Neighborhood kids were lined up three deep as I showed up to inspect this wind claim. The above ground pool in the backyard had been blown away. In this state they take their summer recreation serious and the whole neighborhood seemed to be waiting on me, so they could get that pool back in business.
There was damage to the house roof, and detached garage roof, but the pool was the only thing that mattered.
They had an unitemized estimate for pool replacement. I itemized and came up with a figure a little more than their estimate. I closed with named insured, turned it in and all was well, until the named insured deferred an angry family member to me.
Their estimate called for 30 yards of sifted bed sand to replace that which had blown away and/or been contaminated by wind blown sharp stones. I had only allowed for 10 yards, figuring 6 inches of sand across the 24 foot pool would be enough. (later I found a chart that called for 3 yards for a 24 foot pool). My RCV estimate was enough to cover her pool and a little more, but not enough to pay cash up front which the company was demanding. How was I going to get her pool replaced before the first snow? The roof could wait. Everything could wait.They didn't care about RCV/ACV. The pool was paramount!
We worked out a way to get the roof repaired and the pool installed. The current tempest in the neighborhood calmed to a happy gentle breeze, pending a glitch in our plan.
Now as I go over the things I did right and wrong, I'm wondering if I didn't make a mistake including the bed sand in my estimate.
From the policy:
Coverage A-Dwelling and Dwelling Extension do not cover:
6. any land or the value of any land, including land on which the dwelling or other structures are located, or the cost to restore, repair, rebuild or stablize land.
Is bed sand land? Does the very term "Above Ground Pool" define the material beneath the pool as ground or ....land?
Because tools were necessary to assemble this pool and the supports were implanted in the "ground" I handled this as Dwelling Extension, but it wouldn't have changed much as PP in that there was a replacement cost endorcement for personal property and there was a "land" exclusion for Personal Property as well.
How would others handle the sand?
Randy Cox