Is Your Home Insurance Policy Ready for the Winter Weather?

Until Spring arrives, here are some Winter home losses and what's covered if they happen to you.

Collapse

Standard Homeowners Insurance forms generally cover the weight of ice, sleet and snow as causes of loss. That means when they cause damage to a building or property inside a building it's covered by insurance. But other kinds of property, such as fences, foundations, swimming pools, is not covered.

If personal property inside a building is damaged because the roof caves in under the weight of the snow, then coverage for damage from a collapse is triggered. The weight of ice or snow may cause a roof to sag (which is not considered a “collapse” under the homeowners forms) or gutters to pull away from the roof, leading to damage to personal property, which also would be covered.

Ice Damming

Ice damming, caused by snow that has piled up and turned to ice, can cause water to back up under shingles and eaves. That's generally covered. You can get into arguments with insurance companies about what's ice damming or was the loss from poor installation, bad maintenance, or wear and tear.

Frozen pipes

If you're away and haven't taken reasonable precautions to keep the heat on, and having the house checked, you may wind up in a dispute with the insurance company. There's a lot of grey area between what the insurance policy seems to say to you and what the insurance company thinks is reasonable. And the loss can be huge. With modern systems for thermostats, home cameras, and water flow meters, you can check on your house from anywhere. Better to avoid the loss and not have the hassle with the insurance company.

Power outage from winter storms

When your power goes out because the wire was pulled out of your house or on your side of the connection to the wires on the street, you probably have coverage for having to leave your house and stay in a hotel. And there is spoilage coverage for food in most policies, with limits on the amount.

Check, talk with the adjuster,and make sure you know the facts and what your insurance policy says. For information on coverage, visit The Insurance Centers site or contact Zita Santos-Martinez at 732-832-4132

Author:

Glenn K. Tippy, CPCU, CLU

Executive Vice President

GBW Insurance/Insurance Centers/Assured Partners