including the very pressing: “Which restoration company are you going to hire?”

Who gets to decide? What does “Preferred Vendors” mean? Who are preferred vendors”?

Typically, the insurance claims adjuster will confirm coverage for some or all of the loss. Then, he or she may make a suggestion:  “We have a list of Preferred (referred) Vendors in your area that we recommend you choose from. All are reliable and provide quality service. You can also choose a contractor of your choice. However, by choosing one of our referred Vendors we can guarantee the work and arrange repairs if the work is not completed properly for any reason.”

Why? 

The insurance company’s main goal is to reduce their expenses on a claim. Referred vendors are companies that have agreed to set prices by the insurance company in exchange for steady referrals (work) at a reduced cost. The insurance company’s goal is to save money by paying less for repair work.

This arrangement works at first for the vendors because they will receive steady referrals, and works well for the insurance company because they can reduce their claims payout. Insurance companies save money on tear out, repair or replacement. Often preferred vendors are set up through third-party providers (brokers), who oversee the scope of repairs and determine the pricing which frees the adjustor to focus on other areas of their contracts.

Another foreseeable issue with this set up is the actual scope of repairs. When hiring an independent restoration company, a qualified individual thoroughly inspects the property, completes a through assessment, and then determines the scope of work needed to return the property to a pre-loss condition.

If using a referred Vendor, the insurance company (or their third-party provider) determines the scope of work. This is determined by a pre-set formula as to how much equipment and how many days they will “allow” on the project. Typically this could be less than what may actually be required, especially, as experience dictates, what is seen upfront may be underestimated once the walls are opened or flooring is removed. Biohazards can be far reaching, and only an ethical mitigation expert that is not bound by price restrictions should be assessing the property’s actual needs.

Referred vendors are not in a position to challenge the insurance adjustor’s assessment regarding repairs, even in the event that there is a discrepancy. Despite what the company has been trained and certified to do, the referred Vendor may lose their contract status if they do not abide by the decisions of the insurance company.

Focusing on COST over QUALITY is by far the quickest way to create a larger problem on the property. With regards to restoration work, choosing strictly on price will generally mean subpar remediation efforts. In order to maintain profits, yet maintain the low cost required by insurance companies, Preferred Vendors must cut corners elsewhere.  Whether it be a rushed dry out with less equipment, or lower paid technicians with less training, guaranteed there will be a sacrifice somewhere.

In some cases, Biohazards (sewage, blood, or bodily fluids), Mold, Lead and/or Asbestos may not be properly addressed.  There are higher costs for materials and time involved in following industry-standard procedures.  Biohazard cleanup for instance is a high risk cleanup that exposes the home owner and technicians to potential pathogens. In California there are a multitude of certification bodies that oversee the proper handling, transport, and disposal of hazardous waste. Carrying the proper licenses, liability insurance limits, and certified technicians is not cheap. At the very least a restoration company should be able to produce a medical waste disposal contract and hazardous waste transporting paperwork to show that the waste was appropriately transported to a medical waste or hazardous waste treatment facility. In order to legally clean crime scenes, the company MUST be a registered hauler (meeting all insurance and training requirements) and be certified by the state.  If the company cannot produce these documents, they are not likely able to certify that the space has been legitimately and safely remediated from a crime scene. Often in order to cut costs, the visible biological matter is removed, when actually, flooring or baseboards needs to be removed and thorough testing procedures to ensure adequate remediation is complete.

Finally, often, referred Vendors agree to pay a referral or “lead fee” for the jobs referred to them by the contracted insurance company. Unfortunately, this reduces already slim profit margins which in turn leads to cutting corners on product, equipment use, or labor. If the restoration company continues with these margins, they either go out of business, or remove themselves as a referred Vendor.  This seems to be one of the major reasons for turnover of contractors on the Preferred Vendors list.

BOTTOM LINE: THE INSURED GETS to determine which company TO HIRE!

The BIOClean Team is a vendor for major cities, property management companies, and has worked on countless insurance claims as an independent vendor.  After years of experience, the owner, Stacy Houston, understands liability.  Not only has she fleshed out legal and ethical teachings in the hospital setting while onboarding teams and debriefing, but on the restoration side, she is methodical about documentation and compliance.

The BIOClean Team philosophy is to have total control over the scope of repairs. For that reason, they handle every restoration project correctly, according to industry standards, and do not cut corners.

The process:

• The BIOClean Team technician will do a through assessment of the scope of repairs and open a claim with the adjustor should the insured wish to move forward.
• The work is thoroughly documented from the moment the call is received, and throughout the entire project.
• Photos are included them with the scope of repairs submitted to the insurance company while invoices are calculated using Xactimate software numbers (the software most adjustors prefer). The BIOClean Team has never had a covered loss claim denied.
• In some instances, The BIOClean Team has provided GoPro Videos to further document the project.  This is appreciated, especially when a field adjuster is not immediately available, or the interior of the dwelling is considered a hazard to enter. (Tear gas, crime scenes, extreme gross filth, extreme hoarding, or category 3 sewage leaks)

Hopefully, you will never need the services of a bioremediation specialist, but if you ever do, we encourage you to consider this information carefully. We can even file your claim for you and submit directly to your adjustor. If you do need to call the insurance company, go ahead and say: “I need to start a claim… And I’ve chosen The BIOClean Team as my remediation company.”