1
Stay safe.
Call 911 for a fire, stay away from downed wires, and keep out of rooms where a tree has come through the roof. Run any generator outdoors, away from doors and windows.
Westchester County · New York
Westchester public adjuster for fire, water and storm damage claims
We're a licensed New York public adjusting firm working only for policyholders. From Yonkers apartment buildings to Scarsdale colonials and Sound Shore homes, we inspect Westchester damage in person, document it, write the estimate and negotiate your claim.
Licensed and insured in New YorkIn-person inspections in WestchesterFree claim review
Westchester Homes
Older houses, co-ops and apartment buildings each change the claim.
- Older houses. Many Westchester homes were built before World War II, with plaster walls, hardwood floors and slate or tile roofs. The estimate should price them as they are, not as drywall and laminate. Some are balloon-framed, with open wall cavities that let fire and smoke climb from the basement to the attic.
- Custom finishes and valuable contents. Custom kitchens, millwork, art and collections need documentation that matches their value. Scheduled valuables are settled under their own schedule, apart from the rest of your contents.
- Oil heat and puff-backs. In a house heated by oil, a boiler puff-back can coat much of the house in soot. It's a smoke claim, and the cleanup reaches into closets, ducts and contents.
- Multifamily and mixed-use buildings. In Yonkers, Mount Vernon and New Rochelle, two- to six-family houses and buildings with stores below apartments can turn one fire or leak into several claims. The owner's lost rent can be one of them. Commercial claims
Rivers, the Sound and Basements
Westchester water claims start with where the water came from.
The Mamaroneck and Sheldrake Rivers flood the Village of Mamaroneck so often that officials call it the most flood-vulnerable community in the county. During Ida in 2021, residents there reported several feet of water in their homes. The Bronx and Saw Mill River valleys and the Long Island Sound shore flood too.
- Rising water from a river, the Sound or a flooded street is flood. Homeowners policies exclude it. A flood policy pays for things like the furnace and water heater in a basement, but not finished walls, floors or most belongings.
- Backup through floor drains and toilets, or from a failed sump pump, needs a water backup endorsement on most policies.
- Seepage through foundation walls is usually excluded, even after heavy rain.
- Burst pipes. A sudden burst is usually covered, but a pipe that froze because the heat was off may not be.
Photograph the high-water mark and where the water entered before anything is torn out.
Trees, Storms and Roofs
In Westchester storms, falling trees do much of the damage.
Mature trees come down on roofs, cars and power lines in tropical storms and nor'easters. After Isaias in 2020, more than 200,000 Con Edison customers in Westchester lost power. When a tree falls on your house or another covered structure, your own policy usually pays for the damage and for removing the tree. Removal is often capped at $500 to $1,000. A tree that falls without hitting anything is usually yours to clear. In hard winters, ice dams on older roofs can also push meltwater under the shingles and into the ceilings below. Storm and wind claims
Co-ops and Condos
In a Westchester co-op or condo, the building's papers decide who pays.
Westchester has many co-ops and condos, from garden complexes to high-rises in Yonkers, White Plains, Hartsdale and New Rochelle. Garden complexes often share roofs, basements and boiler rooms across buildings, so one leak can reach several owners. The building's master policy and your own policy cover different parts of the same loss, and the proprietary lease or bylaws draw the line. When the building itself has the loss, the board can hire us for its claim. See how condo and co-op claims work
First Steps
In the first day, stay safe and protect the house.
2
Stop further damage.
Shut off the water if a pipe burst, and get the roof tarped or openings boarded once it's safe. Keep every receipt.
3
Report the claim.
Tell your insurer right away; a flood policy, if you have one, is a separate claim with its own deadlines.
4
Document first.
Photograph each room, the roof, any fallen trees and damaged belongings before cleanup, and save the mitigation company's moisture readings and the tree service's invoice. How to document water damage before repairs
What we've recovered for New York owners
The photo shows the kind of water damage Westchester owners face. It is an example, not a photo from a claim Triboro handled in Westchester.
Our results on real claims:
Bronx fire claim. Initial carrier offer: $97,000. Final result: $250,000. Read the case: triboropa.com/results/bronx-fire-damage
Queens water claim. From $8,000 to $95,000. Read the case: triboropa.com/results/queens-water-damage
Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.
How It Works
One firm handles your claim from start to finish.
1
Inspect.
We tour the house or building with you, from the basement to the roof line.
2
Document.
Photos, measurements and the mitigation company's drying records capture all the damage, including what's behind the walls.
3
Estimate.
We price the repair to match the property: plaster, hardwood, slate and custom millwork included.
4
Negotiate.
We present the claim to your insurer and negotiate until it's resolved.
Where We Work in Westchester
Based in the Bronx, inspecting in person across Westchester.
We help homeowners, landlords, co-op and condo owners, boards and businesses from Yonkers and Mount Vernon to White Plains, the Sound Shore, the river towns and northern Westchester. Based in the Bronx, serving New York City and New York State.
Westchester Claim Questions
Questions Westchester owners ask us.
Do you inspect in person in Westchester?
Yes. We're based in the Bronx, next door to the county, and we inspect homes and buildings in person throughout Westchester.
A tree fell on my house. What does my policy cover?
Usually the damage to the house and the cost to remove the tree from it, up to the policy's limit. Fences, sheds and detached garages fall under the policy's other-structures coverage. A tree that comes down without hitting anything insured is usually not covered.
My basement flooded during a storm. Is it covered?
It depends on the source. Water that backed up through a drain may be covered with a backup endorsement. River or surface flooding needs a flood policy, which pays for little in a finished basement. Seepage through the foundation is usually excluded.
Do you handle claims for co-op and condo buildings?
Yes, for unit owners and for boards. An owner's claim covers the apartment's improvements and belongings, and a board's claim covers the building under its master policy.
My house has plaster walls and custom woodwork. Will the estimate reflect that?
It should. We price repairs with the materials your house actually has, and we push back when an insurer prices plaster as drywall or custom millwork as stock trim.
The insurer already paid my claim. Can you take a look?
Yes. We compare what was paid with the damage and the policy and tell you whether more is owed. Disputes have deadlines, so it's better not to wait.
How does Triboro charge?
Our fee is negotiable and is never more than 12% of the insurance payments made after you hire Triboro. The agreed rate is set out in a written agreement before any work starts. If you don't get paid, we don't get paid.
Claim Services
Help for the loss, the property, and the claim.
Westchester County Claim Review
Get a clear review of your damage, carrier estimate, and next steps.
Start with a free initial claim review.