Welcome to ICC

We're Insurance Claim Consultants. For 35 years we've handled flood claims for families across North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia — the documentation, the NFIP paperwork, the settlement — so you can get on with putting your home back together.

We won't dramatise what you're going through. You already know how bad it is. What we'll do is make sure you're paid what your policy actually owes you.

My name's on this business. After 45 years I still take these calls myself, and I stand behind every claim we take. Click the ICC logo below to talk with us by phone or video, or call (864) 497-2151.

Why Choose a Public Adjuster for Flood Claims

Flood insurance through NFIP has adjusters working for the program—shouldn't you have someone working for you? A public adjuster is your advocate, working solely on your behalf to maximize your flood claim settlement. We know the tactics used to minimize NFIP payouts, and we know how to counter them.

NFIP claims are governed by federal rules that differ from ordinary property claims, and a denial under those rules is frequently arguable. Finding what an initial assessment missed is the core of what we do.

NFIP Is Not Like Your Homeowners Policy

Flood insurance in the United States runs mostly through the National Flood Insurance Program, and it operates under federal rules rather than the ones your homeowners policy follows. That catches people out in three ways.

• Hard limits. Building coverage caps at $250,000 for a residential property. Contents are a separate purchase, capped at $100,000. Above those figures you're uninsured unless you bought excess flood cover.
• Actual cash value on contents. NFIP pays depreciated value for personal property, not replacement cost. A ten-year-old sofa is settled as a ten-year-old sofa.
• A federal deadline. Proof of loss is due within 60 days, and unlike most policy provisions this one is genuinely strict.

None of this is negotiable in the way a private policy can be. What is arguable is scope — what was damaged, and what it costs to put right.

Flood or Water Damage? The Answer Decides Which Policy Pays

These are different perils under different policies, and after a storm both frequently happen to the same building.

Flood is water arriving along the ground — rising water, surface water, storm surge, rainfall that accumulates. It is excluded from every homeowners policy and covered only by flood insurance.

Water damage comes from inside the building or through the envelope — a burst pipe, a failed appliance, rain entering through a storm-damaged roof. That is a homeowners claim.

Where both occurred, you have two claims against two policies, and each carrier has an interest in attributing as much as possible to the other. Homes that took both are among the most contested losses after any major storm.

What resolves it is separating the damage by elevation and by source. Damage above the high-water line generally isn't flood, whatever the initial position. The debris line, photographed before cleanup, is often the most valuable piece of evidence in the file.

What Flood Insurance Covers

NFIP flood insurance coverage is specific and limited compared to homeowners policies. Understanding what's included prevents surprises:

• Building structure: Foundation, walls, floors, and systems damaged by flooding—up to $250,000 maximum for residential properties
• HVAC and utilities: Furnaces, water heaters, electrical panels when installed in basements or crawl spaces
• Built-in appliances: Dishwashers, built-in microwaves, permanently installed bookcases and cabinets
• Debris removal: Clearing flood-damaged materials from the property
• Contents coverage: Separate policy up to $100,000 maximum—furniture, clothing, electronics, portable appliances

Contents losses are where flood claims are most often underpaid, and NFIP documentation requirements are stricter than most policyholders expect.

The Basement Rules Nobody Reads Until Afterwards

NFIP treats basements very differently from the rest of a building, and it surprises almost everyone.

Covered in a basement: structural elements, and essential equipment such as HVAC, water heaters, electrical panels, sump pumps and fuel tanks.

Not covered in a basement: finished walls, floors and ceilings; carpeting; personal property stored there; and anything that makes the space habitable rather than functional.

So a finished basement — with drywall, flooring, furniture and belongings — is largely uninsured against flood under a standard NFIP policy, even though the structure and the boiler are covered.

This is worth knowing before a flood rather than after. It also means the scope of a basement claim is narrower than owners expect, and disputes about what counts as "essential equipment" are common.

The 60-Day Deadline That Ends Claims

This is the single most common way a valid NFIP claim is lost.

Within 60 days of the flood you must submit a signed, sworn proof of loss setting out what was damaged and what you're claiming. It is a federal requirement, and missing it can void the claim regardless of how genuine the loss was.

The difficulty is that the 60 days run while you are dealing with everything else. Inspections get scheduled and rescheduled, documentation is requested in stages, contractors are unavailable because the whole region is flooded — and the deadline arrives before the information does.

Two things protect you. Start assembling the proof of loss immediately rather than waiting for the adjuster's process to conclude. And where the figures genuinely aren't available in time, request an extension in writing — extensions are sometimes granted after widespread events, but they have to be asked for.

Immediate Actions After Flooding

Immediately after flooding subsides and authorities declare safe re-entry, protecting your property and preserving evidence is critical:

• Document water height marks on walls before any cleanup—photograph high-water lines from multiple angles
• Photograph everything before moving or discarding flood-damaged items—NFIP requires evidence
• Pump standing water to prevent additional structural damage and mold growth
• Remove wet materials within 48 hours to prevent mold—drywall, insulation, carpeting absorb floodwater
• Preserve damaged items for adjuster inspection—keep samples of damaged materials and contents
• Report immediately to NFIP and your insurance agent—flood claims have strict filing deadlines

Quick action protects a flood claim. Water lines, damaged contents and the sequence of events all become harder to establish once cleanup begins.

How to Document Flood Damage Properly

Documentation is your strongest tool in securing a fair NFIP settlement. Here's what we do for every flood claim client:

• Water height marking: Photographing high-water marks on walls before cleanup begins—critical evidence
• Comprehensive photography: 200+ photos capturing every angle of structural and contents damage
• Video walkthroughs: Room-by-room documentation showing full flood extent and water levels
• Detailed inventory: Every damaged item with purchase dates, receipts, and pre-flood values
• Professional moisture detection: Documenting hidden water damage in walls, floors, and structural elements
• Mold assessment: Air quality testing and contamination documentation when flooding leads to mold

We've learned through 35 years of flood claims that proper documentation can increase NFIP settlements by 40-50% on average compared to inadequate documentation.

How Flood Claims Get Reduced

NFIP claims are more often underpaid than denied outright, and the patterns are consistent.

• Scope limited to visible damage. Adjusters document what can be seen without moisture meters or thermal imaging, missing water trapped in wall cavities, insulation and structure. When mould appears weeks later, it gets called new damage unrelated to the flood.
• Contents depreciated heavily. Actual cash value settlements that won't replace what was lost.
• Basement items disputed under the rules above, sometimes more narrowly than the rules actually require.
• Proof of loss run down — the process made slow enough that the deadline arrives before the documentation does.
• Duplicate coverage arguments, where damage is attributed to the homeowners policy and back again.
• Pre-existing damage. Particularly on properties that have flooded before, which on this coast is many of them.

Properties That Have Flooded Before

On a coast that floods repeatedly, prior claims history matters more than people expect.

NFIP has its own rules for repeatedly flooded structures, and a property with multiple claims can face requirements around elevation or mitigation as a condition of continued coverage. Separately, adjusters scrutinise these claims harder, and the argument that damage predates this flood is easier to make where there is a documented earlier one.

What defeats that argument is the same thing that defeats it anywhere: evidence of the property's condition immediately before this event, and records showing that repairs funded by a previous claim were actually completed.

Keeping the paperwork from a prior flood claim — what was paid, what was repaired, what was excluded — is worth more than it seems at the time.

Common Flood Claim Mistakes to Avoid

We've seen these mistakes cost property owners thousands in NFIP claims:

• Throwing away damaged items: NFIP adjusters need to inspect flood damage—keep everything until inspection occurs
• Missing the 60-day deadline: NFIP requires Proof of Loss within 60 days of flooding—missing this deadline can void your claim
• Inadequate documentation: NFIP requires detailed evidence—photos, receipts, inventories before adjusters arrive
• Not understanding coverage limits: $250,000 building, $100,000 contents maximum—underinsurance leaves gaps you pay
• Confusing flood with water damage: Homeowners policies exclude flood—you must have separate NFIP or private flood coverage
• Accepting the first estimate: NFIP estimates frequently miss damage that isn't visible on the day of inspection — don't settle without a professional review
• Missing basement exclusions: NFIP covers limited basement items—understand what's excluded before filing

You don't have to navigate NFIP's complexities alone.

City-Specific Flood Damage Resources

Flood risks and response resources vary by location. We've created detailed guides for 20 flood-prone cities across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, including local resources, floodplain information, and region-specific NFIP claim strategies:

What Working With ICC Involves

As your public adjuster, we handle every aspect of your flood damage claim:

• Free initial consultation to review your NFIP policy and flood damage
• Comprehensive damage assessment with professional documentation meeting NFIP requirements
• Detailed Proof of Loss preparation with accurate damage estimates and inventories
• NFIP deadline management ensuring all required forms and documentation submitted on time
• Direct negotiation with NFIP adjusters on your behalf—we handle all communications
• Maximum settlement recovery for structure and contents within policy limits
• Contractor coordination to ensure quality flood damage restoration

We work on a contingency basis—we only get paid when you do. No upfront costs, no risk to you.

For over three decades, Insurance Claims Consultants has helped property owners navigate NFIP's complex requirements. We understand flood zones, base flood elevations, and the documentation NFIP demands. Our public adjusters handle the entire claims process so you can focus on your family and recovery.

Ready to get started? Call us at (864) 497-2151 or click the ICC logo to start a conversation. We're standing by to help you recover what you deserve.