Is Hail Damage Covered by Home Insurance?
Anyone who has ever encountered strong hail knows that it is not much fun to get in touch with this natural phenomenon. It can destroy everything ranging from the grass on your lawn to more expensive and durable property. Moreover, it can even kill a human or an animal. Hail is no less destructive for private houses. Even the sturdiest of buildings can be damaged by hail. That is why it will be helpful for homeowners to know what to do if their house gets damaged by hail and if it is possible to be compensated for the hail damage.
What Is Hail Damage?
If you want your home insurance to cover hail damage to your home accurately, you need to understand exactly what hail damage means. It is not uncommon for homeowners to be refused the claim if they incorrectly state the cause of the damage in their application or confuse hail damage with storm or wind damage.
So, what do insurance companies mean by hail damage to your home?
- The most common reason for getting compensated for hail damage by the insurance company is the respective damage to the roof of the house. Only over the last year, American insurers met compensation claims made by several thousands of homeowners whose roofs were damaged by hail. Don't think that if you've installed a new roof made of durable materials such as metal/vinyl tiles or soft roofing, the hail won't cause any damage to it. You may not even realize that the roof has got damaged. But, even if the slightest damage occurs, it will cause a snowball effect in the future.
- Do not think that only the roof suffers from hail. Often, the hail which is blown away by the wind, damages windows and doors. This is especially true for metal-plastic entrance, window groups and panoramic glazing. Broken or cracked glass, dents on frames and sashes, broken hinges - all this can happen to your windows and doors during a hailstorm.
- And, of course, hail can damage the siding. The hail damage can be especially serious if the facade of the house is lined with plastic siding.
All of these hail damage options can significantly spoil homeowners' mood. They cause large repair costs. Therefore, insurance claims for the hail damage to private houses are mushrooming today.
Is Hail Damage Covered by Homeowners Insurance Policy?
Standard homeowners insurance assumes that all weather occurrences, as well as the damage they may cause, are covered by home insurance. This also applies to hail damage. However, there are some peculiarities. For example, some insurance companies try to compensate only for a complete roof overlap in the event of hail damage. They leave cosmetic repairs outside the scope of their competence. But it can be no less expensive than restoration.
In addition, it is worth carefully examining the conditions under which the hail damage is covered by home insurance. It is not uncommon for insurers to try to find a loophole and not to accurately indicate the types of damage that are covered by the homeowners policy. Besides, they also set low payouts for such cases or even set too high rates when re-applying in case of hail damage. In any case, you should carefully read the insurance terms and conditions before you sign the contract. If hail is a common occurrence in your state, it is better to clarify in advance the conditions and cases when the damage is covered by home insurance.
How to Increase Your Chances to Be Compensated for Hail Damage?
There are several ways to guarantee yourself a decent compensation for hail damage.
- Be sure to document all the damage yourself. If the insurance adjuster does not take everything into account, you can challenge the decision and increase the payment.
- Do not make mistakes when filling out claims for compensation and try to act as soon as possible so as not to get rejected for such foolish reasons.
- Hire a public adjuster if you want to guarantee yourself high insurance payment.
Several Mistakes in Homeowners' Strategy When Dealing with an Insurer in Case of Hail Damage
What can go wrong if your home has got damaged by hail and you are about to contact an insurance company?
- You have eliminated all obvious signs of hail damage before the insurance adjuster conducts an inspection of your home.
- You have not checked if your policy provides hail damage coverage.
- You have made mistakes and indicated a wrong type of damage in your application.
- You have broken the deadline for submitting your compensation claim.
It's best to avoid making these mistakes, as each of them lowers your chances to benefit from home insurance coverage. As a result, this may end with large spending on home renovations and waste of your time and effort. So, it is better to do your best to keep abreast of your insurance company when it comes to the hail damage caused to your home.