A sewer backup affected 24 units spread across three separate buildings, each insured individually. Rather than handling three isolated projects, Bélisle structured a single $900,000 claim file, adhering to the specific standards and deadlines of each insurer. Result: simultaneous reconstruction, with no cost overruns or delays.
Type of claim: Sewer backup, Category 3
Sector: Residential rental, 324 units
Scope: 3 buildings, 24 units, 3 separate claims
Claim value: Approximately $900,000
Coordinated stakeholders: 3 claims adjusters, 3 building damage estimators, 1 electrical engineer
1. Background
Following heavy rains, a sewer backup affected 24 units spread across three buildings within the same residential complex. Category 3 contaminated water accumulated up to two feet deep in the ground-floor units. Since each building was insured by a different company, the case resulted in three separate claims, managed by three claims adjusters and three independent estimators.
What makes this case unique: The property manager wanted a single, simultaneous start to construction for all three buildings, despite the separate insurance claims.
2. The Real Problem
The complexity did not lie in the scope of the work—removal of walls, floors, cabinets, plumbing, and insulation, followed by reconstruction—but in administrative coordination. Each insurer has its own standards, rates, and estimation software. Three separate estimates had to be produced, according to three different sets of rules, before the project could be treated as a single, comprehensive job.
3. The Pressure
The main risk: that the three insurers would not submit their estimates and work agreements at the same time. Without this synchronization, the project would have been split into one, two, or three separate construction projects, contrary to the client’s request. This requirement was communicated to each of the three insurers involved from the very beginning of the case.
4. The Intervention
As soon as the contract was awarded, a site visit was conducted to determine the exact nature of the damage. Bélisle then obtained authorization from all three insurers to proceed with emergency demolition, while simultaneously working with the estimators to prepare the repair cost estimates.
Work began with a continuous rotation among the three buildings: the demolition crews, followed by the reconstruction crews, moved sequentially from one building to the next. This method allowed three separate claims to be handled as a single project, without the claims adjusters having to manage three different schedules.
Progress was monitored through regular emails and site visits every 48 hours, with a foreman present at all times to coordinate the various trades.
5. Unforeseen Issues
No major unforeseen issues arose during this project. The thoroughness of the initial assessment—a clearly defined scope of work shared with each insurer from the outset—helped avoid surprises during construction, both technically and financially.
6. The Result
Costs: $900,000 budget adhered to
Timelines: Schedule adhered to despite coordinating three claims
Coordination: Three insurers aligned on a single schedule; a single project delivered
Benefit for the claims adjuster: A predictable, well-documented project with no surprises to manage along the way
“For us, as a general contractor specializing in major losses, this type of project can be handled fairly easily, despite its scale.”
— Maxime Bélisle, Project Manager