Need advice on dealing with my homeowners insurance claim.

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I'm a first time homeowner so I'm not really sure how the claim process works. Do I just get a lump sum of money based on the materials and labor estimated for the jobs? Or do I need to get everything done and provide receipts to the insurance company.

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All depends on the company... Most likely you will get a check for everything minus depreciation and your deductible. You can get back the depreciation if you provide receipts for everything.

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The adjuster will offer you an amount, say $10,000. If you agree, he'll cut you a check minus your deductible off the top. If you sign the offer and agree, that will be all you get to pay a contractor. Your deductible and anything over his amount will be out of your pocket. I've been through this 3 times in 34 years. The Insurance offer will be low,probably not enough. Read everything and go slow. Do not agree on the 1st offer, it will be too low. I had a lightning fire and a bid of $23,000. They took off a $500 deductible and paid me $22,500. The contractor was slow and rented some equipment, had a scaffolding rented and a waste mgt. trash container also. Had to paint at the end more than thought. My bill was $30,000. I HAD to pay it, Ins. not enough. Be VERY watchful of your extra exspenses and your contractor. Get your contractor to do the work for the Ins. amount, try to discuss it often and stay on top of it.

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This guy here. He doesn't know what he is talking about...

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pretty much told me he would try to get me money to remodel most of my kitchen from the damage and fix the plumbing.

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Wait till you see his estimate, more than likely the estimate will be written in Xactimate software, if you have trouble reading it let me know. This software takes into account labor, material and equipment cost by zip code update monthly for the entire country. It does a very good job of estimating damages if the adjuster puts all the components needed for repairs into the claim.

If the damage is real extensive you might need a contractor, chances are you do not. DO NOT USE HOME DEPOT or LOWES for repairs!!!

The adjuster will call you back and send you an estimate, there is nothing to sign. If there is stuff missing from the estimate, don't worry about it, it can be handled on a supplement. What I would tell you is not to have the contractor start working on repairs till and pricing discrepancies are settled.

Most insurance companies write the estimate, then subtract off the deprecation (this is money you will get back when the repairs are complete) and the deductible (this is your responsibility of damages for the claim and will not get back) and send you a check for the rest of the damages.

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Seriously, how do people survive in this world?

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Everyone needs a little help with something in life...

I don't know Louisianna, but the slab and waterline may not be covered.
You often need a covered peril to include that as part of the claim (i.e. the pipe froze and cracked and would result in a covered loss on a home policy). A pipe that wears and develops a pin sized hole is often not covered on a home insurance claim. And consequently, going into the slab to make the repair... that is your responsibility.

All of the kitchen repairs sound like they should be covered minus your deductible. How much do you expect the kitchen to run? How much is your deductible? Who is the insurance company if you don't mind me asking? Do you plan on buying another property or shopping insurance at any point in the future?

What the previous poster is talking about the the definition of an "occurrence" and the ensuing loss doctrine.

In sum, your loss needs to be related to an event that happened like a pipe busting, or storm and not a simple period of time, like a pipe wearing out over many years. Confusing, it is intended to be. They don't understand it either as I have shown in numerous 30b6 depos. In just gives them lead way to deny claims. You better buy flood insurance if you dont already have it.

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The contractor was slow

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I think you got screwed by a contractor in that situation more than insurance being insufficient.

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The Insurance offer will be low,probably not enough. Read everything and go slow. Do not agree on the 1st offer, it will be too low. 

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They are using pretty sophisticated software to come up with an indemnity value. Not really much wiggle room. Plus, are you really going to arbitration while your kitchen is screwed up?

Here are the steps you should take some of which you have done already.

Make Claim to Insurance Company
Insurance company comes to survey damage
Insurance company completes estimate with Xactimate software
Insurance company allows you to review estimate
If you find something not on estimate tell insurance company
Review estimate with prospective contractors
Find contractor to do it for the xactimate price.
Insurance company issues homeowner check minus depreciation and deductible.
Monitor contractors work, if items are found damaged that are not on xactimate estimate, notify insurance company via email or letter.
When work complete send all receipts to insurance company to recoup depreciation.

My wife and I just has a partial loss home fire of about $180,000 and these are the steps we took and everything went pretty well with Safeco.

I live in an area that probably 50% of all the houses have had problems with leaks in slab.

Here is how it has worked out in every case that I am aware. I have one handy friend that did not even call his insurance company and and made a partial repair for around $1000.

Insurance has only paid for water damage, but amounts have been miniscule. NO ONE I know has been covered for what that adjuster told you (try for remodel of most of the kitchen).

Homes had to be replumbed with that orange flexible piping and that meant going up the walls and ceiling and sheetrock repair involved. Insurance did not cover any of that or sheet rock repair. The least amount I have heard for the plumbing only was $3500 and up depending on number of bathrooms and square footage.

This is Alabama, so may be a different outcome in other states.