It’s true that in order to be reimbursed for flood damage, you must have flood insurance. But some insurance companies won’t pay up all they owe you even if you are covered. It all comes down to reading the fine print and knowing what your policy covers and what it doesn’t … because your insurance company may try to pay as little as possible.
If you suffer water damage from a flood or some other disaster, your next call after your insurance agent should be for water damage restoration services to prevent further destruction. The experts at Appalachian Restoration & Cleaning <Link to https://appalachianrestorationandcleaning.com/> get to your property quickly and start remediation efforts immediately.
What Damage Do Standard Homeowners’ Insurance Policies Cover?
You can expect that a standard policy, even without flood insurance, covers the structure of the house, all your large appliances, all the basic systems in your home, and anything that’s nailed down. It also covers:
- Interior damage from a leaking roof, but not the roof itself
- Burst pipes or frozen plumbing
- Mold due to unexpected water damage
- Damage from putting out a fire
- Carpets, drapes, blinds and most personal property
- Vandalism
There are 16 other hazards most insurance policies cover. But coverage doesn’t provide reparation for damage due to negligence. If you’re not fixing items in your home, you’re responsible for the costs of these repairs, which can be expensive.
What Doesn’t Your Insurance Company Want to Divulge?
After a flood, insurance adjusters may deny coverage even if you have flood insurance. Or they may try to cut corners to pay less than what you’re owed. When dealing with your insurance company, look out for certain discrepancies. For example, insurance companies must:
- Pay to replace damaged property, not just pay the current value
- Fix your property how it was before the flood; if additional damage was done by other factors, such as wind or earth movement, it’s on the insurer to prove it wasn’t due to the flood
- Pay for you to live elsewhere if your house is uninhabitable, assuming you have that coverage
- Replace your house up to market value, which may be more than the insured amount
- Bring your repaired home up to code, even if it wasn’t before the flood
- Pay for related repair costs, such as cleaning up and removing debris
- Reimburse you for the food lost due to refrigerator damage
To get what you’re owed from your insurance company, pinpoint the cause of the water damage before filing your claim. Take as many pictures as you can of the damage immediately after the flood. It helps to be intimately familiar with your policy, so you’re not easy to manipulate. Finally, if you think the settlement doesn’t meet your needs, don’t settle, negotiate.
Call for water damage restoration services as soon as you spot water damage. The certified technicians at Appalachian Restoration & Cleaning return your home to its former glory, which is exactly what you want and why you insured your home to begin with.
