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• In most cases, your insurance policy will cover the costs of emergency services and repairs related to insured damage. However, there are a few important things to keep in mind:
• Deductible: You are responsible for paying your insurance deductible, as outlined in your policy.
• Non-covered items: If any part of the damage is not covered by your policy, or if you request upgrades or additional work beyond the approved scope, those costs will be your responsibility.
• GST and other taxes: Some policies do not cover GST, which means you may need to pay the tax portion separately. See “Why do I have to pay for the GST portion of my claim” in our FAQ for further information
• Lapse in Coverage: A lapse in insurance coverage—meaning your policy is no longer active due to nonpayment, missed renewal, or cancellation—can result in a claim denial or coverage suspension and could mean you would be personally responsible for any ongoing costs incurred during an active claim.  If you have any concerns or questions about your coverage, we recommend speaking with your insurance adjuster and advising your Project Manager right away.

Questions regarding your insurance policy, including coverage details, must be addressed by your insurance company.  For accurate information, please contact the insurance adjuster assigned to your claim.

The restoration equipment (such as air movers, dehumidifiers, and air scrubbers) are designed to run continuously, 24/7, throughout the drying and remediation process. It’s important to keep the equipment running at all times unless instructed otherwise by our technicians. Turning off the equipment, even temporarily, can delay the drying process, increase the risk of mold growth, and potentially affect your insurance coverage. Our team will monitor the equipment regularly and let you know when it’s safe to turn it off or when it will be removed. If you have questions about noise, heat, or power usage, please contact us—we’re happy to help.

In many cases it is best to keep doors and windows closed so we can control the humidity and our drying efforts. Controlling our drying environment allows us to decrease the amount of drying time required and the length of time the equipment needs to be onsite.

To reduce the length of the drying process, please leave the equipment running to stabilize materials and the environment. Timelines will depend on the size of a loss and the amount of moisture absorbed into materials. There are generally two phases to the restoration process; 1. Emergency and 2. Repairs. The emergency phase allows for cleaning, drying, and stabilizing the structure and contents by eliminating excess moisture and contaminants and preparing the site for final repairs. The Repairs process comes next, and your Insurance Company Adjuster will assist in advising you on this phase of the process.

If you cannot be available throughout the duration of the restoration project, please reach out to your building manager, concierge, caretaker, or alternative party to arrange access for DKI Barclay, so that access delays do not slow down the progress of drying. You may provide DKI Barclay with a set of keys that will allow us to access your premises while you are away or unavailable. Your key(s) will remain in a secured lock up when not required for site access. Your keys will be returned to you upon completion of all work which may or may not include repairs.

We always recommend contacting your insurance provider for any questions and direction on what coverage is provided by your insurance policy. They will be able to explain how the insurance claim process operates in your specific situation. They will answer your questions about how your policy may or may not respond. Once coverage under the insurance policy is determined, DKI Barclay can assist with emergency work on the structure and your personal belongings. We will work closely with you and your insurance adjuster to complete emergency repairs on the structure and we will also protect and repair salvageable contents. We will work with you to list and dispose of non-restorable items. The Adjuster can answer questions about how the insurance policy may provide financial assistance for affected property such as structure, personal property, clothing or furniture, tenant, and unit-owner improvements. The insurance provider can also answer questions about whether the policy may cover you for the extra expense of alternative accommodation, during the restoration process, if your home is unhabitable. If you reside in a strata property as a unit owner or if you rent, the adjuster can answer your questions about how your insurance policy may respond to strata-deductibles and strata-building costs you may be responsible for.

Yes, pets can remain in the home during emergency or repair work as long as the residence is habitable. However, please notify your Project Manager in advance. If your pet is friendly with our staff and contractors, we’re happy to accommodate them. For pets that must stay indoors, please request a “Do Not Let Me Out” pet door hanger from our team.

Each claim is different and the length of time to complete emergencies and final repairs is unique to the circumstances. A water damage claim is different from a fire claim for instance. The timeline for a water damage restoration claim can vary based on several factors, including: the type and extent of the damage, authorization from your insurance provider, whether additional reports or assessments are required by third parties. While some of these factors are beyond our control, our team prioritizes emergency response to mitigate further damage and stabilize the property as quickly as possible. This allows us to accurately assess the remaining work and provide the necessary documentation to your insurance carrier for further authorization. An average water damage project can take between (5) weeks to (3) months to complete start to finish. The process typically begins with an initial assessment and emergency response phase (if needed), followed by a reporting phase where we submit detailed documentation and cost estimates to your insurance provider. Once we receive authorization to proceed, we’ll move into the repair phase. At this stage, we’ll guide you through the next steps and provide you with a repair schedule and keep you informed of any updates or changes throughout the project.

During the emergency phase (such as water extraction, drying, or stabilizing the property), our team may be on site daily or as needed to monitor equipment, assess progress, and make necessary adjustments to reduce secondary damage. This phase is typically more hands-on and may require frequent visits to ensure your property is stabilizing properly. In the repair phase, trades and staff will be scheduled based on the scope of work and availability of materials. While work may not occur every single day, we aim to maintain a consistent schedule to keep the project moving forward. You’ll receive a detailed repair schedule, and we’ll keep you informed of any changes or gaps in activity due to inspections, or material lead times.

You may need temporary living accommodations if your home is deemed unsafe, uninhabitable, or significantly disrupted due to the damage and ongoing restoration work. This is often the case with major water, fire, or structural damage. Your insurance policy may cover the cost of alternative accommodations under Additional Living Expenses (ALE) or Loss of Use coverage. Your Project Manager will communicate our recommendation as to whether the home is habitable to both you and your adjuster. If our recommendation is that the home is not habitable, we recommend contacting your insurance adjuster to confirm your eligibility and to discuss available options.

• The drying process typically takes 5 to 10 days, but this can vary depending on several factors, including:
• Extent of the water damage
• Type of water loss (e.g. clean water vs sewage)
• Type of materials affected  (e.g., drywall, hardwood, carpet)
• Humidity levels and temperature
• Airflow and ventilation in the space
• We use professional-grade equipment such as dehumidifiers and air movers to speed up the process that can run continuously 24/7, during the drying process. It is important that you do not to turn off the air movers, as doing so can slow down the drying process and increase the risk of mold growth. We also monitor moisture levels using electronic moisture detection equipment to ensure your property is drying properly and safely. In some cases, drying may take longer if the damage is extensive or if hidden moisture is found behind walls or under flooring.

A deductible is the amount of money a policyholder agrees to pay out of pocket before the insurance company covers the remaining costs of a claim. Insurance companies often request that restoration contractors collect the deductible directly from the policyholder. This helps streamline the claims process and ensures that the policyholder fulfills their financial responsibility as outlined in their insurance policy. By collecting the deductible, the contractor can receive full payment for the approved repair work, while the insurer pays the remaining balance. This practice also helps maintain transparency and communication between the restoration contractor and the property owner. Having the Contractor collect the deductible also serves to unify the payment process and accounting of the deductible in one place.

If certain items cannot be restored due to the extent of the damage, they will be documented and reported to your insurance adjuster as non-restorable. These items may be eligible for replacement or reimbursement, depending on the terms of your insurance policy. Our team will provide a detailed inventory of all affected contents, including photographs and descriptions, to support your claim to both you and your adjuster.

If there are damages to the Strata Corporation’s common areas or “as-built” finish and structural drywall, the Strata Corporation is typically responsible to repair those items as they are considered part of the “building”. The Strata Corporation maintains a policy of insurance to cover such things. You as a “Strata Unit Owner” are normally responsible to insure your own contents and any improvements or betterments you have made to your unit. Your insurance policy normally covers your personal property and your improvements and betterments in your unit. You should discuss these definitions with your insurance company’s assigned adjuster. If there is a water damage in your building, but your unit is not the ‘originating source unit’ likely you will only have to pay your own water damage deductible under you unit-owner insurance policy. If your unit is the originating source unit of the water escape, you may be assessed the Strata Corporation’s building insurance deductible. You should discuss this ‘building deductible’ question with your own insurance claim adjuster.

Yes, upgrades such as changing paint colors or flooring are common during insurance restoration projects and should be brought to your Project Management Teams attention at the onset of a project. Once your insurance provider has approved the estimate for the covered repairs, we can provide a separate quote for any upgrades or customizations you’d like to make above and beyond the allowances in the estimate. Please note that any additional costs for upgrades are the responsibility of the insured and are not covered by your insurance policy. These costs must be approved and paid upfront before the upgraded work can begin. Our team will be happy to walk you through the options and provide clear pricing so you can make an informed decision.

We offer several convenient payment options for your deductible. You can choose to pay using:

• Visa
• Mastercard
• American Express
• Cheque
• E-transfer
• Our team will provide you with a deductible invoice with detailed instructions for your preferred payment method. If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to contact our PM Team—we’re happy to help!

Once the deductible payment is received along with the signed Work Authorization Form for repairs, the next steps typically include: scheduling the work based on crew availability, lead time of trades and material delivery timelines, confirming any upgrade decisions (if you've requested changes beyond the insurance scope). We aim to begin repairs as soon as all necessary approvals and materials are in place. Our team will contact you to confirm the start date and keep you informed throughout the process.

Once we receive authorization that the costs associated with the repairs have been approved from your insurance provider, we’ll begin preparing your Work Authorization Form and the deductible invoice. Once the signed Work Authorization Form and the deductible payment have been received from you, we will be able to coordinate with our team and any sub-trades for lead times and provide a detailed schedule. You can usually expect to receive your repair schedule within 3 to 5 business days after the signed Work Authorization Form has been received, and the deductible has been paid for the average claim. Larger and more complex claims may take additional time to generate schedules. In some cases, only partial schedules can be provided initially due to coordination requirements with municipalities for permitting—factors that are beyond our control.

In most cases, insurance policies on private residences will cover the cost of repairs including GST. However, if you are a GST registrant (for instance, if you are a business or hold a GST reporting number for some other reason) then the Canada Revenue (CRA) rules require that the GST part of an insurance claim must be recovered via an “Input Tax Credit” when you are filing your GST tax return(s). If you are GST registered you can reclaim the GST cost via the Input Tax Credit separately through CRA. If you are unsure about your GST status or how it applies to your claim, we recommend speaking with your insurance adjuster or a tax professional.