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An insurance claim runs in two parallel tracks. There is what you do as the policyholder. There is what your contractor does once instructed. Most websites only explain one half. This page sets them out side by side so you know exactly what happens, when, and why.
From the moment damage occurs to the moment your home is signed off, two things are running in parallel: your conversation with your insurer, and your contractor's delivery of the repair.
If your insurer has appointed Nationserv, this page explains what is expected of you, and what is on us. The aim is no surprises. Clear handoffs, clear expectations, clear accountability.
Every step below is grounded in how Nationserv actually works as a UK specialist insurance repair contractor, with regional teams across London, Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Cambridgeshire, Northamptonshire, Oxfordshire, Essex, Peterborough, Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cornwall.
Legend
What is on your side of the line. Your decisions, your conversations with the insurer, what you do at each milestone.
What is on our side. The technical work, the coordination with insurers and adjusters, the build itself.
A pipe bursts, a fire breaks out, a wall cracks. The first ten minutes are about safety, not paperwork.
Make the property safe and call the emergency services if needed.
Not yet involved. Your insurer needs to know first, and they decide who to instruct.
Most insurers run a 24 hour helpline. The faster you call, the faster the claim moves. Have your policy number ready.
Phone the claim line and explain what has happened.
Standing by. Insurers and loss adjusters route claims to us through their digital systems.
The insurer or adjuster confirms who is coming. If Nationserv is the appointed contractor, you will hear from us directly with a contact number and timeline.
You will receive a contact name, a phone number and an indication of when the surveyor or emergency team will attend.
Receive the instruction, allocate to the right surveyor and team.
For emergencies (escape of water, fire, storm impact), the priority is preventing further damage and keeping occupants safe. Repair planning comes after the immediate risks are controlled.
Let the team in. Show them the damage. Step back while make safe is carried out.
Emergency response team on site within four hours of instruction, as on the Uxbridge apartment block claim instructed by Sedgwick.
The most important visit of the whole claim. The surveyor is the person who decides what gets repaired, how, and at what cost. Get this right and the rest runs smoothly.
Meet the surveyor at the property. Walk the damage room by room.
A senior surveyor attends, scopes, costs and reports.
The insurer reviews the surveyor's report and approves the works. Once approved, dates are set and trades are mobilised. Any betterment (you wanting an upgrade beyond the original specification) is agreed separately and paid by you.
Confirm start date, agree any betterment in writing, and decide on accommodation if the property is uninhabitable.
Mobilise trades, order materials, brief the team.
Nationserv trades on site, working considerately in your home, updating you at each milestone. Specialist services (asbestos, drying, structural reinforcement, contents storage) are coordinated through accredited supply chain partners.
Live around the works where you can, or move out where the insurer has arranged accommodation.
Deliver the agreed scope with core trades held in house.
The project manager walks the works with you, room by room. Anything not right gets snagged and put right. When you are satisfied, you sign off and we hand over.
Walk the works carefully. Open every cupboard, check every finish.
Final inspection, snagging, and handover documentation.
Frequently Asked
Six common questions homeowners ask when their insurer has appointed Nationserv. If yours is not here, the office team is on 0800 652 3331.
No. You have the right to choose your own contractor. Most insurance policies confirm this: subject to the insurer reviewing the quote, you can appoint who you trust with the keys to your home.
That choice matters because the home you walk back into is the one the contractor leaves behind. Nationserv is a UK specialist insurance repair contractor delivering end to end building solutions, established in 2015, with senior surveyors, decorators, plasterers, joiners and finishers held in house. The teams who work in your home are the ones we have trained and stand behind.
The result is craftsmanship that holds up: clean joinery, walls that look like nothing happened, finishes you do not have to apologise for. Insurer aligned systems (Xactimate, Symbility, Blueprint) keep the claim moving, and the insurer pays us directly so you do not handle invoices or chase quotes. Helifix Approved Installer, CHAS, ConstructionLine Gold, BDMA, NFU Mutual approved repairer, and the LABC Building Excellence Awards 2025 Regional Winner and National Finalist for Best Residential Extension, all on the same approved contractor.
Tell your insurer you would like Nationserv to carry out the repair. Then call us on 0800 652 3331 and we will pick it up from there.
It depends on the type and scale of damage. Emergency make safe is delivered the same day or within hours. A simple escape of water repair can be days to a few weeks. Major losses such as fire, flood and subsidence typically run several months and can extend further where structural monitoring is needed. Nationserv gives you a clear programme at the start and updates you at every stage.
Where Nationserv is instructed by your insurer, the insurer pays for the agreed scope of works directly. You will normally only pay your policy excess. Any betterment, meaning upgrades beyond the original specification, is agreed with you separately before work starts.
Sometimes, depending on the extent of the damage. Where a property is uninhabitable, your insurer arranges temporary accommodation. Nationserv coordinates with your insurer and adjuster to manage that arrangement and to plan the works around your accommodation timeline.
Core trades sit in house at Nationserv, supported by a vetted supply chain for specialist scopes. Electrical works are carried out by NICEIC approved electricians, gas and plumbing by Gas Safe registered engineers. Every operative is briefed on conduct, safety and customer care before attending an occupied property.
Nationserv stands behind every reinstatement. If you spot a defect or issue after handover, contact us on 0800 652 3331 or [email protected] and we will arrange a return visit to put it right. Specialist installations such as Helifix structural reinforcement carry the manufacturer's 25 year guarantee.
If your insurer has appointed Nationserv and you have a question about your claim, the office team is the right place to start. Have your claim reference handy and we will pick it up from there.