So, you have this shiny, fancy home insurance policy to protect your home. It’s got lots of words in it. While you know that your home insurance is like an invisible financial safety net, you might be wondering what home insurance does. What tricks does it do? What special features does it have? What’s the quality of the camera? Just kidding. Bottom line: what does home insurance do? We’re going to explain what perils are covered by home insurance.
Perils that are typically covered by home insurance.
Before we jump in, we have to take a quick second to make a point. The following perils are covered by typical home insurance policies, but not all policies are the same. Some are more extensive than others. Your policy may or may not cover these perils, and in order to find out which perils are covered by your specific policy, you have to read through it carefully. Ask your agent any questions you have. Remember, knowledge is power, especially where home insurance is involved.
Fire and smoke.
Most home insurance policies will cover fires, so your home would be rebuilt if it were ever damaged or burned down by a house fire. It’s important to insure your home for its replacement cost. The replacement cost is how much it would cost to rebuild the house from the ground up, including construction costs and building materials. (And our team can help you get home insurance quotes for your home’s replacement cost.)
Lightning.
Lightning is scary. But it’s usually covered by home insurance.
Lightning can cause damage to your house, and it can also cause power surges that can fry your electronics. If your house gets struck by lightning, you’ll most likely be covered by home insurance.
Windstorms.
If you have a bad storm with heavy winds, your house could take quite a beating. The roof, the windows, the siding…Houses aren’t indestructible, and one well-placed projectile can cause a lot of damage. Fortunately, damage caused by windstorms is typically a loss that home insurance will cover.
That leads us to our next peril…
Falling objects.
Odds are a piano isn’t going to fall from the sky and flatten your house, like in the cartoons, but if it did…you’d be covered!
A more realistic possibility is falling trees. While trees are pretty to look at, they’re also very heavy – and sometimes they fall over or get pushed over by wind or bad weather. They don’t exactly care if your house is in the way of the fall. If a tree falls into your home, you could claim it on your home insurance.
Pro tip: Have your trees checked regularly by a professional. Diseased, dying, or unhealthy trees can be prone to falling. Also, be sure to maintain your trees and trim any branches stretching too close to the house.
Get a quick homeowners insurance quote today and get great coverage at a great rate.
Burglary/Theft.
If your home is ever burgled, home insurance will most likely cover damage to the structure itself (like if the thief broke a door or window) and the personal belongings (electronics, furniture, and so on) that were taken.
Vandalism.
The purpose of vandalizing something is to cause damage. If vandals go to town and wreak havoc on your house, you’d most likely be covered.
Hail.
Hail damage is also usually a covered peril. Those little ice chunks can tear up your roof and your house, especially if they’re sizeable. (Hail is part of the reason that your roof affects your home insurance rates.)
Weight of snow, sleet, or ice.
If you’re in an area that faces cold, snowy winters, you should check and see if your home insurance covers damage from the weight of snow, sleet, or ice. Cold weather can be really rough on your home – it’s not like a house can don a winter coat.
Some types of water damage.
Water damage can be a tricky one. Certain types of water damage are covered by home insurance and some are not – you have to read your policy very carefully to see what it says.
Flooding is also not covered by home insurance. So if it rains really hard and causes your area to flood, the damage to your home would not be covered. You would need a flood insurance policy to cover that – and to get flood insurance, you have to purchase a policy from the NFIP (National Flood Insurance Program) through an agent.
Explosions/Damage from a vehicle or airplane.
These perils may seem unlikely to ever happen, but they’re also typically covered by home insurance.
So, those are the perils that are typically covered by home insurance. Again, we encourage you to read your policy carefully to see what your home insurance does and does not cover. There’s a lot of important stuff in your policy.
If you want to find out how you can save money on your home insurance, fill out our online quote form or give us a call today. We would be happy to get you a home insurance quote and talk about saving money. Our team is excelllent at helping people get great coverage at a great rate.
Source:
https://www.houselogic.com/finances-taxes/home-insurance/what-does-homeowners-insurance-cover/