Bay Area Public Adjuster - 10X Your Fire Insurance Payout with Sigura Construction

A few months ago we had a pipe break inside the wall of our house. We used Ilan Sigura to represent us in the negotiations with our insurance company and he did a fantastic job...

We had water damage to a bathroom, our family room, and kitchen. When the insurance company water abatement company came, they discovered asbestos in the wallboard and lead in the bathroom tile and the abatement company ripped it all out, so we were down to the studs. The insurance company had the abatement people provide an estimate for the repairs, which we thought was much less than it would take to put everything back together.

We knew we needed a professional to help us get a fair settlement with the insurance company. A friend recommended Ilan Sigura, and he came over the next day to look at the damage. He went room to room and told us what needed to be done and what the insurance company should cover. The insurance company original settlement did not include many items, e.g., the cost of permits, which Ilan informed us was needed for the bathroom; and once we pulled a permit we needed to upgrade fixtures, fans, faucets and toilets to meet the current codes.

The insurance company sent their own adjuster to see the damage, and Ilan changed his schedule to accommodate him and be at the meeting. Watching Ilan negotiate with the adjuster was like watching a master in action: he knew everything that needed to be done, and what the insurance company needed to cover to get everything back into shape and matching so it did not look like a patch job. After the meeting, Ilan drew up his estimate of the repairs and spent the next two weeks negotiating with the adjuster on items and costs.

In the end, due to Ilan's efforts, the insurance company settled with us for three times the original offer. He was brilliant and took all the anxiety off of us during a difficult time when we had no idea how to get a fair deal from the insurance. We were very pleased with the job he did and would highly recommend him if you find yourself in a similar position.

I am extremely happy with Sigura Construction's work on my home. There was a fire damage and none of the other construction companies wanted to work with me because they did not want to deal with my insurance company. They wanted $ handed over to them on a silver platter without having to work with my insurance. I spoke with 5-6 different construction companies, some local and some not, and after one or two conversations, they ghosted me. Nobody returned my calls or emails. I believe I called each place 6 or 7 times before I realized they did not want my business. It was frustrating and I was losing hope. My home remained damaged for a year and was a sore sight for the neighbors.

Then I came across Sigura Construction. Found them on the internet. I called and spoke with the Office Manager. Then Ilan visited me and I gave him all the details. He took measurements and pictures and drafted up a quote. He and his staff were patient and unwavering and understood how to get the resources needed to fix my home. My insurance company was initially going to offer a measly amount to fix. They only cared about fixing or "bandaging" the exterior to cover the burn and maybe repair the wall. However, the damages and effects on the house were more devastating and Ilan was able to point that out to my insurance. He was so experienced at his work that he specifically described the damages and and what exactly was needed to bring the house back to its previous state which is an obligation of the insurance. He also knew the law too.

Sigura Construction stuck with me every step of the way and did not abandon me like all the other construction companies out there. Truthfully, I think those companies probably were not smart enough to deal with my insurance and backed off. Anyways, I am so glad I found Sigura Construction and I will definitely use them again for anything else I need.

We've used Sigura Construction for three projects in our townhouse in Palo Alto--two upstairs bathroom remodels, and a repair/renovation after a flood in our downstairs hallway, which reached our dining room and damaged our garage below. Mr. Sigura's company did excellent work on all three projects. Mr. Sigura came out each time to determine the scope of the work and write up the estimate, and his crew has done good quality work. For the flood repairs, Mr. Sigura also met with me and our insurance company's estimator, and helped negotiate a larger reimbursement than our insurance company was originally going to provide. From listening to Mr. Sigura's discussion with the estimator, it was clear that he spoke the insurance company's "language." After Mr. Sigura negotiated with our insurance company, we ended up getting coverage for more items (such as replacement of the entire downstairs carpet instead of just the damaged portion), and Mr. Sigura did the repairs themselves for the amount of the insurance reimbursement (we upgraded some features, so we had some additional costs on top of the repairs covered by the insurance). After his crew was finished, everything looked great. Part of the work involved ripping out the bottom three feet of the waterlogged drywall in our hallway and closets, replacing it with new drywall, and caulking the junction and repainting the walls. When they were done, it looked so good that you would never know that anything had happened.

Mr. Sigura's company is not the cheapest contractor out there, but they do great work, and I'd much rather pay a reasonable price for quality work, than pay a cut-rate price to have the bare minimum done. I had gotten an estimate from another company for the flood repairs, and it came in lower than Mr. Sigura's--but that was because the other company didn't include the proper thickness of drywall to replace the garage ceiling required by the Palo Alto building code. And after Mr. Sigura spoke with our insurance company, our out-of-pocket cost was lower than if we'd gone with the cheaper quote. If we ever need more work done, Mr. Sigura will be the first person I call.