Insurance claim - company won’t pay cost builder has quoted

[Notsoaccidentproneanymore]

Someone else in their car has damaged our property which requires a builder to repair.

We were only asked to provide 1 quote for the work.

The insurance company have made an offer which is lower than the quote as they’ve said it won’t take as long to do the work as the builder says.

Does anyone have any experience in negotiating with insurance companies?

Ask them to get a builder out to quote.

They sent a surveyor who said 6 days, but the builder says 7. A difference of £400!

Which we’d have to pay. Seems so unfair that we’d have to contribute to someone else damaging our property.

Speak to the insurance ombudsman for advice. They were brilliant when our insurers were being difficult

Is this your insurers or the car driver's insurers?

I have found in the past that if it is my own insurers they are a pain to deal with.

I am surprised about only one quote though.
They normally ask for three with one being a named company from them

It’s the car drivers insurance company. Insurance Ombudsmen is a good idea. Didn’t think of that.

You should defo not have to pay!
I’d tell them to find a builder who can do it in the time their surveyor advised and for £400 less. Bet it’s hard.
Get another quote and see if there’s a difference.