Question : How would I claim on my home insurance?
I've got a bit of a problem with my shower at the moment - there is wooden panelling around the base of the shower which is getting damp probably due to a leak from the base. I've called a plumber out to take an initial look, apparently there's a strong possibility I'll need to get a completely new cubicle and tray installed, new tiling done & also to get the floorboards underneath treated. The plumber told me I may be able to claim some of this through my home insurance.This is my first home & I've never had a big problem like this before - how do I go about seeing whether my insurance would pay out? And are there implications for my future monthly premium?Thanks
- asked by gotaquestion123
All Answers:
Answer #1
Talk to your home insurance agent. The only waythat your insurance will cover that is if you havea specific kind of insurance that covers homeimprovements (I can't remember the name rightnow). At any rate your insurance agent should beable to tell you if they can cover that or not.
- answered by TmB
Answer #2
Phone your insurance company and explain theproblem to them. They may send someone out toassess any damage and take it from there Dependson your policy whether you can make a claim andnot affect future premiums
- answered by newgran
Answer #3
You're most likely not covered unless you havehome sheild.
- answered by pretzel2222
Answer #4
Another one who doesn't know how their insurancepolicy works ...Why dont' you just pick up thephone and phone them and tell them what's happenedand see what would be covered?Dont' you thinkthat's the best way forward?
- answered by Gabs
Answer #5
I wouldn't do it. You should use home insuranceonly for the most extreme cases, like a fire or atree falling through your roof. One or two claimsand you might find your company dropping you as abad risk, and then it's hard to get new coverageat a decent rate. It's sad, but true. I think thatsort of behavior by insurance companies should beillegal.
- answered by Oxhead
Answer #6
You should call them. They are usually prettyhelpful.You will have to pay the excess (normallyabout 100 pounds) and it may have an effect onfuture premiums.Home insurance works like carinsurance, you get a discount for every year youdon't claim.
- answered by paulbilsborough
Answer #7
just call your insurance company they will be ableto tell yo if yo are covered
- answered by top cat
Answer #8
You need to call your agent, as others havesuggested. BUT be VERY clear that you only wantto discuss the issue up front. DO NOT turn in aclaim until you've had a discussion, because, oncea claim is turned in, you'll have it show up onyour property loss history for the next fiveyears, even if nothing is paid out.While theinsurance company won't be able to charge youclaims points if nothing is paid out (and I'll getto that in a second), they can still use it as abasis to cancel your policy if you reported asecond claim in the next three years. And at thatpoint, high-risk (and high-premium) insurance isthe only option you would have.So, as I wassaying, you need to talk to your agent about thesituation. Be as detailed as possible before youdecide whether or not to turn in the claim. Inall liklihood, this claim would NOT be paid byyour home insurance, though. Because homeownerspolicies aren't designed to be maintenancecontracts; as a general rule, the covered claimsare those that are sudden and accidentaloccurances. If the leak has been an ongoingproblem underneath the shower and you've neveraddressed it, you'll be hard-pressed to get aclaim paid out by the insurance company.If, on theother hand, the damage happened suddenly, from abroken pipe, for instance, you would probably havecoverage. (I say probably because different typesof policies have different exclusions. Forinstance, most policies cover ONLY named perils,while some cover any peril that isn't specificallyexcluded.)At any rate, you won't really know howto proceed until you talk to your agent. Just besure that you do NOT call and say you want to turnin a claim -- that may come later, but you need todiscuss the details first.Best of luck!
- answered by ISOintelligentlife
Answer #9
Best way to see if your insurance would pay out isto read your policy. You can also call yourbroker/agent and ask them. Although I canguarantee that this claim will not be covered.While the damage was caused by water, how thewater escaped is the key question. If the waterescape was due to a leak over a period of time,then this is a maintenance issue and would not becovered. If a tree branch fell through your roofand broke a pipe, that would be an accidental lossand would be covered. Read your policy and seespecifically what perils are covered with respectto water escape. All insurers are finicky aboutthis particular peril and will be very specific intheir policy wordings.
- answered by Gambit
Answer #10
Call them up and ask.I would however refrain fromusing the work "leak". Leak and leaking aremaintenance issues. Insurance doesn't pay forlack of maintenance.
- answered by MARK S
|
measure and fulfill your financial needs
