Are you wondering whether your homeowners’ insurance policy will cover house fire damage?
In most instances, yes, your homeowners’ policy does cover house fire damage. However, it is up to you to understand the policy’s house fire damage clauses and ensure your property insurance is as good as it should be.
Let’s take a closer look at homeowners’ policies and how they typically deal with house fire damage.
Don’t shirk your responsibility
Homeowners are responsible for making sure their house and its belongings are covered sufficiently by fire insurance. If the option to sell a fire-damaged house is not on the table, filing an insurance claim becomes the next best step to recover from the loss and begin the process of rebuilding or repairing your home.
Most home insurance policies will have a section on fire insurance, so it’s up to you to make sure that the fire insurance section of the policy you choose is enough to cover a house fire damage claim.
Keep in mind that if there is a fire, your claim could cover the loss of or damage to the home and its belongings. For example, you could suffer a partial loss fire, or your home could be a total loss.
As a private homeowner, the type of property insurance you choose will depend on your own preferences and how much you can spend on house fire damage insurance.
Even though fire insurance clauses might make your home insurance policy more expensive as a whole, they are worth it to protect your home and its belongings from damage caused by fire.
If you are a landlord, it is also highly important to ensure the property you are renting out is covered by fire insurance. Most often, that means you need to buy a policy that covers the property.
In some cases, landlords may require tenants to ensure the property is covered by property and fire insurance. Ensure to inform them and obtain proof of the required coverage purchase.
If you have questions about fire or home insurance policies or how to file a house fire damage claim, you can ask your real estate agent, building manager, or fire or home insurance company.
So, what do homeowners’ insurance policies actually cover?
Insurance policies are all about the details, so make sure you read your homeowners’ policy from front to back, including all the fine print.
Also, before choosing the best insurance for your home, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few different companies. Just like when selling a fire-damaged house, it is crucial that you know your options in order to make an informed decision.
Several things will determine what makes the best insurance plan for you:
- What kind of protection the policy gives, including what types of house fire damage and loss you can file a claim for
- Whether fire insurance is already part of the policy or needs to be added
- How much the property and fire insurance costs
- The requirements for a house fire damage claim to be valid
Most home insurance policies also have fire insurance clauses that cover damage to your home’s movable items if they get caught in a fire.
You might also want to see if the homeowners’ insurance policy you’re thinking about purchasing covers damage to your home’s electrical system.
When getting insurance as a landlord, it’s also highly important to check on these things.
Above all else, make sure you always read the fine print of your homeowners’ insurance. You want to ensure that your home insurance policy covers valuable items in your home, such as jewelry, laptops, TVs, paintings, and so on, through a separate clause.
You also want to make sure you know what kinds of losses and damages you could claim if there was a fire on the property.
Will your fire insurance cover house fire damage even if you haven’t set up any fire safety measures?
Often, if you don’t have the required fire safety equipment on your property, your fire insurance won’t be valid.
This is why it’s so important to carefully read your homeowners’ policy in general and the fire section in particular.
The policy should list the fire safety measures that must be in place for your insurance to be valid. This ensures you receive proper claim coverage for fire damage to your home, rental property, or business.
For instance, smoke detectors are a normal part of fire safety. They will probably have to be in the house in order for your home and fire insurance to be valid.
Also, you might have to have fire extinguishers. You may also need to make sure that chimneys and stoves are safe to use.
What do you do if a house fire occurs?
Your policy will probably give you a certain amount of time to let your insurance company know about the house fire damage or loss.
It’s a good idea to take pictures of the damage caused by a fire, but try not to move anything in the house, as the insurance company may want to see the house fire damage before paying out.
Figuring out how much your insurance will cost
When looking for homeowners’ insurance, you should always take the time to compare quotes from different companies.
You’ll want to make sure that your home insurance policy gives you the best value for your money and that it covers all the house fire damage needs you have.
In general, the basic value of your home will determine how much your home insurance policy will cost. It will also take into account the different things about your home – for example, whether you live in a house or an apartment, the state of repair of the property, its location, etc.
The price of your home insurance will depend on how much coverage you choose and how risky your property is.
For instance, if you own an older building that might be more susceptible to fire damage, you might have to pay more for home insurance.
Home damaged by fire?
If your home has suffered a house fire, you can sell the property in as-is condition to We Buy Fire Damaged Houses for an excellent price. To see if your home qualifies for a free quote, fill out the short form below.
Photo by Piotr Chrobot on Unsplash