If you’re a homeowner, you’ve probably wondered at some point: is storm damage covered by insurance? After all, repairing storm damage can be costly. In fact, studies show that the average cost of fixing a home affected by a severe storm is $6,765.
Luckily, homeowners insurance companies WILL help you cover the cost of a repair if your home is damaged in a destructive storm, and they will cover damage from a wide variety of weather events (from snow and sleet to hail, tornadoes, and more).
However, before you make an insurance claim after a storm, it’s important to understand your coverage: what’s covered and how you can ask your insurance company to cover it.
If you want to learn more about making storm damage claims for your home, read the following helpful information.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Wind Damage?
One of the most destructive parts of many storms is wind. Wind damage can cause structural damage to a home, destroy outdoor features, and even cause bodily harm to people inside or around the building. Typically, homeowners insurance companies will cover damage due to the wind, including if trees or branches fall on a house’s roof due to high-speed winds, snow, or ice.
Are Gutters Covered by Homeowners Insurance?
Gutters are an important structural part of your home. They help drain water off your roof and keep your home strong, and they help ensure that your property is healthy and safe to live on.
If your gutters are damaged in a storm by falling debris, hail, rain, wind, and more, then your homeowner’s insurance company will cover the cost to repair or replace them.
Make sure the damage was done by the storm, though, and not regular wear and tear (or neglect). If something happens to the gutters because of your negligence or because they are old, it is your responsibility to replace them.
Get in touch with our repair specialists at Rise Construction after experiencing Houston storm damage to help you replace gutters or roofing. We can also take a look at older gutters and help you determine if you should replace them, so they are safe and sturdy before a storm arrives.
Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Hail Damage?
Hail from a storm can appear unexpectedly — and the damage it can do is significant. Usually, homeowners insurance companies will cover the damage done to a home by hail. However, there may be limits to the amount that will be covered (as dictated by your policy), so make sure to read it over to understand what will and won’t be covered.
How Does Your Storm Damage Insurance Claim Process Work?
If your house has been damaged in a storm, wait until the storm is completely over and it’s safe to go outside or to return to your home. Then do a complete assessment of the damage that was done.
You’ll want to take plenty of photos of each individual bit of damage so that you can show them to your insurance adjuster. When you’re inspecting your home for damage, don’t forget to look at the roof, gutters, siding vents, and more.
Once you’ve assessed your home for damage, you should contact your insurance company. Then you can make an insurance claim for wind damage to the roof or other parts of your house.
If you’re planning to make a storm damage insurance claim, you can get in touch with Rise Construction and we’ll give you a quote for how much it will cost to repair your home. Then, contact your insurance company to send an adjuster to look at your house. Your contractor from Rise will be present during the inspection, so they can ensure that your adjuster accurately estimates costs and gives you a fair deal. This could dramatically improve your insurance claims process after experiencing storm damage.
