We manage property damage insurance claims for homeowners and businesses across Belfast — not insurers.
PCLA handle every step of your claim, from assessment to settlement, so you don’t have to.
Serving Greater Belfast, Lisburn, Holywood, Newtownabbey, Carrickfergus, and surrounding areas.
FCA regulated • No Win, No Fee • 270+ five-star reviews
A heating pipe buried in the concrete floor slab of a Belfast home burst in November 2024. Water spread through the structure beneath the tiled floors, undetected until damp appeared. Tesco Insurance assessed the damage and made an offer of £6,000.
PCLA were contacted. Using professional moisture-mapping equipment, we surveyed the full ground floor and found saturation extending well beyond what the initial inspection had captured. We prepared a comprehensive schedule of works backed by technical evidence and negotiated directly with Tesco’s adjuster.
Final settlement: £73,000, plus full temporary accommodation costs covered during repairs.
PCLA are FCA-regulated (FRN 933781) and work on a No Win, No Fee basis. If your claim is not settled, you do not pay.
You don’t have to face your insurer alone. We handle the process, the paperwork, and the negotiation.
Your insurer appoints a loss adjuster to assess your claim. Their role is to assess the claim for the insurer. They are not appointed to prepare your claim on your behalf or advocate for the highest fully evidenced settlement.
An independent loss assessor works the other way around. We are appointed by you, act exclusively for you, and our job is to ensure your claim is documented fully and presented in a way that reflects the true extent of your loss.
We are not adversarial. A well-prepared claim, submitted by a qualified surveyor with a full costed repair schedule and supporting technical evidence, is simply harder to dispute than a self-reported one.
The earlier you involve us, the more we can do. The best time to call is before you notify your insurer, or before you accept a settlement figure, while the evidence and the scope of the claim can still be shaped. A short call at that point costs nothing and does not commit you to anything.
In November 2024, a heating pipe within the concrete floor slab of a Belfast residential property burst. The water spread silently, beneath tiled floors and throughout the ground floor slab, before damage became apparent. When Tesco Insurance assessed the claim, their offer was £6,000.
PCLA were appointed after that offer was made. We conducted a detailed moisture survey across the full ground floor using professional equipment. The readings showed the concrete slab was saturated well beyond the bathroom. Damage the initial inspection had not captured and that the offer did not account for.
We prepared a comprehensive schedule of works with full photographic and moisture-mapping evidence and negotiated with Tesco’s appointed adjuster on the basis of those technical findings.
Final settlement: £73,000 (plus full temporary accommodation costs covered for the duration of repairs).
Case details shared with permission.
Concealed pipe damage of this kind (where the leak is within a floor slab or behind a structure) is one of the most frequently underestimated claim types. Without specialist moisture-mapping equipment, the full extent of saturation is not visible and will not be reflected in the insurer’s initial offer.
If you have suffered an escape of water at home, our guide to escape of water claims explains how this claim type is handled and what evidence matters.
Many Belfast homeowners search for a “loss adjuster” when what they need is a loss assessor. The terms are often used interchangeably, but the distinction matters.
PCLA are loss assessors. We have no commercial relationship with any insurer. We are paid only when your claim settles, and only as a percentage of what you receive.
| What We Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Work solely for you, not the insurer | Your interests come first |
| Handle your claim from start to finish | You avoid stress and admin |
| Offer local, on-site assessments | Faster response across Greater Belfast |
| Regulated by the FCA | Professional, transparent and accountable |
| Help manage repairs | No need to chase contractors |
Belfast’s housing stock (from the Victorian terraced streets of the inner city to the semi-detached and detached estates across the suburbs) presents a wide range of common claim types. Escape of water is the claim type we handle most frequently, and it is also the one most likely to be undervalued in an initial assessment when damage is concealed beneath floors or within structures.
We handle claims across all major types:
Burst pipes, concealed pipe failures in floor slabs or walls, failed pipe joints and leaking appliances.
Relevant to terraced and semi-detached housing where adjoining structures share drainage.
Roofing, chimney stacks, and guttering failures after severe weather.
Surface water flooding and ingress claims.
Including smoke and soot damage, frequently undervalued in initial assessments.
Heating oil leaks affecting floors, walls, and subfloor structures.
PCLA manage claims for leaks, overflow, or contamination from septic tanks and private waste systems.
Including sudden damage to buildings or contents, vehicle impact, break-ins, attempted break-ins, and malicious damage.
Including loss of rent and tenant-caused damage.
Support for business premises, stock, equipment, rental income, and loss of trading following insured property damage.
If you are unsure whether your situation warrants a loss assessor, call us before you notify your insurer. How a claim is first reported can affect how it is assessed.
No Win, No Fee! – You only pay if your claim is successful.
*based on Google reviews
We cover Belfast and the surrounding area including:
Belfast City (all areas — North, South, East, West, and City Centre), Lisburn, Newtownabbey, Holywood, Carryduff, Hillsborough, Malone, Dundonald, Finaghy, Castlereagh — and across County Down and County Antrim where required.
Did you know: Many older homes in East Belfast experience water damage from leaking pipes. We’ve helped dozens of homeowners restore their properties quickly and fairly.
“PCLA handled everything with our insurer after a burst pipe. They were professional, quick and easy to deal with.” – C.B., Belfast, 2025
We work on a No Win, No Fee basis. Our standard fee is 10 % of the final settlement plus VAT — nothing upfront.
Included:
If your claim isn’t successful, you pay nothing.
A loss adjuster is appointed by your insurance company to assess your claim on their behalf. A loss assessor is appointed by you to represent your interests. At PCLA, we work for you — not your insurer. We inspect the damage independently, prepare your claim documentation, and negotiate with the insurer to ensure you receive a settlement that reflects your full loss under your policy.
As early as you can, and ideally before you notify your insurer or before the loss adjuster visits your property. That is the point where the evidence and the scope of the claim can still be shaped, so it is where we make the most difference.
No. The earlier you involve us the more we can do, and the best time to call is before you notify your insurer or before you accept a settlement figure. If your claim is already underway, contact us for a free initial review.
Not if you have not signed a final settlement agreement. Offers can be challenged — contact us before you accept.
Nothing upfront. Our fee is typically 10% + VAT of your settlement, confirmed in writing before any work begins. If your claim is not settled, you do not pay. How our fees work
Yes. Document everything first — photographs, video, and receipts — and do not dispose of any damaged items without recording them. PCLA can attend the property to document the damage professionally before further works begin.
No. A well-structured claim with a full costed repair schedule and supporting evidence often settles more efficiently than a disputed one.
Yes — commercial property, business interruption, and landlord insurance claims across Greater Belfast, alongside residential homeowner claims.
Get Help with Your Insurance Claim Today!
PCLA represent homeowners — not insurers.
We handle every detail of your property damage claim so you can focus on getting life back to normal.
We’ll assess your damage, handle your claim and deal with your insurer.
Call PCLA to Request Your Free Claim Review Today!
Property Claims Loss Assessors Ltd (PCLA) are independent Loss Assessors helping homeowners and businesses across Northern Ireland secure fair insurance settlements.
We’re fully insured and FCA regulated (FRN 933781).
Trusted by policyholders, landlords and commercial clients.
PCLA – Loss Assessor | Insurance Claims | No Win-No Fee
