When your home suffers unexpected damages, it’s easy to assume your insurance policy will pick up the tab for the repairs. But that’s not always the case. Though your homeowner’s insurance is designed to cover the cost of several types of home repairs, there are a few things it’s doesn’t cover that you should definitely be aware of.
While insurance policies can vary considerably and it’s always a good idea to review the fine print in yours, there are a few things that most policies have in common. Before you contact a disaster restoration contractor to handle water, fire, or storm damage repairs, check out this quick breakdown of what your standard insurance probably won’t pay for.
Flood-Related Water Damage
Standard homeowner’s insurance doesn’t cover flood damage caused by natural disasters like tornadoes, hurricanes, and torrential rains. It does, however, cover flood damage caused by burst pipes and sudden plumbing issues (other than sewer backups), provided you can prove you maintained the failed components properly.
To get coverage for any water damage restoration work you may need after a natural disaster, you’ll need to hold a separate flood insurance policy. If you live in a low-lying area or somewhere that’s generally prone to flooding, make sure you get comprehensive flood insurance to protect your home.
Home Damage Caused by Negligence
As a homeowner, it’s your responsibility to maintain the various components of your home. That includes things like:
● Plumbing system and plumbed appliances
● Exterior components like roofing, siding, etc.
● Trimming large tree branches that could threaten your roof
● Handling insect or other pest infestations that may result in damage
See, your homeowner’s insurance is designed to provide coverage for sudden incidents that cause damage to your house. If there’s a progressively damaging problem going on — like a small water leak you don’t find and repair or gradual mold growth you don’t address — those issues aren’t sudden and your policy won’t cover them.
If you’re not sure whether something is covered, you can always speak with an experienced restoration contractor who can inspect your home and detect the source of damage.
Damage Caused by Movements of the Earth
Standard homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover damage caused by earthquakes, landslides, sinkholes, and other earth movements. While these types of disasters aren’t common in Minnesota, it may be a good idea to have a separate earthquake or sinkhole policy just to be safe.
Damage Caused by Sewer Backups
If your sewer backs up and damages your plumbing system or causes moisture damage to your home, your standard homeowner’s insurance policy won’t pay for water damage restoration. Since many of the issues that can cause a sewer backup are the result of inadequate maintenance, they don’t qualify for coverage.
Likewise, sewer backups that result from flooding or poor property drainage don’t qualify for coverage because these issues are generally covered by a flood insurance policy. If you want coverage for this type of thing, you’ll need a separate sewer backup policy or you may be able to add an endorsement to your existing homeowner’s policy.
Kiser Construction: Your Twin Cities Source for Home Restoration Services
When you need a home restoration team that’s dedicated to quality workmanship and superior customer service, look no further than Kiser Construction. For nearly 20 years, we’ve served Twin Cities homeowners with a variety of restoration services, including water damage cleanup, fire damage restoration, storm damage repair, and more. If you need assistance with your insurance claim, we’re more than happy to help you get the coverage you deserve.
To get started or learn more about how we can help you, call our Elk River office today at 763-633-2010 or contact us online, and we’ll get in touch promptly.