When Is Fire Damage Not Covered By Insurance?

5/22/2019 (Permalink)

Your homeowner's policy is designed to pay for fire damage cleanup when you have a home fire. There are a couple of situations that your insurance doesn't cover, though. If a home in Valley Brook, OK, is vacant or the fire is set on purpose, the policyholder shouldn't expect a payout.

Coverage Details

Your property insurance can cover a wide variety of damage that occurs to your home. These damages include:

• Fire damage
  
• Wind damage
  
• Hail damage
  
• Theft
  
• Vandalism
  
  

If you report the problem to your insurance company and take the necessary precautions and swift action needed to prevent as much secondary damage as possible, your policy is likely to cover the cost of fire cleanup.

Vacant Home

A vacant home fire is usually not covered by typical insurance policies. If your home has been vacant for 30 days or more, your policy is probably null in that particular situation. If, however, you have an endorsement on your policy that makes allowances for vacant home insurance, the home fire may be covered. Check with your insurance agent if you need to insure your vacation home even while you are away to make sure you have the right coverage.

Arson

A house fire is not covered if it was caused by the homeowner's criminal actions. Intentionally setting your home on fire in order to receive a payout from the insurance company is known as arson insurance fraud. If the insurance adjuster finds evidence that the fire was set on purpose, the cost of fire restoration services will not be covered by your policy. This behavior can also result in legal action taken against you.

Most of the time, your homeowner's policy will cover the damage caused by a home fire. If you set the fire intentionally or it occurred while your home was vacant, however, you may have to cover the cost of repair out of your own pocket.