If you just sit back and hope that your insurance company takes care of you, you’ll likely be disappointed. Although you have certain rights, you often have to fight for them – or at least be assertive enough to make sure that you get what you’re paying for.

Here are five tips you can follow to ensure a fast and fair settlement, and to stay out of disputes on home structural claims:

1. If you don’t already have a contractor you know and trust, get repair estimates from at least two contractors who have been recommended to you by friends and family. Interview the contractors. You’re not necessarily looking for the lowest bid – you want the best workmanship. (You can often tell a lot about the quality of the contractor by the quality and professionalism of the estimate.)

Use a reputable, local contractor. Watch out for out-of-town journeymen who flock to storms in hopes of a good payday. The locals are much more likely to be around to stand behind their work if a problem arises later.

Check references. Get proof of liability insurance and workers’ compensation insurance. Don’t work with a contractor who doesn’t have both coverages. (If a contractor doesn’t show you written proof that he has both coverages, you’re more vulnerable to claims brought against you for job-site injuries. Plus, if a repair fails and later causes injuries or property damage to your home or your family, you can go after the contractor’s liability insurance company.)

Listen to your gut and pick the contractor who feels the most comfortable. It doesn’t have to be the contractor with the lowest bid. After all, you have to live with the repairs. Most adjusters will work with the contractor you prefer, as long as the prices are reasonable.

2. Don’t allow solo inspections or estimates. Don’t agree to your insurance adjuster inspecting your home alone. Don’t agree to the adjuster writing his own estimate. Without an agreed-upon price, the estimate is worthless, so don’t allow him to waste his time – or yours.

3. Connect the two parties. Tell the adjuster the name and cellphone number of your contractor. Also share the adjuster’s name and cellphone number, as well as the claim number, with the contractor. Then insist that they call each other to arrange a meeting at your home for the purpose of jointly agreeing on the amount of damage and on an acceptable repair cost.

4. Don’t sweat the dollar amount. Don’t worry if the agreed price is less – even significantly less – than the contractor’s initial bid. That’s why adjusters have jobs – to make sure that repair costs stay reasonable and to keep contractors from writing themselves blank checks.

5. Control additional damage problems upfront. Make sure that when the parties meet initially and agree on a price, they also agree to work with each other directly if additional damage is discovered – and to keep you out of the middle. Then hold them to that commitment. Don’t let them suck you in. If your contractor calls needing an okay for additional repairs, insist that he work out permission directly with the adjuster.

If you encounter roadblocks or are in danger of pulling your hair out, call on your agent for help. Part of your agent’s job is to go to bat for you at claim time to help you collect what you deserve.