General Contractor Partner

Fully Funded Jobs. No Supplement Disputes. Just Build.

We partner with general contractors to ensure every insurance claim covers the full scope of the project, including overhead, profit, and code upgrades.

Call 833-4UR-LOSS Partner With Us

Why General Contractors Partner With DCS

General contractors working on insurance repair projects face a unique challenge: the scope of work is determined by an insurance estimate that is often incomplete. Missing line items, omitted overhead and profit, and undiscovered damage that surfaces during demolition can turn a profitable job into a financial dispute.

When DCS is involved from the start, the insurance estimate is reviewed and supplemented before the job begins. When additional damage is discovered during the project, we prepare and submit supplement claims quickly and professionally. Our background in construction and Xactimate estimating means we speak the same language as the contractor and the insurance company.

We also offer free documentation training for your project managers and superintendents. Proper documentation of damage and change conditions is the foundation of every successful supplement claim. We teach your team how to do it right.

Items frequently missing from insurance estimates on general contractor projects:

- General contractor overhead and profit (10% and 10% or negotiated)
- Code-required upgrades under Ordinance or Law coverage
- Temporary protection, shoring, and debris removal
- Hidden damage discovered during demolition
- Permits, inspections, and engineering fees
- Matching requirements for undamaged adjacent materials

The General Contractor's Role on an Insurance Claim

On a property loss large enough to require a rebuild, the general contractor is the entity that coordinates and supervises the trades, pulls permits, manages schedule and safety, and delivers the finished structure back to the owner. A repaint or a single-trade repair does not need a GC. A fire that guts a kitchen, or a water loss that requires removing drywall, replacing cabinetry, rewiring, repiping, and refinishing floors, does - because no single trade can deliver that result alone.

That coordination is real, compensable work. The industry standard for recognizing it is the three-trade rule: when a repair requires three or more trades working together, a general contractor is reasonably needed, and the loss valuation should include general contractor overhead and profit (commonly priced as 10 percent overhead and 10 percent profit in Xactimate). The problem is that carrier estimates routinely omit O&P, omit code-driven upgrades, and price only the visible damage. That gap is exactly what a public adjuster closes.

GC and public adjuster: two different jobs

The contractor's job is to build. The public adjuster's job is to value the loss and negotiate the claim for the property owner so that the build is fully funded. DCS represents the policyholder - not the contractor and not the carrier. When DCS handles the insurance side, the GC is freed from arguing scope with a desk adjuster and can focus on production, while the owner gets an advocate whose only job is the correct payout.

Overhead and Profit, Explained

Overhead and Profit, or O&P, compensates the general contractor for the cost and value of coordinating a multi-trade project: supervision, scheduling, jobsite management, administrative overhead, and the contractor's profit margin. In Xactimate it is typically applied as a 10 percent overhead and 10 percent profit markup on the trade costs of a qualifying job. O&P is part of the loss valuation paid to the policyholder; the policyholder then pays the contractor under their construction contract.

Why carriers leave O&P out - and how we put it back

The omission. Initial estimates, especially on smaller losses, frequently drop O&P even when the scope clearly involves three or more trades.
The test. We document each distinct trade the repair requires - framing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, flooring, paint, and so on - to establish that GC coordination is reasonably necessary.
The valuation. We rebuild the estimate in Xactimate with O&P applied to the qualifying scope, so the number is grounded in the same platform the carrier uses.
The result. When the trades are documented and the scope is complex, O&P is hard to refuse - and it is often the difference between a profitable insurance job and an underfunded one.

Ordinance or Law and Code Upgrades on a Rebuild

Most homes are built to the code in force the year they went up. When a covered loss forces a rebuild, the local building official applies today's code - which may require upgrades the original structure never had. The base property policy generally pays to restore what was there before the loss. The increased cost of meeting current code is funded by Ordinance or Law coverage, an add-on that many policies include at some limit.

This is one of the most overlooked sources of recovery on a GC project. If the rewire has to meet current electrical code, if the roof needs current wind-mitigation strapping, if insulation or egress requirements have changed, those are real, required costs - but only if they are documented and tied to the covered loss. We work with the contractor and, where needed, the code official to identify which upgrades are required, then present them under Ordinance or Law coverage so the owner is not paying out of pocket for code compliance triggered by the claim.

Typical code-driven upgrades on a rebuild:

- Electrical service, wiring, and outlet/GFCI requirements brought to current code
- Roof decking attachment and wind-mitigation strapping (especially in Florida)
- Insulation and energy-code requirements
- Egress, stair, and railing requirements
- Plumbing and drain upgrades exposed during the rebuild
- Demolition of undamaged portions required by code to complete a compliant repair

The Rebuild Claim Process, Step by Step

Loss reported and acknowledged

The loss is reported. Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542 requires acknowledgment and investigation within set timelines (and Chapter 542A adds notice-and-response provisions for certain weather claims); Florida Statute 627.70131 sets parallel residential review deadlines.

Pre-job estimate review

Before demolition, DCS reviews the carrier estimate against a full-scope Xactimate estimate to find missing trades, omitted O&P, and absent code-upgrade and protection line items.

Scope alignment

The GC scope, the public adjuster estimate, and the carrier estimate are reconciled line-by-line so the job starts on a funded, agreed scope rather than a guess.

Demolition and discovery

Demolition exposes what the initial inspection could not see - rotted framing, wider water migration, concealed code deficiencies. Each is photographed and documented as it is found.

Supplements

Hidden damage and changed conditions are submitted as documented supplements. Well-supported supplements are typically approved without a fight.

Ordinance or Law and O&P

Code-required upgrades are presented under Ordinance or Law coverage, and O&P is applied to the qualifying multi-trade scope.

Payment, ACV, and recoverable depreciation

The carrier issues actual cash value (replacement cost minus depreciation minus deductible), then releases recoverable depreciation as the work is completed and documented. Prompt-pay statutes govern timing.

Appraisal if a dispute remains

If a genuine dispute over the amount of loss persists, the policy Appraisal clause lets each side name an appraiser and a neutral umpire decide. Appraisal resolves the dollar amount - it is a policy process, not a lawsuit.

Documents and Standards That Decide Rebuild Claims

Proof of loss and Xactimate estimates

A sworn proof of loss states the claimed amount; the supporting Xactimate estimate is what the carrier evaluates. Estimates that mirror the carrier's pricing platform and capture every trade carry the most weight.

Supplement narratives and photo logs

A supplement lives or dies on its documentation: dated photos of the discovered condition, moisture readings where relevant, and a written narrative tying the new item to the covered loss.

Restoration standards (IICRC S500 / S700)

For the water and fire portions of a rebuild, the IICRC S500 (water) and S700 (fire and smoke) standards guide how moisture, soot, and odor damage are measured and documented.

Code and permit records

Permit requirements, inspection notes, and written code-official requirements are the backbone of an Ordinance or Law claim. Without them, code upgrades get treated as betterment and denied.

Common Mistakes and Carrier Tactics to Watch For

Omitting O&P on multi-trade jobs

The most frequent underpayment on rebuilds. When three or more trades are involved, dropping O&P understates the loss - document the trades and put it back.

Treating code upgrades as betterment

Carriers may call required code upgrades "improvements" and deny them. If the code official requires the upgrade to complete a compliant repair, it belongs under Ordinance or Law coverage.

Pricing only visible damage

An estimate written off a single walkthrough cannot see what demolition reveals. Starting the job without a supplement plan invites an underfunded scope.

Missing protection, shoring, and debris

Temporary protection, shoring, dumpster and debris removal, and dust containment are real costs that initial estimates often skip.

Depreciating labor aggressively

Excess depreciation shrinks the ACV check. We test whether the depreciation applied is reasonable and ensure recoverable depreciation is released as the work is done.

Letting prompt-pay deadlines slide

Without someone tracking Chapter 542 / 542A and 627.70131 timelines, payments that fund the rebuild can stall. We hold the carrier to the clock.

Why DCS on a Rebuild Claim

DCS Public Insurance Adjusters works only for the policyholder - never the insurance company. Our founder spent 2010 to 2017 as a carrier-side field adjuster and team lead, writing and approving the very estimates we now review. We know how O&P gets quietly written out, how code upgrades get dismissed as betterment, and what a desk adjuster needs to see to approve a supplement without a fight.

We estimate in Xactimate - the same platform the carrier uses - and document to recognized restoration standards (IICRC S500 for water, S700 for fire and smoke). We are licensed in both states - Texas Firm License 3134924 and Florida Firm License W820363 - and we work on contingency: no recovery, no fee. Public adjusting is claim valuation, documentation, and negotiation. We are not a law firm; bad-faith litigation and demand letters are attorney work, and we will say so plainly when a matter belongs with counsel.

Call 833-4UR-LOSS Get a Free Claim Review

How We Support General Contractors

Pre-Job Estimate Review

We review the insurance estimate before the job starts to identify missing items and ensure the scope of work is fully funded.

Supplement Preparation

We prepare and submit supplement claims for damage discovered during demolition or conditions that change the scope of work.

Code Upgrade Documentation

We document and argue for code-required upgrades under Ordinance or Law coverage.

Overhead and Profit Recovery

We document and negotiate for general contractor overhead and profit on every qualifying claim.

Dispute Resolution

When the insurance company disputes a supplement or reduces the scope, we prepare the documentation and argument to resolve the dispute.

Team Training

Free claims documentation training for your project managers and superintendents.

Free Claims Documentation Training for Your Team

We offer complimentary on-site or virtual training for your staff on how to properly document insurance claims, what to do when insurance is involved, and how to protect your customers and your business. This is not a sales pitch. It is practical education that makes your team more valuable to every client you serve.

Call to Schedule Training intake@dcspia.com

What We Expect From Network General Contractor Partners

DCS Public Insurance Adjusters refers general contractors to policyholders whose claims involve full repair and rebuild work. Because our reputation rides on every referral, contractors in our network meet a clear set of expectations. If you are a general contractor in the Houston, Texas, or South Florida market and want to partner with us, here is what we look for.

Proper Licensing and Insurance

Required state and local licenses for general contracting, general liability coverage at appropriate limits, builders risk where required, and workers compensation. We verify these before adding a contractor to the referral network.

Multi-Trade Scope Documentation

Coordinated scope of work that captures every trade involved, code or ordinance upgrades triggered by the loss, matching considerations across surfaces, and a written narrative that reads cleanly to the carrier. Our training program covers GC-level claims documentation.

Communication With the Adjuster

Network partners coordinate with us during the claim. Respond to documentation requests, provide supplementary photographs and trade-by-trade scope when asked, and meet on-site for re-inspections when necessary.

Scope and Estimate Discipline

Repair scopes that match the documentation, line items that reflect current market pricing for materials and labor across all trades, and estimates that hold up under carrier review. We do not refer contractors who pad scope or chase Cat-event price markups.

Workmanship and Warranty

Network partners stand behind their work with written warranties on labor and pass-through manufacturer warranties on materials. Callbacks for warranty issues are handled with the homeowner outside the claim file.

Customer Experience

Policyholders are living through a disruptive event during a rebuild. Clean job sites, on-time trades, weekly schedule communication, and clear billing are baseline expectations. Negative customer feedback is grounds for removal from the referral network.

If your general contracting company meets these expectations and you want to grow your insurance-related work in the Houston market, we would welcome the conversation. Email intake@dcspia.com or call 833-4UR-LOSS to introduce yourself.

Related Claim and Guide Pages

Fire Damage Claims

The classic full-rebuild loss.

Water Damage Claims

Tear-out and multi-trade repair.

Underpaid Claims

When O&P or code upgrades go unpaid.

Insurance Appraisal Guide

Resolving a dispute over the amount of loss.

Public Adjuster Fee Calculator

Estimate fees under TX and FL fee caps.

Texas Claim Laws

Chapter 542 / 542A prompt-pay rules.

Florida Claim Laws

Prompt-pay, code, and PA rules.

Restoration Partners

The mitigation trade that precedes a rebuild.

Hire DCS

Start a free, no-obligation claim review.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does DCS help general contractors with insurance claims?

DCS represents the property owner as their licensed public adjuster and handles all carrier communication, scope review, and supplement negotiation so the GC can focus on the project. We review the insurance estimate before the job starts, prepare supplements for hidden damage discovered during demolition, and ensure overhead and profit are paid where warranted.

What is overhead and profit and why does it matter?

Overhead and Profit (O&P) is a Xactimate line item, traditionally 10% and 10%, that compensates the general contractor for coordinating three or more trades on a complex repair. Carriers frequently omit O&P from initial estimates, particularly on smaller claims, even when the scope clearly warrants it. We document and argue for O&P on every qualifying claim.

When does a claim qualify for general contractor overhead and profit?

The widely used industry test is the three-trade rule: when a repair is complex enough to require the coordination and supervision of three or more separate trades, a general contractor is reasonably needed, and GC overhead and profit is warranted. A full rebuild after fire or major water loss almost always qualifies because it pulls in framing, drywall, electrical, plumbing, HVAC, flooring, paint, and more. We document the trades involved so the O&P argument is concrete, not theoretical.

Can DCS help when a contractor discovers additional damage during demolition?

Yes, this is one of the most common situations where DCS adds value - when demolition exposes hidden damage that was not visible during the initial inspection, we prepare and submit a supplement claim with the photographic, moisture, and material documentation needed for carrier approval. Most carriers approve well-documented supplements without dispute.

What is Ordinance or Law coverage and how does it apply to a rebuild?

Ordinance or Law coverage pays for the increased cost to rebuild to current building codes when the damaged structure was built to older standards. When a covered loss triggers repairs, the local code official may require upgrades the original building did not have - updated electrical, hurricane strapping, insulation, or accessibility features. The base policy generally pays to restore what was there; Ordinance or Law coverage funds the code-driven upgrade. We document which upgrades the code official actually requires and tie them to the covered loss so they are paid as claim, not out of the homeowner pocket.

What is Xactimate and why do carriers and DCS both use it?

Xactimate is the estimating platform most insurance carriers use to price property repairs, built from line items with regional unit pricing. When the GC scope, the public adjuster estimate, and the carrier estimate are all in the same Xactimate format, the disagreement narrows to specific line items rather than competing formats. DCS prepares estimates in Xactimate, and a Level 2 certification reflects working command of the platform.

Does the general contractor get paid overhead and profit directly?

O&P is part of the loss valuation paid to the policyholder under the policy; the policyholder pays the contractor under their construction contract. The public adjuster argues that the loss valuation should include O&P where the scope warrants it, which makes the funds available to pay the GC for the coordination work actually performed. DCS values the loss for the property owner; the contract between the owner and the GC governs payment.

How long does an insurance rebuild take and how do prompt-pay laws apply?

A full rebuild can run from a few months to a year depending on size, permitting, and material lead times. The claim, however, has its own clock. Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542 sets acknowledgment, investigation, and payment deadlines, and for certain weather-related claims the notice-and-response provisions of Chapter 542A apply. Florida Statute 627.70131 sets review and payment deadlines for residential property claims. We track these deadlines so the payments that fund the rebuild keep moving.

What does a public adjuster cost on a rebuild claim, and is DCS a law firm?

DCS works on contingency - no recovery, no fee. Texas caps public adjuster fees at 10 percent of the claim payment under Insurance Code Chapter 4102. Florida caps public adjuster fees at 20 percent of the claim payment under Florida Statute 626.854, reduced to 10 percent for claims arising from a declared state of emergency during the first year. DCS is a licensed public adjusting firm - Texas Firm License 3134924, Florida Firm License W820363 - not a law firm. Bad-faith litigation, lawsuits, and demand letters are attorney work.

Do you offer training for general contractor project managers?

Yes, DCS offers free claims documentation training for GC project managers and superintendents on damage photo standards, supplement narrative writing, code-upgrade documentation, and how to protect both the customer and the business when insurance is involved. Training is available on-site or virtually.