Winter damage control: Know your homeowner’s insurance policy
Experts say that most homeowners insurance policies should cover damage to homes caused by winter storms, including water damage caused by pipes that have frozen and burst.
Metro Creative
Insurance professionals say it’s important to know what is covered under your homeowner’s policy as snow, ice and subzero temperatures are often linked to winter weather damage.
Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller recommends that consumers review their homeowners insurance ahead of time to make sure they are prepared.
“Most standard homeowners insurance policies should cover damage to homes typically caused by winter storms, such as a collapse caused by the weight of ice or snow, or water damage caused by burst pipes or ice jams in gutters and downspouts, which prevent proper drainage of water,” Miller said.
Homeowners policies should also cover damage from fallen trees or tree limbs. Miller suggests that consumers check with their insurer before removing fallen trees, to see if the cost is covered.
Mark Luba, marketing director at Baker’s Waterproofing and Foundation Repair in Bentleyville, said he’s received an increase in the number of calls for this time of year from people living in the southern counties it services.
“Snow itself is not so much the issue,” said Luba. He went on to say the risk associated with water seeping into a basement from a heavy snow depends on how fast it melts, which can also cause problems with septic systems.
When combined with a rapid warm up in temperature and rain, Luba said there’s an increased chance for water to get in.
According to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, a homeowner’s insurance policy mainly covers personal belongings, your home and its contents such as furniture, appliances, rugs and clothing.
Renters can also purchase insurance to cover personal belongings.
Although its not mandatory under state law, a mortgage lender may require a buyer to purchase homeowners insurance as a condition of their mortgage agreement.
Miller noted property owners should only make temporary repairs to their home until a claims adjuster from their insurer is able to view the damage. Making permanent repairs before consulting with an adjuster could result in the denial of a claim, she said.
Miller also recommended that homeowners check with their insurer about coverage for other types of damage, such as spoiled food resulting from a power outage, debris cleanup, and repairs to broken or frozen pipes themselves, as well as the furnace.
In the event your home is damaged by winter weather conditions, Miller recommends to contact your insurance company as soon as possible.
“Follow the instructions given by your insurer, and keep a record of the people you spoke with, and always ask questions if you don’t understand any instruction from your insurer,” she said.
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), standard homeowners policies provide coverage for damage caused by wind, snow, severe cold and freezing rain.
The insurance institute advises to let your agent know the extent of the damage and start to document your loss with lists, receipts or photographs. A home inventory is also recommended.
Standard homeowners insurance coverage typically includes:
n- Wind related damage to a house, its roof, its contents and other insured structures on the property. Also, wind-driven snow or freezing rain that gets into the home because the home was damaged by wind.
n- Tree limbs that fall on a house or other insured structure on the property, including both the damage the tree inflicts on the house and the cost of removing the tree.
n- Damage from ice and other objects that fall on the home.
n- Damage to the house and its contents caused by weight of snow or ice that creates a collapse.
n- Freezing conditions such as burst pipes or ice dams, a condition where water is unable to drain properly through the gutters and seeps into a house causing damage to ceilings and walls.
Typically, it’s required that the homeowner has taken reasonable steps to prevent these losses by keeping the house warm and properly maintaining pipes and drains.
n- Additional living expenses that incur in the event a home is severely damaged by an insured disaster, which would pay for reasonable expenses incurred by living elsewhere while the home is being fixed.
Damage caused by flooding, however, is not covered by either standard homeowners or renters insurance policies, states III.
Melting snow that seeps into a home from the ground up is covered by flood insurance, which is provided by FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program, and a few private insurers.
The bottom line when filing an insurance claim said III is to contact your insurance professional as soon as possible.