If your home is damaged by a wildfire, you can use your standard homeowners insurance policy to help repair your damaged home, replace burned belongings and pay for your hotel during the reconstruction process.
Purchasing home insurance provides coverages that are applicable when dealing with wildfire damage. These include dwelling coverage for the house structures affected by wildfire, personal property coverage that replaces your personal belongings that were damaged or consumed by fire, personal liability coverage for lives harmed in the wildfire and coverage for your additional living expenses like rented rooms or hotels.
Most home insurance policies cover the damages caused by different types of fires. This means that wildfires should be automatically included in your policy. Getting a good homeowners insurance policy and verifying your coverage limits is a great way to protect your finances and property.
In this article:
When Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Wildfires?
The amount of coverage varies depending on the insurer, but most homeowners insurance policies cover at least a portion of the cost of rebuilding the home and replacing damaged belongings due to a wildfire.
- Home furniture, appliances, clothes, artwork and accessories damaged in the wildfire are covered.
- When you get sued in relation to the wildfire, your personal liability coverage can cover those expenses.
- Insurance providers offer additional living expenses coverage when you have to pay for your temporary home.
Homeowners insurance covers rent expenses away from your home if it’s uninhabitable due to the fire damage. This is because these are expenses that could have been avoided if the wildfire did not happen. Even your food could be included.
Home insurance policies also cover trees, shrubs and lawns up to a certain percentage of your dwelling coverage based on the value of the structure and area. However, this coverage may have limits.
When Doesn’t Homeowners Insurance Cover Wildfires?
If an insurance company believes the amount of damage claimed is excessive or overstated, your claim may be denied. Additionally, medical payments for disasters can only be included up to a certain amount. There are limits on how much your insurance provider can reimburse as a result of a wildfire. To increase your limits, you can purchase add-ons to your coverage.
How to Protect Yourself From Wildfires
The cost to rebuild your home after a wildfire could be substantial. You can count on the best homeowners insurance providers to help, but preventing damage from wildfires is a better option. To reduce the risk of damage from wildfires, here are steps you can take as a responsible homeowner.
Replace Your House Materials
Replacing wood materials with concrete and metal can make your house more fire-resistant.
Make Sure Your House has Class A Fire Rating Roof
A roof can escalate wildfire damage depending on the material. Getting an asphalt, concrete or clay tile roof can help prevent a wildfire from destroying your home.
Trim Trees That Surround Your House.
Clear brush and leaves and trim trees as well as other combustible objects that surround your home. A clean and well-kept front yard, backyard and parking area can reduce the risk of wildfire damage.
Prepare for Fire
Have a fire extinguisher install smoke detectors and fire alarms to ensure you have precautions in place to alert you to fire danger.
Where to Buy Homeowners Insurance
Purchasing standard homeowners from top insurance providers like State Farm, Progressive and Hippo guarantee coverage for wildfires. Large insurance companies, as well as smaller ones, offer homeowners insurance.
If you are currently wondering how much home insurance costs on average, the average cost of homeowners insurance is around $175 per month. However, this price can vary. MoneyGeek’s calculator can help you calculate the costs of your homeowners insurance.
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Total: $0About Mark Fitzpatrick
