How Many Hours Did You Spend On Hold With Adjusters Last Week?
Restoration insurance billing isn’t easy – not even for the pros. But that’s where RiBilling.com shines. We offer key restoration insurance billing tips for faster payments.
Get Paid More, Hassle-Free
We’ve spent over 10 years in the trenches, helping restoration contractors get paid more, and easier by working strategically with insurance adjusters. We are not litigious or picking fights either.
At RiB, we understand that cash flow keeps your business alive. That’s why we act as your billing partner, handling the insurance claims frustration so you can focus on running jobs and growing your company. Restoration contractors today are spending time and resources, far exceeding employee salaries just to chase delayed or underpaid claims. That’s time better spent on revenue-generating activities.
THE GAP: Data shows that nearly 60% of restoration claims are initially underpaid or denied due to incorrect documentation or incomplete line-item justification. That’s money being left on the table. This systemic problem points to a widespread profitability crisis with hard data to back it up.
Here are four real-world restoration insurance billing tips and RiB benefits that can make your claims department easier – and more effective:
Tip #1: Good Communication = Faster Payments
“All great projects that begin and end well have one thing in common, good communication.”
– RiB CEO, Joseph Johnson
Your scope-of-work may be clear to you, but insurance adjusters don’t always see it that way. That’s where RiB steps in.
For adjusters, complex or messy communication creates friction and requires more time for follow-up, which directly contributes to claim lag. Good communication in this industry can mean technical clarity. We clarify, organize data, and improve this communication with adjusters by submitting and managing your water mitigation claims for you. While you’re running your crew, our claim advocates are answering calls, backing up your charges, and moving your payment forward, so you don’t have to.
Tip #2: Document Everything (Yes, Everything)
A dentist once told young Joseph,
“Only floss the teeth you want to keep.”
Same goes for your work: only document the work you want to get paid for.
We review your scope and invoice to include the right documentation – organized to each carrier’s preferences (when relevant). Photos before, during, and after the EMS work. Notes on demo prep. Testing, and drying logs; and even little extras that matter when we discuss, justify, rebut adjusters questions (line-by-line).
We know how to make your invoice stand out from a tall stack of claims adjusters have to process.
Tip #3: Submit and Follow Up (or Let Us Do It)
You’re busy helping new customers in distress and living your life. Checking on the status of every claim may not be your top priority, but it is ours.
Inconsistent follow up is a top reason claims get delayed. When adjusters don’t hear from you, or your conversation lacks clarity, there is no sense of urgency. This stalls your claim payment and adds more time to your day chasing money for work you’ve already completed.
If you’re not putting in the full-time required to call, email, escalate to supervisor, then guess what? They’ve moved on to another property owners claim that needs adjusting. No calls, no updates. The adjusters moves on.
RiB follows up consistently, keeps adjusters in the loop, and makes sure your invoiced bill doesn’t fall through the cracks.
Tip #4: Be Ready to Negotiate
Insurance companies don’t always pay the full amount right away. But that doesn’t mean you have to settle.
RiB claim specialists know how to work with adjusters, building rapport, understanding their preferences, and explaining your restoration invoice clearly, with an experienced, professional tone. That alone can make the difference between a short payment and a full one.
Tip #5: Master the Art of the Line Item Justification
The difference between getting $1,200 for a dehumidifier and $600 often comes down to a sentence.
Insurance adjusters process hundreds of claims, and many default to minimum payment codes. To get paid fully and faster, you have to justify your specific line items, especially in Xactimate.
Here’s the Pro Tip: Don’t just list the code. When billing for specialized equipment or complex work – like the WTRDRY category for drying equipment – include the narrative and explain the severity and complexity of the loss, not just the action taken.
-
- INSTEAD OF: “Drying equipment set and monitored.”
- SAY: “48-Hour Drying Protocol initiated for Category 3 loss affecting . Used 3 LGR Dehumidifiers and 14 air movers based on non-recoverable moisture content and confirmed psychrometric readings.”
The additional detail ties your work to the specific conditions of the loss, and clarity for an adjuster to justify a correct payment.
The Results Speak for Themselves
How One Contractor Turned an $18K Delay into Payment in 10 Days
Meet Mike, a restoration contractor in Phoenix who was stuck waiting on a $18,000 payment for a critical water mitigation job. The field work was solid, and the documentation was present, but the adjuster kept asking for “clarifications” and pushing back on standard Xactimate line items.
Mike’s team spent time stuck on the phone, chasing emails, and endless revisions (precious administrative hours). That’s when he called RiB.
We stepped in right away, reviewed his invoice, cleared up the invoice narrative, and added specific supporting documentation helpful to that carrier. Our claim advocate then contacted the adjuster directly and justified the full scope of work. Within 10 days, the claim was approved and paid in full.
“I was ready to write it off as a loss. RiB got it paid and saved me a ton of time and stress.”
– Mike R., Restoration Contractor
Now Mike sends all his insurance billing through RiB. He focuses on running jobs, and we focus on getting claim payments.
Stop managing the payment chase. Outsource to RiB.
Implement these restoration insurance billing tips or partner with the expert team at RiB to focus your energy on growing your business.
By partnering with Restoration Insurance Billing, LLC (RiB), you can:
- Save time and focus on the work that matters
- Get paid faster, with fewer errors
- Reduce claim delays and invoice mistakes
- Improve your cash flow and financial stability
Let RiB handle the insurance billing – so you don’t have to. Our Expert Claims Advocates are ready to go to bat for you. Just tell us your overhead and profit goals and we’ll handle it from there. We get restoration claims paid. We also write Xactimate invoices – full-time, or as a back up service for clients.
How many hours did you spend on hold with an adjuster last week? Let’s change that.
📞 Call today: 888-426-3421
🖥 Inquire today to get started
http://888-426-3421
By Jason D. Myers,
Jason D. Myers is the Co-owner of Restoration Insurance Billing, LLC (RiB). He holds the industry-specific IICRC WRT and TCST certs, but his real education started years ago, helping his dad with remodeling jobs. Because of that, he understands contractor’s daily demands and the value of hard work. Jason earned his business degree from the University of Northern Iowa and background in sales, including eleven years of door-to-door experience to advocate for restorer’s work. Today, Jason is dedicated to using RiB to get contractors paid correctly, ultimately giving them back time to focus on their business and families. A native of Oregon, he now lives in Arizona with his wife, three children, and their golden retriever Mikey, where he enjoys coaching soccer.