Policy Holders

Do I have to use Rameses?

If we have been asked to contact you by your Insurer, it will be their preference for Rameses to undertake the repairs, because of the service we provide. However, they will not want you to feel that they are forcing you to use Rameses’ services. If you do not wish to utilise this service, there is no requirement for you to do so. The question above will help you to decide.

What are the main benefits of using Rameses?

Rameses only carry out major insurance reinstatement work. We do not undertake general contracting or high volumes of small claims, both of which would detract from the levels of service we provide. We have representation on the Management Committee of FloodRepair.Net and work with other leading figures in the field of water and fire damage restoration to develop and utilise the best methods to complete repair and restoration. We have agreed reinstatement rates with your Insurer, which removes the need and delay caused by a tendering process. We will have authority to proceed much sooner. (Subject to statutory requirements - Planning/Building Regulations etc.) Rameses employ dedicated Project Managers. The Project Manager is the first person to visit and will be your primary point of contact throughout. He is backed up by an office based Administrator who will ensure that you are kept updated, deal with all contents issues (where covered) and can be contacted at any time during business hours. Rameses only use individual specialist tradesmen to ensure the best quality of workmanship. Each trade will visit your home in appropriate sequence and will liaise with you in terms of finishes. Rameses have your Insurer’s full authority to list, remove, store, clean or dispose of building fixtures, fittings (and contents where covered). Where contents are covered, Rameses will provide you with typewritten lists of all contents listed by us, together with details of whether we believe the items can be economically restored. Further updates follow upon completion of the restoration process. Rameses work in partnership with your Insurer and the Loss Adjuster.

What if I don’t want Rameses to carry out the repairs to my home?

Emergency work can be undertaken to mitigate the extent of damage, subject to the approval of the Loss Adjuster. All Insurers and Loss Adjusters have arrangements with approved cleaning and restoration contractors. They are commonly local franchisees of a national network, such as Rainbow International or Chem-Dry. Others are national organisations with regional branches or local independent companies. They will normally carry out emergency cleaning, protection and drying operations, but no permanent reinstatement. No permanent work can proceed until estimates have been obtained and the contractor appointed. This could take several weeks. Depending upon the extent of damage, the adjuster might ask you to obtain and submit of a number of detailed estimates from local contractors or appoint an independent chartered surveyor/engineer to prepare a detailed specification and obtain competitive tenders for consideration. The surveyor’s reasonable fees are covered by the policy. The contractor will need your instruction to proceed, making you contractually responsible for their appointment. Where contents are covered, you will need to discuss the manner in which the Loss Adjuster requires you to list and present your claim. You should not dispose of any items without the Loss Adjuster’s approval.

Can I appoint a Loss Assessor of my own?

You are entitled to employ a Public Loss Assessor to help you to compile your claim. Please note, however, that their fees are not covered by the policy. If an Assessor is involved, the Loss Adjuster will insist on a detailed repair specification and tenders. They will charge you for preparing a list of damaged contents (where covered) asking you to put claim figures against the list. They will then submit this to the Loss Adjuster and negotiate settlement on your behalf. The Loss Assessor’s fees for presenting your claim to the Loss Adjuster are entirely at your own expense. You might pay around 10% of your claim settlement to the Assessor. If Rameses are involved, there is nothing for an Assessor to do, as Rameses have full authority to carry out the reinstatement works in direct liaison with you and the Loss Adjuster. This includes the free listing of contents (where covered); with every item having a unique reference number.

Can I take the opportunity to make alterations to/extend my home?

The contract of insurance is intended to fund the cost of reinstating the damage as quickly as reasonably practical. Insurers have the option to simply pay a sum of money, but this option is only normally utilised where reinstatement is not practical. Rameses are specialists in restoring and repairing fire, flood and impact damaged properties, to enable you to move back home with minimum delay. If you intend to make significant alterations to or extend your home it will not be possible for the repairs to be carried out by Rameses. The Loss Adjuster will require competitive estimates, clearly identifying the insured and uninsured elements of the work. Rameses can undertake small changes for you, provided it does not unduly impact upon either the cost or duration of the works. The cost of such works will normally be funded from other elements of the claim, such as a reduced contents payment. Any additional works must be discussed with the Loss Adjuster in advance.

What do I do about my floor coverings?

Our involvement will depend upon the types of covering and whether we are appointed to deal with the contents. Our cleaning team will take samples of any floor finishes with which we are involved. If this includes the disposal of carpets and laminates, samples will be left at your home for the flooring supplier to examine. Tiled floors. These form part of the building and, where replacement is required, our tilers will undertake this for you. They will discuss the replacement options with you. Specialist floors, e.g. solid wood. Many Insurers do not have approved suppliers to deal with these, as specialist contractors tend to work in local areas. In these circumstances we will normally require your assistance to find a suitable supplier of your choice to provide you with an estimate. We can sometimes settle their account, but it Is more common for the Loss Adjuster to arrange payment through your Insurers.

How do you prevent water stains from coming through the decorations?

Where the problem is severe, the existing plasterwork/carpentry will be replaced. Where less so, we use special shellac based coatings which are guaranteed to prevent stains from bleeding through.

What do you do about curtain rails?

We find that most householders prefer to fix their own curtain rails, but where we have taken them down to decorate or if you specifically require our help, we will be happy to assist.

What about my light fittings, dimmer switches etc?

It is almost always necessary for us to take down light fittings in affected rooms, even if they are undamaged by the incident. During the works we will normally fix basic pendant or batten fittings and temporary switches/sockets. The final visit by our electricians includes for re-fixing any original or new light fittings (provided they are available for us to do so) and to replace the temporary fascias, as appropriate. Please note, however, that many lighting circuits installed before 1966 do not have an earth conductor. In these circumstances, the NICEIC regulations will not permit our electricians to re-fix any fascia or fitting requiring an earth connection.