Cost should not delay the repair
Here is the straight version of how a restoration job gets paid for: what insurance covers, when the money arrives, and what options exist when the deductible is the obstacle.
The three ways to pay
Nearly every job is paid for one of these three ways
Through your insurance
The most common route for water, fire and storm damage. Your carrier covers the work minus your deductible. We document it and present the scope to the adjuster.
With financing
When there is no coverage, when the deductible is high, or when you want more done than the carrier approves. You pay a third party in installments, not us.
Out of pocket
For small jobs this often beats opening a claim. If the damage is close to your deductible, we tell you before you report anything.
What nobody explains
How insurance money actually arrives
Most people expect one check for the full amount. It almost never works that way, and knowing the order avoids surprises halfway through the job.
First payment: actual cash value (ACV)
Your carrier subtracts depreciation and your deductible, then pays that first amount. It is normal for it to be well below the full cost of the work.
Above a certain amount, the check goes to the bank
Once the amount passes roughly $10,000, the check usually names your mortgage company too. You cannot deposit it: the lender endorses it, holds it in a restricted account and releases the money in draws as the work progresses.
Second payment: recoverable depreciation (RCV)
The rest is released once you prove the work was done. That is why invoices, progress photos and the moisture log are not paperwork — they are what unlocks that second payment.
The deductible is always yours
It comes out of your pocket or out of financing. The carrier never covers it, and by law neither can the contractor.
Exact amounts and timelines depend on your policy. Check it or ask your agent — we are not insurance adjusters.
One thing we will not do
We cannot cover your deductible, and anyone who offers to is committing a crime
It is a common offer after a storm: “we’ll absorb your deductible.” It sounds like a discount. In Florida it is a felony.
Statute 489.147 expressly prohibits a contractor from paying, waiving or rebating an insurance deductible. Doing so knowingly is insurance fraud, charged as a third-degree felony. It also prohibits offering you anything of value in exchange for letting them inspect your roof or file a claim.
On top of that, a roofing contract must include written notice that the contractor cannot do this. If that notice is missing, you can void the contract within 10 days of signing it.
Options
If the deductible or the cost is the obstacle
We work with homeowner financing options so you can start the repair now and pay in installments. Approval, rate and term are set by the lender, not by us.
Financing area
The application links are restricted. If you are an ELR customer and have already discussed the scope of work with us, ask us for the access code.
Do not have the code? Call us and we will give it to you.We talk about scope first
Discussing installments before there is a written estimate makes no sense. The inspection is free.
We tell you what insurance covers
Often financing is only needed for the difference, not for the whole job.
You apply with the lender
The process is with them and the decision is theirs. We never see your credit information.
We start the work
As soon as there is approval and a signed estimate, we go in. In an emergency, mitigation starts before any of this.
What PACE is, and why you should know before signing
All three providers offer PACE financing in Florida. It works differently from a regular loan and it is worth understanding before you apply.
PACE is repaid along with your property taxes, and it creates a lien on the home that takes priority over your mortgage.
In practice that means two things: if you sell or refinance, the full balance normally has to be paid off first, and many mortgage lenders will not finance the purchase of a home with an outstanding PACE lien.
We are not saying it is bad — for many people it is the difference between repairing now and waiting a year. We are saying ask about the term, the rate and what happens if you sell, and read it before you sign.
Questions about paying
Do you charge for the inspection?
No. The inspection and the written estimate are free and carry no obligation within our usual service area.
Can we start before the insurance pays?
In an emergency, yes: mitigation — shutting off water, extraction, tarping — starts immediately, because your policy normally requires you to limit the damage. Reconstruction does wait for an approved scope and a signed estimate.
What if insurance approves less than the job costs?
It happens, especially on the first estimate. A review can be requested with additional scope documentation. If a gap remains after that, you cover it or finance it.
Does the financing go through you?
No. You apply directly with the lender and they decide. We do not handle your credit information and we do not collect the payments.
Can I pay the deductible in installments?
With financing, yes — the deductible is part of what you finance. What cannot happen is us waiving it, because Florida law prohibits that.
This page is general information, not legal or insurance advice. For your specific situation check your policy, your agent, or an attorney.
24-hour emergency service, 7 days a week
Every hour that passes, the damage costs more
Call us and we will tell you on that same call what to do right now, even if you end up hiring someone else. The inspection is free and so is the advice.
- Free inspection, no obligation
- Our Team Is Here to Assist You in English & Spanish
- Licensed and insured in the State of Florida
We serve Windermere, Winter Park, Lake Nona, Dr. Phillips, Bay Hill, Golden Oak, Bella Collina, Montverde, Heathrow, Lake Mary, Longwood, Maitland, Celebration, Winter Garden, Horizon West and the rest of Central Florida.