Home owners insurance covers many repairs you may not have realized it does, and in some cases, it covers damages to the interior of your home and necessary remodeling costs. Borders Construction completes interior repairs, too, and would like you to know how to work with your insurance company to efficiently and effectively repair your home’s interior.
Storm Damage
A standard homeowners policy, also called a HO-3 policy, covers damages from thunderstorms, snowstorms, ice storms, ice dams, tornadoes and other unforeseeable weather events. In a few states, such as Texas and Florida, a separate policy covers wind damage from hurricanes.
Example: If the weight of snow on the roof causes it to give way or causes water to enter the home through the eaves or a leak, the homeowners policy pays for the damage. It covers the roof repair and the interior repairs such as replacing the insulation, drywall, baseboards and crown molding.
Burst Pipes
When pipes or a water line bursts due to earthquake, environmental factors or fire and cause damage to your home, your homeowners insurance covers exterior and interior damage. Insurance does not cover negligence, wear-and-tear and poor maintenance.
Example: A 5.0 earthquake in Oklahoma damages the pipes under the home, wrenching them from their connections. This causes uncontrollable water flow inside the home causing damage to walls and floors. Beneath the home, it damages the foundation. Homeowners insurance covers the repairs because the cause was unforeseeable.
Falling Objects
As unlikely as it may seem, a standard policy covers damage caused by falling objects. That includes a bevy of items such as the neighbor’s son’s baseball and defunct satellites! Hail falls into the category and tree branches and trees. This coverage includes exterior and interior damage, plus belongings inside the home.
Example: A strong thunderstorm with high winds knocks tree branches down that break windows on the home and the crash through the skylight. This gets covered under the falling objects clause.
Ordinance or Law Requirements
If, after a covered loss, a new law passed since your home was originally constructed requires additional installations, homeowners insurance covers it. In insurance this is called coverage for ordinance or law, and it pays to bring the home back up to code following a covered loss.
Example: In the state of Pennsylvania, homes now require sprinklers. A policy covering fire damage repair would also cover a new sprinkler system.
Additional Living Expenses
As you might guess, some of these repairs take time to construct. In some cases, the homeowner can’t live in the home while repairs and remodeling occur. In most cases, homeowners insurance pays for additional living expenses, and this usually refers to hotel costs and food needs. The length of time the insurance company covers these costs varies by insurer and policy. There’s usually a costs cap, too.
Borders Construction Works with Insurance Companies
Borders Construction works directly with insurance companies to give you the repairs you need to make your home livable again. We do interior and exterior repairs. Fill out the form or give us a call at (847) 416-1918.