Painting after water damage in Geneva: the insurance process

First steps: declare and document before thinking about paint

The right order after water damage puts the administrative record-keeping ahead of the repair work. In practice:

1. Stop the source — close the water supply valve and call in a plumber if needed. The cause is dealt with before the consequence.
2. Document with dated photos — wide views and close-ups of the water stains, flaking and affected surfaces (wall, ceiling, skirting boards). These images feed the insurance file.
3. Declare in writing — to the property management company (a contractual obligation for the tenant) and to the relevant insurer. Several Swiss insurers expect a declaration within a short window: check your general terms and conditions.
4. Keep a record — copies of emails, the declaration form, and claim references.

Calling the painter first achieves nothing as long as the loss has not been declared and the surface has not dried out. Painting is a finishing stage, not an emergency.

Who declares what: tenant, owner, property manager

The roles differ depending on your status. The property management company is the building’s operational point of contact, while the insurer handles compensation according to the policy.

Party	What they do	To whom
Tenant	Notifies immediately, documents, opens a file	Property manager + their contents/liability insurer
Owner-occupier	Declares and coordinates the repair	Their insurer (contents and/or building)
Property manager	Runs the building, appoints the contractors	Building insurer + owner
Insurer	Appoints an adjuster, sets the scope, pays out	Property manager / insured party

In a rental, the tenant always reports the loss to the property management company, even when they did not cause it. The property manager then centralises what follows on the building’s side. Keeping every party informed in writing avoids grey areas when the claim is settled.

The loss adjuster’s role

For significant losses, the insurer appoints a loss adjuster who visits the site, measures the moisture (pin meter or sensor), photographs the area and writes a report. This adjuster sets the scope of the works that are covered: surfaces to be redone, treatments required, the extent of the painting.

One practical point that often helps: the painter can coordinate with the adjuster during the visit to present the repair protocol and obtain clear agreement on the scope. This is what Renovhome SA does on claim files in Geneva.

Depending on the case, the adjuster may call for:

• a drying-out using a dehumidifier (run by a specialist company, not by the painter);
• a local probe or removal if moisture is trapped behind wallpaper or plasterboard;
• a control measurement before painting, to confirm the surface is dry all the way through.

On request, the quote can be sent directly to your claims handler or your loss adjuster.

Liability, contents, building: what each cover is for

“Who pays for the painting” depends on the cause of the loss and the cover that applies. Without naming any insurer or quoting any figure, here is the general logic in Switzerland:

• Building insurance (owner’s side) — concerns the fixed elements of the property: walls, ceilings, skirting boards, finishes attached to the structure. Often brought in when the cause is a shared pipe or a defect in the building.
• Contents insurance (tenant’s or owner-occupier’s side) — covers furniture, personal belongings and certain finishes depending on the policy.
• Liability insurance — comes into play when the loss results from a third party’s fault or negligence (for example an overflow caused by a neighbour or a poorly connected appliance).

The exact split is decided by the loss adjusters, sometimes between several companies. Renovhome SA is not a party to that split: its role is to deliver the paint finish correctly, with a detailed quote and photo documentation that supports the file.

Drying out, treatment, painting: why the finish comes last

Paint only lasts on a surface that is dry all the way through. Painting too early risks the return of water stains, or even mould beneath the finish. The physical sequence to follow:

1. Drying out — carried out by a specialist company appointed by the insurer. The drying time varies greatly depending on the volume of water, the type of surface (deep losses in concrete or a trapped infiltration dry more slowly) and the ventilation; it is assessed case by case, not in advance.
2. Moisture-meter check — a moisture reading confirms that the surface is dry before any painting.
3. Preparation — scraping off the flaking paint, a sanitising treatment if needed, filling and sanding the affected areas.
4. Stain-blocking primer — a blocking primer prevents stains from bleeding back through the finish (see our painting glossary).
5. Top coat — a finish suited to the room: gloss enamel in a damp room (see enamel finishes), washable paint in a dry room.

Most of the time comes from the drying, not from the painting work itself: it is the moisture reading, and not a number of days set in advance, that determines when to paint.

On a repainted area, the blend with the intact surfaces is decisive. To avoid a visible difference in shade or sheen, it is often necessary to redo the whole wall — or the whole room — rather than just the stain. This scope is defined with the adjuster and the property management company, and appears on the quote.

Building a solid file: photo documentation and records

A well-kept claim file makes settlement with the insurer smoother. The elements worth gathering and keeping:

• Dated photos of the loss, before, during and after the works — overall views and close-ups.
• Written declarations to the property manager and the insurer, with their acknowledgements and claim references.
• Adjuster’s report and moisture readings, where they exist.
• Detailed quote room by room, and an invoice stating the claim reference and a breakdown of the services.

Renovhome SA keeps photo documentation of the works (internal reference) and provides, on request, the records useful to your file. The quote is at no commitment, drawn up after an on-site visit; its validity period is stated on the document. The 2-year legal warranty under Swiss law (Art. 371 CO, Swiss Code of Obligations) applies to painting works for the correction of defects.