Budget Concerns: How Much Insurance is Enough?

Budget Concerns: How Much Insurance is Enough?

Water Damage & Insurance Coverage: Understanding Coverage Limits And 2 Questions To Ask Your Agent

Dustin Duncan

In the event that water damage occurs in your home, don't be caught by surprise and wondering whether your insurance policy will cover the damage. Below is a basic overview of water damage usually covered in standard policies, as well as reasonable precautions that you can take to avoid it.

Understanding Coverage Limits

Water damage in your home can cause a lot of confusion when it comes to insurance coverage. This makes it extremely important that you sit down with your insurance agent and go over the coverage limits in your home insurance policy.

Unless you've got coverage otherwise, there are two major causes of flooding that likely won't be covered: natural disasters and normal wear and tear. If the water that damages your home comes from the outside, such as in the case of a flood, you're likely not covered under a standard policy.  Wear and tear is another thing not likely covered, though resultant damage may be depending on your policy.

1. What Reasonable Precautions Can Be Taken to Boost Odds of Coverage?

While you can never be 100% sure that your water damage claim will be accepted and covered, there are a number of precautions you can take to put the odds in your favor.

Inspection of your home's pipes on a yearly basis may be a way to cover your claim – if you have receipts backing up your maintenance efforts, your company is more likely to pay out in the event of a burst. Replacement of old or rotting pipes is another way to ensure coverage in the future – while this may be costly, it can end up saving you in the long run by preventing water damage to your home and belongings. Other precautions to take include proper gutter maintenance and roof repairs if leaks are occurring.

2. If My Power Goes Out and the Pipes Freeze and Burst as a Result, Will It Be Covered?

When pipes are blatantly found without proper heating and they freeze and burst, insurance usually denies the claim. But what about a home that had heat loss due to a power outage?

Insurance companies will cover a number of things that may occur as a result of a power outage, and frozen and burst pipes are usually one of them. While you may be covered in such an event, there are certain precautions you can take to avoid the hassle of burst pipes and filing a claim. Talk with your plumber about installing an emergency pressure release valve, as well as how to turn off the main water line and drain your home's pipes in the event of an outage during the winter. Both of these things can lessen the odds of frozen and bursting pipes and leave you feeling more at ease in the event of a winter outage. 

For more information, contact a company like Colling Insurance Services, Inc.


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Budget Concerns: How Much Insurance is Enough?

Insurance is something that I carry in the hopes that it never has to be used. Along with life coverage, I also have low cost auto insurance and a health plan through my employer. I'm toying with the idea of adding some additional coverage, just in case something happens and I'm no longer around to take care of my family. The question that is on my mind is how much insurance is enough? Do I really need more, or would it be better to cultivate other assets that my loved ones can draw on if needed? If you are in the same boat, let's journey together for a while. Read on and I'll explain what I'm trying and why. Together, we can figure out when it is time to add more coverage and when enough really is enough.

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