Insurance Appraiser in Binghamton, New York

Two floods in five years

Binghamton sits where the Chenango River meets the Susquehanna, and the city has learned to live with high water. In late June 2006 heavy rain sent both rivers over their banks and flooded neighborhoods across Broome County. Then in September 2011 the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee drove the Susquehanna to a record crest in Binghamton, overtopping flood walls and inundating homes in the city, Johnson City, Vestal, Endicott and Conklin. River flooding is generally excluded from homeowners policies and handled by NFIP or private flood coverage, which has its own claim rules and limited appraisal provisions.

Valley homes and the estimate

Much of the Southern Tier’s housing dates from the era of Endicott-Johnson and IBM: wood-frame singles and two-families with porches, wood or asbestos-cement siding, plaster walls and stone or block foundations. These homes are now insured against a full range of perils besides flood: wind and falling trees, ice dams in snowy winters, frozen pipes, fire and, where endorsed, sewer backup. Carriers sometimes apply a flood-era mindset to every water claim, assuming the river was the cause even when a pipe or roof was responsible.

Disputes we see in Broome County

• Plumbing or roof leaks wrongly attributed to groundwater or flood.
• Older plaster, trim and hardwood priced as modern materials.
• Foundation and basement repairs left out after a covered water loss.
• Wind damage to siding and roofs written as patch repairs.
• Two-family homes where loss of rents is undervalued.

Many Southern Tier homes were repaired after 2006 and again after 2011, so walls and floors may already contain newer materials alongside original ones. A later covered loss needs careful scoping so that existing repairs, prior flood damage and new damage are separated accurately. Documenting the home’s condition before the new loss can help.

Illustrative example: if a burst upstairs pipe soaks a plaster ceiling and the insurer’s estimate prices only drywall patching and paint, the gap between that figure and real plaster repair can be large on even a single room.

Communities we serve

We work in Binghamton’s First Ward, West Side, South Side, East Side and North Side, and in Johnson City, Endicott, Vestal, Kirkwood, Conklin, Port Dickinson and Chenango Bridge. Our guide on basement water, sewer backup and flood explains why source matters so much, and our guide to New York’s appraisal clause covers how the process works under most homeowners policies.

Appraisal services for Binghamton properties

Every New York Insurance Appraiser service is available in Binghamton and across Broome County, including:

• Appraisal Clause Representation
• Homeowners Claim Appraisal
• Co-op, Condo & Commercial Appraisal
• Roof & Hail Damage Appraisal
• Windstorm & Tornado Appraisal
• Hurricane & Nor’easter Appraisal
• Water Damage Appraisal
• Fire & Smoke Damage Appraisal

Binghamton claim questions

Nearby locations