Tag: water damage

Stop Water Damage Expense Before It Starts With This Guide & Homeowners Insurance

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Use these tips and your CA homeowners insurance to avoid water damage expense.

Water damage can be a serious hassle. Even a small leak can spike your water bill and have you reaching for the mop. More water damage is even more problematic – and expensive. Just an inch of water in your home can easily do tens of thousands of dollars of damage. Are you ready to handle the cost of replacing your flooring and personal belongings and drying out your walls? You won’t have to be with this water damage prevention guide and your CA homeowners insurance!

  • Look for hidden leaks. While you may not be able to spot them right away, you can get tipped off to them by keeping an eye on your water bill. If you see your bill start to climb or are suddenly hit with a higher-than-usual total, odds are you’ve got a leak.
  • Clean out your gutters! It’s simple, but having cleared gutters makes it possible for rain to run off your home through the right channels, instead of down your walls and into your foundation.
  • Watch where you plant certain things. Weeping willows are a great example of a tree of which you should be wary. Their invasive roots an infamous for growing straight through pipes, sprinkler systems, and even septic tanks. Do your homework before planting to make sure you avoid this kind of issue.
  • Take care of your pipes. Stay away from drain unclogging chemicals, which can damage them, and instead choose to use a drain snake. Also, avoid pouring grease down your sink at all costs!

The good news? Even if you do experience water damage, your homeowners insurance could cover it! To figure out exactly how much water damage your policy offers – and if it’s enough – contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency. As California homeowners insurance experts, we can protect you against water damage costs and other unforeseen financial burdens!

How To Avoid Homeowners Insurance Claims

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Common Perils Homeowners Are Faced With

In securing your home and family from disaster, you have obtained a homeowners insurance policy. Unfortunately, that policy comes with some unique homeowners insurance claims that you must be weary of. There are a variety of different types of claims that homeowners are faced with, but we believe the following, costly claims should be avoided whenever possible:

  • One of the most common misunderstood areas of a homeowners insurance policy is water damage coverage. Insurance carriers have clear distinguishing factors that determine whether damage caused by water is covered or not. Any water that enters from the outside is known as flood damage, which is specifically excluded from coverage of your homeowners insurance policy. In contrast, a burst pipe would constitute as water damage, which is covered. To combat this issue, you will need to obtain a separate flood insurance policy.
  • One of the costliest of homeowners insurance claims are dog bite liability claims. If you have recently welcomed a pooch into the family, it is important that you practice non-aggressive tendencies with your pup and enroll them in a behavioral class. Additionally, make sure to put your pet in a safe location away from guests when having a party to reduce your liability risks.
  • Far too many of us assume that living in California means we do not need to prepare our homes against storms. Unfortunately, this habit often leaves Californians in harm’s way when a disaster arrives, since none of the preventative measures have been taken. Look for ways to conduct winter weather protection on your home so that it can prevail through the changing seasons.

Are you receiving adequate coverage? Contact Stromsoe Insurance Agency for all of your California homeowners insurance needs. Allow us to increase the limits of your homeowners insurance policy to ensure you are receiving maximum protection.

Evaluate Your Property and Consider Flood Insurance

Posted on by butlervetinsurance

Don’t wait until the weather forecast calls for prolonged heavy rains before buying flood insurance. While this practical insurance can be purchased anytime, the policy does not take effect for 30 days. As the most common natural disaster in the country, flooding ruins millions of dollars of homes and property every year. Even so, flooding is not commonly covered in your typical homeowner’s insurance policy, making it necessary to purchase additional coverage for this costly, devastating disaster.

If you are in a high-risk flood zone, a federally regulated lender will require a would-be borrower to buy flood insurance in order to qualify for a mortgage loan. To satisfy the lender, flood insurance must be purchased in an amount that sufficiently covers the loan.

A homeowner should also buy flood insurance if he or she resides in a flood plain with no failsafe controls, such as a dam. Flood policies even pay off if the President does not declare the area a federal disaster area, which can prove to be invaluable. Because the nation’s Chief Executive Officer rarely issues such a declaration, protecting yourself is extremely important. Besides, you have to repay the federal aid you receive for home repairs related to a natural disaster so providing your own protection is the only way to ensure financial recovery suffered from flooding.

Not all homes qualify for flood coverage. For instance, flood insurance for beachfront or ocean-side property may not be available for the obvious reasons.

The Federal Emergency Management Association (FEMA) reports that more than 20,000 communities have agreed to tighter zoning and building measures to control floods. Residents of these communities can buy flood coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which FEMA oversees. As of 2009, NFIP had 5.7 million flood policies inforce nationwide.

Premiums for flood insurance vary widely, depending primarily on individual risk. In determining price, flood insurance underwriters consider several factors including the property’s elevation, proximity to bodies of water, and whether the dwelling has a basement. Flood insurance is available to homeowners, renters, condo owners/renters, and commercial owners/renters.

Call our office today! We’d be happy to assist you through the murky waters.  Here are 4 easy ways to reach us:

1. CALL 877-994-6787 or 951-600-5751
2. Fax 951-677-6265
3. Email – [email protected]
4. Visit Our Website – www.SIAonline.com