Property Damage Appraisers, Inc. Prepares for an Increased Need for Damage Estimates During Catastrophe Season

Experts have forecasted a stronger hurricane season this year with up to 19 named storms possible; three to six of those being major hurricanes with wind speeds up to 111 mph. Now that hurricane season is in full swing, America is at risk to endure severe destruction from wind, hail, floods, earthquakes and wildfires through the fall. When a catastrophe strikes, it’s hard to know what to do next.

Luckily, Property Damage Appraisers (PDA) is on-hand to deliver fast, accurate and high-quality damage estimates in the wake of unforeseen damage. This work makes it possible to start the recovery process and get claimants back to their normal lives with little disruption.

The key to a speedy recovery is having a plan. Whether clients need support in assessing the damage of a catastrophe, or as backfill for their staff, PDA’s nationwide team of appraisers is equipped to handle all estimating needs. Whether it is residential or commercial property, automobile or heavy, specialty and complex equipment, PDA’s team is ready to mobilize whenever and wherever needed to ensure that any client will be serviced quickly following a catastrophe.

“One of PDA’s biggest advantages during a catastrophe is how we hold ourselves to the same level of high standards, best practices, quality and quick cycle times across the board in comparison to our estimates year-round,” said COO Vince Vettese. “Regardless of the situation, our main goal is to ensure that the end claim is handled as quickly as possible.”

PDA relies on proprietary capacity planning technology coupled with its national and regional tiered organizational structure to achieve the company’s industry-leading cycle times during a catastrophe.

In addition to its industry-leading standards, PDA differentiates itself in the event of a catastrophe by backfilling staff for a client. “In a lot of cases, a client may send their team members to a catastrophe event, leaving a gap in unaffected areas,” said Vettese. “For example, clients may pull an appraiser from Michigan to Florida, and then the staffing in Michigan is depleted. Our nimbleness and national footprint allows us to either backfill those areas for that client or bring qualified appraisers to an affected area very quickly to help service any customer in need.”

PDA has become known within the industry as an innovator, implementing pioneering services and tools that are customer-focused and technology-driven to complete appraisals, such as their scoper/writer tool. PDA can complete multiple damage estimates in one location. If a client has a large number of vehicles, equipment or homes damaged in a single area, scoper/ writer utilizes one team of appraisers to scope the damage and another team off-site to write the estimate at the same time virtually.

With this tool, PDA can complete hundreds of estimates in a day rather than a week, using its technology and expert team to bring the same caliber of service as a normal estimate.

Another technology-driven tool that allows PDA to hold its industry-leading standards is Xactimate. PDA’s team is certified by Xactimate to complete all residential and commercial property claims. The use of this software enhances and streamlines property claim workflows, increases consistency, and offers clients even shorter cycle times than their competitors.

“Overall, it is our national footprint of highly trained appraisers, our innovative technologies and partnerships allow us to offer quality estimates during catastrophes,” said Vettese. “After every catastrophe, we come back and hold a session to discuss what we should or could have done better. Therefore, we can come out of a disaster better prepared for the next unforeseen event. We are committed to the quality of our estimates so that our clients can rest easy knowing that they will be in good hands when the unexpected happens.”

Property Damage Appraisers, Inc. (PDA), the nationwide leading independent damage appraisal firm, is revolutionizing the industry by providing consistent quality products at speeds never experienced before across the United States, including guaranteed Same-Day Service, using a combination of technology and human expertise. PDA completes over 420,000 estimates a year for heavy equipment, over-the-road truck, specialty equipment, auto, RV, boat, motorcycle and property damage through our national team of more than 650 local appraisers in more than 250 offices.