Will Your Insurance Pay For Storm Damage Repairs?

7/25/2022 (Permalink)

If a storm hits your neighborhood and your home takes a battering in the winter weather, will your insurance company pay for repairs?

The answer is a qualified probably – but it does depend. Every company writes its own rules and the best thing to do is check the details of your policy so you know exactly what is and is not covered.

And if you are unhappy with the coverage you have, it is easy to upgrade policies or change companies for a better one – but you obviously need to do this before the storm happens.

Most standard homeowner policies do cover damage caused by winter storms – ice, snow, wind, severe low temperatures, and freezing rain. But again – do not take this as proof you are covered, check your policy.

But – and this is an important ‘but’ – standard policies usually do not cover flood damage. So damage to the roof by hail or snow will probably be paid for, but not damage caused to furniture and carpets caused by snow melting into the home.

Flood damage insurance is easily obtained, and can even be a bolt-on extra to your existing homeowner policy, but do not take it for granted and assume it is there without checking.

Another reason to check your policy details is to see if there are any expectations on you as the property owner – some will pay out only if you have handled preventative maintenance to minimize winder damage to your property, such as shutting off the water when not in use, or if you are a snowbird, some policies cease to be effective if the property is unoccupied for extended durations.