Wind Damage

Flooding

Avoiding water damage in your home can be tricky, since you’re not in control of water levels and flood risks, but you can still do simple things to safeguard your home. One easy tip is to avoid storing valuables in basements, especially on floor areas, since these are most likely to be affected by incoming flood waters

Hail & Wind

Summer storms often bring hail or wind damage with them. These claims are typically confined to your roof or siding. First, you should review your current home insurance coverage to make sure you’re protected in the event of hail or wind damage, as these endorsements are not always automatically.

You can further protect yourself by parking all vehicles in a garage or covered area during stormy weather, tying down patio furniture or any other yard elements that might become dislodged

Theft

There were an estimated 2,159,878 burglaries in 2010, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and 74 percent occurred at residential properties. One of the quickest ways to help prevent a break in is to remove your spare key. No matter how great your hiding place is, a burglar could still find it and gain access to your home. Give your spare key to a friend instead.

Fire

Whether a grease fire in the kitchen ignites and sets your entire home ablaze, or lightning strikes and throws your electrical system out of whack, fire claims are among the most expensive. Call your carrier to make sure you’re covered and to discuss the parameters of your policy. If your home were to burn to the ground, it’s imperative that you have the correct amount of coverage to help you fully rebuild.

Non-weather related water damage

Most water damage claims are not caused by weather events but rather events such as a pipe bursting, or plumbing or appliance issues. All these common are correlated with people’s behavior, including a lack of maintenance, structure characteristics, and location, in combination. These incidents make up the majority of residential insurance claims.

You trust your insurance company to do the right thing. After all, you are their customer and you pay them money to protect you. That’s why most homeowners don’t bother to double check their insurance company’s estimate; they just assume everything is correct like adhering to county code. Unfortunately, that is rarely the case for a number of reasons…

Out-of-State adjusters: When a widespread event happens like a wind or hail storm, insurance companies are inundated with claims. They often have to bring in adjusters from other states to help manage the workload. These adjusters rarely know local code ordinances, so their estimates don’t include them.
Another way to save money: Whether or not we like it, the truth is insurance companies care about their bottom line more than their customer. If they can cut corners without the policy holder knowing, they will. They often leave out code items purposefully to lessen their cost.
Living in the Grey: Insurance companies love to make a grey area, even when one doesn’t exist. We’ve heard every excuse in the book for why code items are excluded… “They are code but they aren’t enforced, so we don’t include them unless they explicitly say they’re enforced” is our favorite.

Insurance estimates can already feel like they’re written in another language, how are you supposed to decipher them at all, let alone check for code items? That’s why we recommend you hire an expert to work on your behalf, like Modern Remodeling. We are an insurance contractor with over 28-years of experience. We help customers understand their insurance estimates and ensure everything owed is included, like code items. If you need help with your insurance claim, feel free to call us at 410-569-1732 or contact us directly.

Summer’s 5 Most Common Property Claims

Flooding

Hail & Wind

Theft

Fire

Non-weather related water damage

Is Your Insurance Estimate Up to Code?