Home Insurance Claims in the Winter

Hail Damage

Our mild winters aren’t without a downside, especially as spring approaches and the occasional severe thunderstorm bring heavy rain, high wind, and hail. Most hail damage to a home happens to the roof as shingles are knocked loose or broken by the hailstones. It’s important to get a home insurance claim filed as soon as you find hail damage and begin repairing the roof. Left unrepaired, loose or missing shingles or roof tiles won’t stop rain or other water from entering the home and causing water damage.

Frozen Pipes

Yes, frozen pipes do happen in central Florida. Though they’re rare, the average insurance claim due to frozen pipes is more than $7,000 because of the ensuing water damage. Homeowners insurance usually covers the damage, unless the insurance company decides negligence on your part caused the frozen pipes.

Wind Damage

While northern climates brace for heavy snow, subzero temperatures, and wind with winter storms, our winter storms generally bring high winds. Unfortunately it doesn’t take a full blown windstorm but just a few windy afternoon hours to cause wind damage to homes. Tree limbs, branches, or anything in the yard not secured to the ground can break siding, windows, or crash through the roof on a windy day.

Water Leaks

If you hosted extra guests over the holidays, the added use of the home’s plumbing could exacerbate an existing water leak into an insurance claim. Or, maybe water leaks developed from normal plumbing use. Whatever the reason or time of year, water leaks are pesky and time consuming, especially if you wind up needing insurance dispute lawyers to take on the insurance company.

Repair Leaky Plumbing

It’s better to be proactive with leaky plumbing than reactive. Repairing a leak as soon as it’s found will be a lot cheaper in the short- and long-term than paying for an emergency repair and water damage down the road.

Insulate Pipes

Pipe sleeves or heat tape is usually sufficient for insulating pipes in Florida as we don’t experience long-term freezing temperatures in the winter. Any pipes in unheated spaces such as crawl spaces, attics, and/or garages should be insulated.

Keep The Roof In Good Shape

Replace missing, torn, broken, or otherwise damaged shingles as soon as they’re found. Keep the gutters clean and make any necessary repairs so any rain or water during the winter can drain properly.

Schedule A Plumbing Checkup

A plumber can look over your home’s plumbing system before you leave on an extended winter vacation or have a house full of guests and let you know of issues and repairs to fix the issues.

For many years, most homeowners insurance companies paid policyholders money for losses experienced in a covered event. But many companies are now using a new provision, right to repair, and many homeowners aren’t aware of the change. Right to repair means the insurance company can – and will – hire a contractor of their choosing to repair your home. This contractor will make any repairs with the insurance company’s best interest in mind, not yours. Homeowners are then left with little recourse against the contractor for shoddy repairs or even a lack of repairs because the insurance company hired them, not the homeowner.

A good way to avoid this situation is to thoroughly read your homeowners insurance policy. If the policy has a right to repair provision, consider changing insurance companies. The insurance dispute lawyers with the Law Offices of Michael B. Brehne, P.A. are available to help you handle all right to repair situations and homeowners insurance claims.