Homeowners Insurance Claims

People file homeowners insurance claims for many reasons, including a burglary, damage from a fire or storm or if an injury occurs on their property.

Before filing a claim, you should read your homeowners insurance policy to find out what exclusions, limits and add-on provisions, like additional coverage for big-ticket personal items, may be included in your policy. It’s also important to find out if there’s a time limit on when you can file your claim.

How to File Homeowners Insurance Claims

1. File a police report if necessary — For certain types of claims your home insurance provider will require a police report. File a police report and give it to your insurance company to support your claim. Many home insurance policies require a police report if a theft or act of vandalism has occurred.

2. Call a public adjuster or your insurance company — Next, call your insurance company as soon as possible after the incident occurs to file your claim. The claims department will assign a claims number and an insurance adjuster to your case. That person will be responsible for assessing the damage and estimating the costs. The adjuster’s job is to help your insurance company determine how much will be paid out to you for replacement or repairs.

3. Document everything — If your home has been damaged or burglarized, photograph or videotape the aftermath so you can provide documented proof to your insurance company. You may need this documentation if the insurance company gives you a lower payout than expected and you need to appeal. If there is an injury or damage to your property, write down everything, including the date, time, and details of the incident.

Providing these details to your insurance company can help the claims process move more quickly. If you had to leave your home and need to make a claim for additional living expenses, it is crucial to keep receipts to be reimbursed. Give all this information to the adjuster so they have all the proper documentation to determine the total cost of your claim.

4. Make repairs in the meantime — If you have a leaky roof or water damage that may make your home unlivable, consider temporary repairs if doing nothing could cause further damage. Keep all the receipts (and make additional copies) for repairs and give them to your insurance company so they can reimburse you. And if you must temporarily move out of your home because it’s uninhabitable, keep a record of all your lodging and food expenses. You could submit them to your insurance company for reimbursement.

5. Consider hiring a public adjuster — The adjuster your insurance company assigns to evaluate your property (either in-person or via phone) will assess any pre-existing damage and ask questions about when you’ve done routine maintenance or other safety measures you’ve implemented to reduce the risk of injury, theft or damage on your property.

In some cases, you may not agree with the insurance-provided adjuster’s final determination. In turn, your insurance company’s payout may be significantly lower than expected. In these situations, a homeowners’ only recourse may be to hire a public adjuster to independently assess the cost of the damage and represent you when you appeal.

Who is Eligible to File Homeowners Insurance Claims?

The Insurance Services Office (ISO) Homeowners insurance program’s policy forms are designed to meet the personal risk management needs of individuals and families. The parties eligible for coverage under the ISO 2011 Homeowners (HO) insurance program fall into three categories:

1. INDIVIDUALS & FAMILIES WHO OWN A PRIVATE HOME IN WHICH THEY RESIDE.

This is typically a single-family dwelling, but sometimes a two- to four-family dwelling can be eligible for coverage under this type of policy. A mobile home is not eligible for unendorsed coverage. Dwelling and mobile home insurance policies are available for insuring residences that are not eligible for homeowners policies.

2. PEOPLE WHO RENT OR LEASE THE PREMISES IN WHICH THEY RESIDE.

Commonly known as “Renter’s Insurance,” this type of policy contemplates coverage for the renter of a residential structure, which might be an apartment, a house (either a single-family house or other types), a mobile home, a trailer home, a house trailer or a condominium unit.

3. INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES WHO OWN PRIVATE CONDOMINIUM UNITS USED FOR RESIDENTIAL PURPOSES.

Most insurers provide homeowners policies to people who own and live in condominium units. However, some insurers also provide such coverage when the insured’s own but do not live in the unit. It is distinguishable because the coverage applies to the parts of the residential condominium unit which are owned by the covered individual, rather than the parts of the condominium which are owned by the condominium association, such as exterior walls, pipes that serve the building, roofs or hallway areas outside of the unit. This coverage also applies to the condominium owner’s possessions which may be harmed during a covered loss.

Policy Forms for Homeowners Insurance Claims

To address the parties’ needs, the ISO Homeowners program offers six policy forms:

1. HO-2 Broad Form

2. HO-3 Special Form

3. HO-4 Contents Broad Form

4. HO-5 Comprehensive Form

5. HO-6 Unit-Owners Form

6. HO-8 Modified Coverage Form

Individuals and families should select a form based on their risk management needs and whether they meet the form’s eligibility requirements.

The HO-2 Broad Form provides named perils coverage for dwellings, other structures, and personal property. The HO-2 is designed to meet the risk management needs of the owner-occupant of dwellings.