Wildfires can cause extensive damage to your home and personal property. If you live in a wildfire-prone area, you must know whether wildfire is a covered peril in your homeowners insurance policy and the extent of coverage you have.
In this blog, you will learn how to ensure that you are covered for wildfires and what you can do to keep your home protected from wildfires.
Standard homeowners insurance covers damage to your home caused by fire, including a wildfire, but the coverage options may differ from one insurance provider to another. Your location can be a significant factor as many insurers may not offer homeowners coverage in areas where wildfires are a frequent occurrence.
Even among the insurance providers who offer coverage for wildfire-related damage, the types of coverage and the coverage limit may vary. To ensure that you have the right coverage that aligns with your unique needs and budget, you must ask for quotes from several insurers. This helps you to compare the offered coverages and prices and select the best-suited coverage at the right price.
You may need different types of coverage for overall protection from wildfires. They must cover damage to your home and your possessions and also cover alternative accommodation costs if you need to temporarily vacate your home due to extensive damage. The coverages you need are:
It covers the repair and rebuilding costs of your home damaged by a wildfire. You must ensure that you have sufficient coverage to cover these costs. The main expenses that you may incur are material and labor costs.
It covers the unattached structures within your property. Its coverage limit may be set as a percentage of your dwelling coverage. If you have added a new structure in your outdoors, you must ensure that your insurer increases the coverage limit for related damages.
It covers all your personal belongings, such as clothes, household appliances, furniture and furnishings, and other similar items inside your home.
It covers the alternate living arrangement costs if your home is not safe to live in due to extensive damage by wildfires.
It covers the plants, shrubs, trees, and lawns in your outdoors. You may ask your insurer about the coverage you have in your policy to include your landscaped area.
Having an inventory of all the items that you own, along with their photographs, bills, and receipts, will make the filing process easier if you need to file a claim after a wildfire.
You may take preventive steps to reduce the impact of wildfires on your home, such as:
For more information on how you can ensure that your homeowners insurance will cover damage by a wildfire, contact our team today. At Riverbend Insurance, we have the expertise to help you get the right insurance that guarantees maximum coverage at affordable costs.
