I need help understanding something with home owners

[Peter Barth]

I've just had all this work done on my house, for damage.  It's a victorian home, but anyways, the porch was in bad shape and wasn't meeting code in any which way.  After fighting with the insurance company, we have gotten the insurance company to pay $25,000 for the porch under the ordinance and law section.  Great!  Well, I found out that they are saying that I have to pay this out of pocket first and they'll reimburse me for the cost.  Who the heck has $25,000 out of nowhere.  Is this normal business practice?  Are they going to stiff me once the work is done?  (I would get it in writing first)   It just seems strange to me...so HELP!