What surfaces will the insurance carrier pay you to paint? “Paint Tray” by garycycles is licensed under CC BYIf you’re planning on any painting any amount of interior on an insurance claim project, be sure to read this information before finalizing your repair estimate. You may (surprisingly) end up with an estimate totaling more than it would have—and a much happier customer to boot! Of course, you could also find the opposite if your customer is insured by an overly conservative insurance carrier (more on this below).
Though dependent on policy language and various governing laws from state to state, most insurance carriers are required to pay for restoring a damaged property to a reasonably uniform appearance. To meet this criteria on on interior paint estimating, most insurance carriers will utilize the ‘line-of-sight’ rule. This rule asserts that any undamaged area visible from a direct line of sight of a damaged area must be made so that its appearance is reasonably uniform with the repairs made in the damaged area. In other words, undamaged areas visible by a line of sight from the damaged areas must end up matching.
Painting of Repaired Walls
For interior walls, most insurance carriers will pay to prime the entire wall being repaired, and then paint all of the walls in the room to match. Primer is usually only needed for proper paint adhesion on newly repaired surfaces (i.e., areas with new drywall or plaster). Surfaces previously painted will usually already allow new paint to adhere properly.
Though relatively rare (and seemingly contrary to the ‘line-of-sight’ rule), there are a few overly conservative insurance carriers that will pay only to spot-prime the immediate area of a repaired wall, and then to paint that one wall from corner to corner only. This method is not desirable as 1) spot-priming nearly always shows through paint, and 2) a freshly painted wall next to a previously painted wall will nearly always result in a mismatch, even when computerized matching is used (the mismatch is usually due to normal wear and/or sun fading). These particular insurance carriers may argue that they have provided a ‘reasonably uniform appearance’ under the line-of-sight rule, with ‘reasonable’ having been interpreted by them. This can often lead to contractors and/or property owners giving up the fight and paying out of pocket for the additional painting, though some contractors and property owners will fight it all the way to mediation.
Painting of Repaired Ceilings
For interior paint estimating on ceilings, most insurance carriers will pay to prime the entire ceiling being repaired, and then to paint the entire ceiling to match. If the ceiling is continuous with the ceiling of an adjoined room (or multiple rooms) and there is no break between them, then these insurance carriers will usually pay to prime and paint the ceiling of the adjoined room(s) also. Sometimes only one small area of ceiling may be damaged, but an insurance carrier will pay to prime and paint not only it but also the ceilings of multiple other adjoined rooms so that they match.
As with priming and painting of walls, there are some overly conservative insurance carriers that will pay only to spot-prime the immediate area of a repaired ceiling, and then to paint only that immediate ceiling regardless of whether or not there are adjoined ceilings that are continuous. This method is not desirable as 1) spot-priming nearly always shows through paint, and 2) a freshly painted ceiling next to a previously painted ceiling will nearly always result in a mismatch, even when computerized matching is used (this is usually due to normal wear and/or sun fading). Again, these particular insurance carriers may argue that they have provided a ‘reasonably uniform appearance’ under the line-of-sight rule, with ‘reasonable’ having been interpreted by them. This can often lead to contractors and/or property owners giving up the fight and paying out of pocket for the additional painting, though some contractors and property owners will fight it all the way to mediation.
Painting of Acoustic ‘Popcorn’ Textured Ceilings
Some insurance carriers will pay to prime and/or paint ‘popcorn textured’ ceilings due to stains or smoke odor. It is not desirable to paint these types of ceilings as 1) the texture often times becomes weakened, crumbles, or falls off when wetted by primer or paint, and 2) the texture becomes nearly impossible to scrape off at a later date once it has been ‘sealed-in’ by primer or paint. The best approach to repairing a damaged popcorn textured ceiling is to scrape it off completely (including in adjoined rooms with continuous ceilings), prime the entire ceiling for proper adhesion of new texture, and then apply the new popcorn texture.
Painting of Trim Work
When it comes to trim work, most insurance carriers will pay to prime any new pieces of trim (i.e., crown molding, door or window casings, baseboards, quarter round, shoe molding, etc.), and then paint all of the other adjoined trim in that room to match. For example, if the baseboard on one wall is removed and replaced, but the baseboard on the other three walls is unaffected, the insurance carrier will pay to prime and paint the new piece of baseboard, and then to paint the remainder of baseboards in the room to match (with no primer needed since those baseboards have already been painted).
8 Responses
I have textured ceiling and walls in Florida The insurance company wants to spot prime and only pay for one coat of paint and nothing for moving cover contents
What is your experience with a first floor that is open concept and all one color. There was a flood from sink in kitchen and floors and baseboards had to be removed. The house is 20 years old. Any paint on walls will not match doors and trim due to age. Is it unreasonable to request trim also be painted?
Hi Kathi. In my opinion, it would be reasonable to request painting of any wall that’s had baseboard removed from it. Often times the baseboard has been painted and/or caulked to the wall, so that can make it virtually impossible to remove it without causing imminent damage to wall paint above it. Beyond that, if you’re painting one wall, then I believe it’s reasonable to request all remaining walls within your line of sight be painted as well if they are currently the same color. As for door trim, if it’s tied into the baseboard, which I’m assuming will need to be painted, then I believe it would be reasonable to request it be painted too. The key idea here is “to maintain uniformity.”
You are so helpful with your response. I have been taken so many times and find this most helpful.
I have a problem with statefarm. My deck was damage due to hail. Its a huge deck and they only want to pay for 1/2. I told them I cannot draw line and only paint half. It will mis Mach. The same thing with front house trim. Do you have any advice for me to get them to pay. I do not think what they are doing it fair.
Sorry you had to deal with a mess, Blanca. I assume you dealt with it and are moving forward. Still, I would like to like to mention a quote you may, or may not, be familiar with…”Walk softly and carry a big stick (good attorney).”
Currently, I live in the State rated #1 in consumer fraud. The insurance company I’m dealing with is based here and seems to have a lot of its operations and customers here, as well. Maybe you don’t need to keep an attorney on “standby,” but consulting a reasonably good one can be useful when you’re dealing with stubborn, duplicitous organizations and individuals. There are attorneys who don’t price their advice higher than the cost of rare metals. Personally, I think it’s worthwhile to find a useful one with reasonable fees and establish yourself.
The attorney I occasionally consult challenges me about the approach I may be using to deal with a problem. When he plays “devil’s advocate,” it puts me on track to be thorough, inventive, and resolute. Then, he sends out whatever he feels is useful to the people I don’t trust or who are actively screwing me. He will go as far as I request, and he has been useful
Given that you first researched your own problem on this site, obviously you have already taken the most important step to effective problem solving. In addition to educating yourself, you may find an attorney is able to persuade people to get off their self-absorbed backsides and move further toward your reasonable expectations. You or your attorney may also contact State or Federal agencies which license or review your insurers or any assessors involved.
Time and effort are involved with action I’m suggesting, so that cost needs to be considered. I especially find the inconvenience is worthwhile if I think I might have to deal with the same problem again. If nothing else, going after selfish, lazy, arrogant, or incompetent people seems to make me more efficient and effective at handling messes, in general, but I never look forward to testing my skill in that area.
I never thought that I would get such a thorough description and gat a second opinion (Carrier) all in the same request. Your explanation was very easy to understand, “BRAVO” to you all
Do I use the same depreciation valve as is from the adjuster?