When your property is damaged, managing an insurance claim can feel overwhelming. PCLA are independent Loss Assessors representing homeowners and businesses — we work for you, not the insurer. From our local Northern Ireland team, we take care of every detail so you can focus on putting your home or business back to normal.
Serving Ballymena, Antrim, Broughshane, Cullybackey, Ahoghill, Portglenone, and Kells.
“PCLA handled everything quickly and professionally. They kept me informed at every stage until the claim was paid.”
FCA regulated • No Win, No Fee • 270+ five-star reviews
You have damage at home and you need to make an insurance claim. You may have already spoken to your insurer, or you may be at the very beginning of the process, trying to understand what to do next.
Most homeowners in Ballymena do not know they can appoint their own expert before the claim begins — before the insurer sends anyone to assess the property, before any scope of works is agreed, and before any figure is put on the table. That is what PCLA does. We are independent loss assessors. Our surveyors attend properties across Ballymena and the wider County Antrim area in person. Our job is to make sure your claim is properly prepared from the start.
Thinking about making a claim? Speak to PCLA first.
Fair claims start here.
You don’t have to face your insurer alone. We handle the process, the paperwork, and the negotiation.
PCLA acts exclusively for the homeowner. Our work on a claim covers three things:
Assess the claim.
We attend your property, look at the cause and extent of the damage, and review the policy position. We tell you what the claim is likely to involve, what your policy may cover, and where the points of difficulty are likely to be.
Evidence the damage.
We document the damage with photographs, moisture readings, and technical reports. Where hidden damage is suspected (under floors, behind plasterboard, inside wall cavities) we carry out the survey work needed to establish the true extent before any scope of works is agreed.
Negotiate the settlement.
We prepare and submit the claim, handle all correspondence with your insurer and any loss adjuster they appoint, respond to queries, and negotiate the settlement on your behalf.
You do not manage paperwork, meet the insurer’s assessor, or negotiate the figure. We handle that for you.
A homeowner in Ballymena experienced significant water damage following a leak from a pipe located within the floor of the dining room. Because the pipe was concealed beneath the floor construction, the leak had been developing before it became visible — and by the time it was identified, water had spread extensively through the property.
The damage affected eight separate areas: the kitchen, dining room, hallway, bathroom, living room, back hall, utility room, and shower room.
This is a pattern that catches many homeowners off guard. A concealed underfloor pipe failure does not produce a visible puddle or a dripping ceiling. Water escapes beneath the floor covering, travels along sub-floor voids, and emerges in rooms that may be some distance from the source. By the time the spread becomes apparent, the floor construction and the lower sections of walls across a large part of the property may all be affected.
We attended the property, carried out moisture readings throughout all affected areas, documented the extent of moisture spread room by room, and prepared a comprehensive schedule of reinstatement works covering all eight areas.
The claim was settled for £22,662.
Case details shared with permission of the policyholder.
A client's Galgorm bungalow had an underfloor concrete slab leak that seemed impossible to locate. PCLA used specialist detection equipment to pinpoint the exact location, then managed the complex claim.
When a client noticed damp patches spreading across their Ballymena semi-detached home's ceiling, PCLA stepped in. We traced the leak's origin and took control of the insurance claim process.
After a central heating leak flooded their Broughshane detached home, a client contacted PCLA. We arranged immediate repairs, gathered all evidence, and negotiated directly with their insurer.
*based on Google reviews
Ballymena is one of County Antrim’s principal market towns, with a housing stock that ranges from older terraced and semi-detached properties in the town centre to suburban estates on the surrounding hillsides and newer private developments on the outskirts. The town’s position in the Braid Valley, with higher ground rising to the Antrim Plateau, means that properties across the area can vary significantly in their construction, age, and exposure.
Underfloor pipework and hidden leak spread. Many properties — particularly those built across several decades of the twentieth century — have heating and water supply pipework running beneath floors, either within the floor construction itself or through ducted voids beneath screed or floorboards. When pipework within the floor fails, moisture does not necessarily emerge at the surface immediately. It spreads horizontally beneath floor coverings, enters wall bases, and can travel through multiple rooms before it becomes detectable. Moisture mapping across the full floor area, not just the visible damage, is needed to properly scope these claims.
Older properties and mixed construction. Ballymena’s older housing stock includes properties with suspended timber floors, solid concrete ground floors, and original lime plasterwork. Each of these materials responds to moisture and to drying differently. Reinstatement works in these properties can be more complex than in modern construction, and it is important that the scope of works reflects what is actually there rather than a modern equivalent.
Hillside properties and ground conditions. Properties on the rising ground around Ballymena — particularly in areas such as Broughshane and the Braid Valley — can be subject to varying ground conditions. Where ground movement or subsidence is a concern, early independent assessment is important to establish whether the damage is structural in nature and whether a specialist structural engineer’s input is required.
Storm exposure. The Antrim Plateau and the hills above Ballymena can be exposed to significant wind events. Storm damage claims in the area require clear evidence of the cause and timing of damage — particularly where insurers raise questions about pre-existing condition.
We handle property insurance claims for homeowners, landlords, and commercial property owners across Ballymena and the surrounding area. Claim types include:
If your claim type is not listed here, contact us and we will tell you whether we can help.
The earlier you involve a loss assessor, the more useful they can be. The best point to make contact is before you report the claim to your insurer, or at least before any assessment or survey has taken place on the insurer’s behalf.
Once a loss adjuster has attended and an initial scope of works has been agreed, it becomes harder to revisit areas that were not properly documented at the outset. If you contact us before that stage, we can ensure the damage is fully recorded, the claim is properly prepared, and you are in the best possible position from the start.
If a claim is already under way, or if you feel the settlement offer you have received does not reflect the full extent of the damage, we may still be able to help. Contact us and we will advise you on the position.
PCLA works on a No Win, No Fee basis. There is no upfront cost to appointing us. Our fee is a percentage of the final settlement, agreed with you before we begin. If the claim does not succeed, you do not pay.
This means you can appoint your own expert from the start without having to find funds before the claim is resolved.
We handle claims across Ballymena and neighbouring communities including Antrim, Portglenone, Ahoghill, Cullybackey, Kells, and Galgorm.
Did you know: Older properties in County Antrim often suffer water damage from leaking pipes — PCLA help homeowners recover their full entitlement quickly and fairly.
Suffering damage to your home is stressful enough. Here, we answer the most common questions we hear from homeowners in Ballymena to give you clarity and confidence.
A loss adjuster is appointed by your insurer to assess the claim on their behalf. A loss assessor is independent and acts for you, the policyholder. You are entitled to appoint your own loss assessor — the difference between a loss assessor and a loss adjuster is worth understanding before your claim begins.
No. PCLA works on a No Win, No Fee basis. There is no upfront charge and no cost unless the claim succeeds.
Yes, in most cases. If your claim is already under way but you are not satisfied with how it is progressing, or if the settlement offered does not reflect the full extent of the damage, contact us and we will advise you on the position.
Yes. We cover Ballymena and surrounding areas including Broughshane, Cullybackey, Ballymoney, Antrim, and the wider County Antrim area.
Timescales vary depending on the complexity of the claim and the responsiveness of the insurer. A straightforward escape of water claim may resolve within a few months; claims involving widespread damage or hidden moisture can take longer due to the drying programme required before reinstatement can begin.
You can still appoint PCLA. The loss adjuster acts for the insurer; you are entitled to your own representation. We will liaise with the loss adjuster on your behalf.
If you have property damage and you are thinking about making a claim, speak to us before the process begins. We will tell you what your claim is likely to involve, whether your policy is likely to respond, and how we can help.
There is no charge for the initial conversation and no obligation to proceed.
Fair claims start here.
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
