Insurance policies, to say the least, are confusing; the language can be very difficult to understand. What's more, even the explanations provided by insurance carriers online aren't always much help. When you need to file a homeowners insurance claim, it's often due to a traumatic event. The last thing you want to deal with is mountains of claim paperwork and trying to navigate every obstacle that pops up during the process. Unfortunately, it's because of this particular phenomenon, homeowners just don't know what is actually covered by their policies and what isn't. When it comes time, you need to know the claims homeowners insurance do not pay to cover

Claims Homeowners Insurance don't Pay to Cover

There are a number of potential bombshells just waiting to explode when you are dealing with insurance claims. For instance, you might be receiving a money-saving claims-free discount on your homeowners insurance. Since you've never submitted a claim before, you get a discount, but, filing even a small claim could make that deal go away, because now, you have submitted a claim. Another thing to avoid is filing a series of small claims over time.

Homeowners are often unaware of just how vulnerable they are to catastrophe. That’s because homeowners insurance doesn’t cover many unexpected costs, including, in many cases, damage related to earthquakes and flooding. --U.S. News and World Report

Though your homeowner's insurance policy does in fact cover these claims, filing enough of them could cause you to be dropped by your insurer outright. Now, that history will follow you and obtaining another homeowners insurance policy will likely be more difficult, and costly. Before you get the forms ready, you should know about the claims homeowners insurance does not usually pay to cover:

  • Natural disasters. If you live in an area that's been hit by an earthquake or might flood, you'll probably learn your homeowner's insurance isn't going to cover the damage. In fact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has urged Arizona residents to get flood insurance in the past. Even though most natural disasters cover things like lightning strikes and tornadoes, every insurer and policy is different.
  • Mold remediation. When you discover you have a mold problem, don't automatically assume your homeowner's insurance will pay to cover the cost of remediation. The reason is because most insurers classify this as a lack of maintenance issue. Basically, you didn't properly maintain your home, and therefore, any mold problem is your responsibility alone. Although, this doesn't mean it's not possible you're at least partly covered.
  • Pest damage. Here again, if you learn your home is the victim of pest damage, most particularly termites, your claim might be denied for the same reason as above -- it's considered a maintenance issue. The fact you weren't proactive could result in an insurance claim rejection.
  • Sewer backups. Plumbing system issues are quite tricky. For instance, if the sewer backups, this is one problem not commonly covered by homeowners insurance, but, burst pipes can be a different scenario. Get to know the particulars of your policy so you aren't surprised at a very inconvenient time.
  • Dog bites. There's no question insurers are risk-averse when it comes to dog bites. There are several breeds which make the list and not all of these breeds are big dogs. You'd probably be surprised which dogs are considered to be too risky.

When you are ready to buy a home, you should go into the process with as much beneficial information as possible. Whether you're considering buying a home in Terramar, around West Happy Valley Road, nearby North 67th Avenue, or close to Terramar Park, we are here and ready to help you with the answers you need.