Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
M&M Services
I’ve got other questions. Who can I talk to?
Give us a call, or email us. We’ll be happy to answer any other questions you may have. Go to our Contact Page if all your questions have not been answered here.
How do I schedule an appointment?
You can schedule an appointment by calling 630.654.2600, emailing info@mmadjust.com, or filling out our online form. We answer calls 24 hours a day.
Adjusting
How can I maximize my claim within the limits of my policy?
We maximize your claim within the limits of your policy. We are the “check and balance system” to assist in making sure your claim is paid properly.
Beyond handling my claim on my behalf and reconstructing my home or business, what other services does Michaelson & Messinger provide?
Michaelson & Messinger Insurance Specialists, LLC prepares an itemized claim detail for the damages to your building and personal property, negotiates on your behalf with the adjuster representing the insurance company to assure you receive a fair and equitable settlement, prepares and submits all necessary paperwork, and obtains the proper building permits, among other services. Please take a look at our About Us page for information on our services.
Beyond handling my claim on my behalf and reconstructing my home or business, what other services does Michaelson & Messinger provide?
Michaelson & Messinger Insurance Specialists, LLC prepares an itemized claim detail for the damages to your building and personal property, negotiates on your behalf with the adjuster representing the insurance company to assure you receive a fair and equitable settlement, prepares & submits all necessary paperwork, and obtains the proper building permits – among other services. Please take a look at our About Us page for information on our services.
Are you bonded and insured for this type of work?
Yes. Michaelson & Messinger Insurance Specialists, LLC is licensed, bonded, and insured. We are regulated by the State of Illinois, Department of Insurance and are a member of the Chicago and Northern Illinois Better Business Bureau.
Do you guarantee your work?
Absolutely. Michaelson & Messinger Insurance Specialists, LLC guarantees all of its work with documents signed by Michaelson & Messinger, Inc. and you. See our Guarantees page for full information.
How long have you been in the business of insurance adjusting?
Our management team has over 60 years experience in the preparation, adjustment and negotiation of insurance claims in the State of Illinois.
While you are working on my claim and reconstructing my home, where do I live?
Michaelson & Messinger Insurance Specialists, LLC helps place you in temporary housing while your home is being repaired. We use a professional relocation company which specializes in disaster relocation and is recognized by insurance companies. There is no cost to you for this service.
What is a public adjuster?
A public adjuster is a licensed professional who represents you, the policyholder, in an insurance claim. The insurance company has its own adjuster who works for the company. A public adjuster works only for you. Michaelson & Messinger has represented Illinois property owners since 2006, and every adjuster on our staff is licensed by the State of Illinois.
How much does a public adjuster charge?
We work on a percentage of the settlement, agreed in writing before we start. There is no upfront fee. If there is no recovery, there is no fee. On a small, simple claim we may tell you a public adjuster is not needed, and we will say so at the free first visit.
Will my insurance rates go up if I hire a public adjuster?
No. Your premium is set by the loss itself, not by who represents you. Hiring a public adjuster is your right under Illinois law and the carrier cannot penalize you for it.
Restoration
What types of restoration services do you offer?
We provide restoration services for fire, water, mold, storm damage, and other emergencies. Additionally, we offer specialty cleaning, odor removal, and structural repairs.
How long does the restoration process take?
The timeline varies depending on the extent of damage. We provide a detailed estimate after assessing the situation.
Are your services available 24/7?
Yes, we offer 24/7 emergency response to ensure immediate assistance whenever disaster strikes.
Do you do the restoration work yourselves?
Yes. Our own crews perform the emergency work and the rebuild, under one item by item contract with a written warranty. We are not a referral service. The people who estimate the work are the people who do it.
Do I have to use your restoration crew if you adjust my claim?
No. You can settle the claim with us and hire any contractor you choose. Most clients stay with us because the estimate that won the claim is the same estimate we build to, so nothing falls between the adjuster and the contractor.
Do you pull permits and handle inspections?
Yes. Every restoration is performed under permit with the village, city, or county, and we schedule and pass every inspection. In Chicago we also handle the Department of Buildings process and, after a fire, the demolition court and proceeds release paperwork.
What is your warranty?
All restoration work is covered by a written warranty. When something needs attention after you move home, we come back. Our Google reviews describe us returning years later to fix a leak or a door.
Can you start work before the claim is settled?
Emergency work starts immediately: board up, tarping, water removal, drying, and contents pack out. That work is a covered expense under your policy. The full rebuild begins once the scope and settlement are agreed with the carrier, so you are never building on money that has not been approved.
Can you keep part of my business open during restoration?
Often. We phase work, protect finished areas, and schedule loud or dusty work off hours so tenants and customers are disrupted as little as possible.
Do you coordinate with my landlord and tenants?
Yes. Multi tenant buildings involve several policies and several parties. Our project manager and adjusting team keep everyone informed and keep each claim separate.
Remodeling
What types of remodeling projects do you handle?
We specialize in kitchen and bathroom remodeling, basement finishing, home additions, and full-scale renovations.
Do you provide design services?
Yes, we offer design consultations to help bring your vision to life, including layout planning, material selection, and 3D renderings.
Do you offer free estimates?
Yes, we provide free, no-obligation estimates after an initial consultation to understand your goals.
Are your services customizable?
Absolutely. We work closely with clients to customize every aspect of their project, from design to materials and finishes.
Do you take remodeling jobs that are not insurance claims?
Yes. We are a full service construction company. Kitchens, bathrooms, basements, additions, whole house reconstruction, and commercial remodeling, with or without a claim.
How do you price a remodeling project?
Every project is priced item by item in a written contract, so you can see what each part costs and change your mind before work begins. The in home consultation and proposal are free.
Do you handle the permit?
Yes. We prepare the drawings, file the application with the village or city, and schedule and pass the inspections. Hinsdale, Oak Brook, La Grange, and Chicago each have their own review process, and we know them.
What areas do you serve for remodeling?
Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Downers Grove, La Grange, Elmhurst, Naperville, and the western and southwest suburbs, plus Chicago.
Is your remodeling work warrantied?
Yes. All remodeling work is under a written warranty. When something needs attention after the job, we come back.
Do you do additions and second stories?
Yes. Room additions, second story additions, master suites, in law suites, garages, and dormers, including foundation, framing, and finish, all matched to the existing house.
Emergency
How fast can you get to my property?
In most of the western and southwest suburbs and Chicago we are on site within one to three hours of your call, sooner for fire scenes where our related board up company is often already present.
Who pays for emergency board up and water removal?
Your insurance policy requires you to protect the property from further damage, and the cost of doing so is a covered expense. We bill the carrier directly as part of the claim. You do not pay out of pocket.
What do you do at a fire scene?
Board up doors and windows, tarp the roof, remove firefighting water, set temporary power and heat, remove unsafe structural elements, and begin packing out and documenting contents. Everything removed is photographed and listed before it leaves.
What should I do while I wait for your crew?
Stay out of the building if the fire department or utility has told you to. Do not throw anything away. Do not sign with any contractor who knocks on the door. Photograph what you can safely reach. We will handle the rest.
Can you remove water from a flooded basement tonight?
Yes. Extraction, removal of saturated material, and drying equipment the same day. Mold begins within 48 hours, so speed matters.
What is winterization and why would I need it?
If a fire or a utility shutoff leaves a house without heat in winter, the pipes will freeze and burst, adding a second loss. We drain and blow out the plumbing so that does not happen.
Do you provide temporary heat and electricity?
Yes. Generators, temporary electrical service, and temporary heaters keep the building safe for work and prevent frozen pipes when the utilities have been cut.
Is emergency service only for your adjusting clients?
No. Anyone can call. If you hire us to adjust the claim and rebuild, the emergency work rolls into the same contract. If not, the emergency work is billed to your carrier as a covered expense.
Do you cover storm damage emergencies?
Yes. Roof tarping, tree removal from structures, and board up of broken windows and doors, the same day when it is safe to work.
Guarantees
Are your adjusters licensed?
Yes. Every public adjuster on our staff is licensed by the State of Illinois Department of Insurance, and we will show you the license.
Is there an upfront fee?
No. Our fee is a percentage of the settlement, agreed in writing before we start. If there is no recovery, there is no fee.
What if you do not think a public adjuster will help my claim?
We will tell you at the free first visit. Not every claim needs us, and we would rather say so than take a fee for nothing.
What is your Better Business Bureau rating?
A+ and accredited. Our Google rating is 4.9 stars from more than fifty clients.
Do you pressure people to sign the night of the fire?
No. We introduce ourselves, leave information, and answer questions. You sign when you are ready.
Will you bill me for work the insurance company should have paid?
No. The estimate that wins the claim is the estimate we build to. Upgrades you choose are priced separately and agreed in writing.
Can I talk to past clients?
Yes. Ask us for references and we will connect you with clients whose claims and rebuilds were similar to yours.
Local
Do you serve my town?
We serve Chicago and the western and southwest suburbs from our Hinsdale office, including Oak Brook, Downers Grove, La Grange, Elmhurst, Lemont, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Orland Park, Oak Lawn, and Joliet. Call 630.654.2600 and we will confirm.
How far is your office from me?
Our office is at 15 Spinning Wheel Road in Hinsdale, near Ogden Avenue and the Tri-State Tollway. Most of the western and southwest suburbs are within twenty minutes, and Chicago is about twenty minutes east.
Do you come to my property or do I come to you?
We come to you. The first visit is at the damaged property, so we can see the loss, read the policy, and give you a straight answer on the spot.
Do you know my village’s permit process?
Yes. We pull permits regularly in Hinsdale, Oak Brook, Downers Grove, La Grange, Elmhurst, Lemont, Naperville, Bolingbrook, Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Joliet, and the City of Chicago, and we know each building department’s requirements.
Are you familiar with the homes in my area?
Yes. We have rebuilt 1890s balloon framed homes, 1920s bungalows and Tudors, postwar brick Georgians and ranches, split levels, and new construction across the suburbs and Chicago. Each age of home has its own claim issues and we know them.
Does my basement flooding count as a covered loss?
It depends on the source. A burst pipe or failed water heater is usually covered in full. Sump failure and sewer backup are usually a separate endorsement with a limit. Rising surface water is usually excluded. We document the source before the carrier assigns it to the cheapest category.
How fast can you respond to a fire in my town?
Emergency crews respond around the clock, usually within one to three hours anywhere in the western and southwest suburbs and Chicago.
Do you handle commercial property in my area?
Yes. Restaurants, retail, offices, apartment buildings, and industrial property, including the building, contents, and business interruption claims and the rebuild.
Is the first consultation really free?
Yes. We meet you at the property, look at the damage and the policy, and tell you plainly whether a public adjuster will help. No fee and no obligation.
What if my town is not on your list?
Call anyway. We serve most of Cook, DuPage, and Will counties and parts beyond. If your property is within our service area we will say so on the phone.
