Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Storm, Fire & Flood Damage?

Aaron’s Restoration has more than 15 years’ experience working with almost every Michigan insurance company, as well as hundreds of contractors, public adjusters, and management companies.  We will assist you during the insurance claims process for your storm, fire, flood or other damage.

If your homeowners insurance does not cover water damage, hail damage, fire & smoke recovery or other types of restoration, we will be glad to provide you with a highly competitive estimate for the necessary work.

Here are answers to common questions about insurance coverage for disaster damage:

Q. Should I make repairs to my property immediately or wait for an insurance adjuster?

A. Generally, you should make temporary repairs necessary to protect your property from further damage. Do not make permanent repairs until an adjuster has inspected the damage. Your policy covers the cost of necessary temporary repairs, so save your receipts for materials and labor. If you can do so safely, take pictures of the damage before making temporary repairs.

Q. My home was not flooded by rising water; however, the sewer line backed up and caused damage in my home. Is this covered under my homeowners policy?

A. It depends on your policy. Some policies exclude water or sewage from outside the residence premises plumbing system that enters through sewers or drains. Contact your insurance company or agent regarding coverage.

Q. Under a homeowners policy, who determines the cause of damage and who pays for an expert if one is needed?

A. The insurance company usually determines the cause of damage as its adjusters investigate and evaluate the loss. If an expert is required to determine the cause of the loss, the cost is usually borne by the insurance company.

Q. Are plumbing problems/backed up toilets covered by any types of insurance, even after a flood?

A. Some homeowners policies provide coverage for accidental discharge, leakage or overflow from within a plumbing system and if rising flood waters cause toilets to overflow, the loss may be covered. Contact your insurance company or agent regarding coverage.

Q. Wind caused my tree to fall on my house, which caused damage to my roof. Does my homeowners policy cover the damage to my house and pay for the removal of the tree from my property?

A. If your policy provides coverage for wind, the roof damage caused by the tree is covered. Homeowners policies will not pay for the tree itself; however, most policies pay to remove a tree if a covered peril caused it to fall on and damage covered property. Some policies limit the coverage for removal, such as $500 per tree and $1,000 per loss. Contact your insurance company or agent regarding coverage.

Q. During a storm, my home was flooded. Does my homeowners policy cover mold damage from the flood water?

A. Homeowners policies typically do not cover damage resulting from flood, surface water, waves, tidal water or tidal waves, overflow of streams or other bodies of water or spray from any of these whether or not driven by wind. If there is no flood coverage provided in the homeowners policy, any ensuing mold loss resulting from flood would not be covered under the policy.

Q. What does my homeowners insurance cover?

A. All policies vary, so be sure to check with your insurance company or agent about your coverage. In general, a homeowners insurance policy covers a variety of natural disasters and unexpected occurrences. These are usually called named perils and include:

• Fire or lightning
• Windstorm or hail
• Explosion
• Riot
• Damage caused by an airplane
• Damage caused by a vehicle
• Smoke
• Vandalism and malicious mischief
• Theft
• Damage caused by a falling object
• Weight of ice, snow or sleet
• Accidental overflow of water or steam or bulging, cracking or tearing from an automatic fire sprinkler system, air conditioning system, heating system or appliance
• Freezing of air conditioning, heating, plumbing, appliance or automatic fire sprinkler system
• Accidental damage from artificially generated power surge

Q. What damage is not covered by Homeowners Insurance?

A. There are some potentially costly disasters that are excluded from most homeowners insurance policies, including:

• Earthquake
• Floods
• Other water damage, such as back-ups or an overflow from your septic system or sump-pump.
• Hurricanes

CALL 888-442-2766

We Service Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, & Wayne, Macomb & Oakland County Michigan

When disaster strikes in Michigan, Ohio or across the Upper Midwest, make Aaron’s Restoration your first call for clean up and recovery. We are the Michigan restoration and Michigan storm damage experts. we will work hand in hand with you and your homeowners insurance company to get the repairs you need done rapidly – restoring your home to its previous or better condition.