Flood damage Headaches and help

[Todd Groom]

I have spent hours trying to find this magic FEMA book or guideline that will tell me exactly what the reimbursement rates are for different things like clean up, calculations on material cost and so on that adjusters use to pay out claims. Companies like Servpro have a tool they use that allows them to max out what insurance companies use or go just over it. They are able to bill for every screw they pull out of a wall versus a landlord only getting paid for cutting sheetrock out. It's just such a massive gap it's sad. I was going to take on a flood myself but then was talked out of it by an old pro who explained it exactly like that. He said where I will get paid for 5 items they will get paid for 25 items. Let them do it. Well, I just got a bill for $10,600 for something I could have easily done. Not only that but they actually went behind me and billed them for things I did which I'm fighting to get paid for now.

I have learned Everyone is out for themselves and it's sad. We really need a good educational series that talks about what steps to take from the start, who to call, what to do, who to trust, and so on. Everything I found online just talks about two things. First, you need flood insurance, and here's why. Then second, this is the soap you should use to clean it up. 

Does anyone know of a good video series that talks about this? Or are there any links to FEMA and what they use to pay out for cleanup? There has to be something somewhere that tells you exactly what is paid for. For example, Servpro was paid around $400 to go pull out the screws after they charged them for pulling the drywall off the wall and charged them for taking the baseboard off the same wall. Basically, they are being paid 3 times for the same foot of the wall. I'm interested in making a video if anyone else is. I have learned a lot and still learning but would like to go through this with someone who has been there if I can. Please DM me if you can help me with the rest of this.