Flood and Water Damage Restoration MN
Flood and Water Damage MN – Wondering About Your Insurance Coverage For Water & Flood Damage? The spring thaw may seem a long way off. But it’s not. It is often said about Minnesota that we have two seasons—winter and road construction! With spring rains and spring flooding just around the corner, and there are things people can be doing today to help ensure they’re as prepared as possible should flooding occur in their area. The first thing people should consider – even those in low-risk flood zones or areas which have never flooded before – is purchasing flood insurance. According to an interactive tool on NFIP’s website just 2 inches of water could cost you $7,800 in cleanup. And over the past 10 years, the average flood claim has amounted to over $33,000. Flood Safety Awareness Week is March 12-16 Learn more about flood risks and what steps you can take before, during and after a flood. You may figure that if you are in a serious flood that federal disaster assistance will pay for your damage, right? Wrong! Federal disaster assistance comes in the form of a low-interest loan, not a grant, and only if the President formally declares a disaster. You are eligible to purchase flood insurance as long as your community participates in the National Flood Insurance Program. Check the Community Status Book to see if your community is already an NFIP partner. Consumers should be aware that flood insurance policies generally take 30 days to go into effect. For more information on flood insurance, and to find out your flood risk, visit www.floodsmart.gov. FLASH_Insurance_Guide Does Homeowners Insurance Cover a Flooded Basement? Here’s a question thousands of homeowners and renters will be asking now that Spring is just around the corner. Will insurance cover the water damage in my basement? Unfortunately for most the answer is “probably not.” Standard Homeowners’ insurance does not cover damage from flooding, so unless you have a specific flood insurance policy, you will have to foot the bill for any water damage from the recent rains. The Insurance Information Institute offers this rule of thumb: water that comes from top down (ice dams, for example) is generally covered, but when water comes from the bottom up, such as in flooding, it’s not covered. Homeowners Insurance Is Not Flood Insurance! Only Flood Insurance Will Cover Your Flood Losses If an individual relies on a homeowners insurance policy to cover whatever flood damage occurs, the result will not be favorable to the property owner. Only flood insurance will cover such losses. Because flood insurance has a 30-day waiting period, property owners should not let an imminent flooding force a decision to obtain this insurance. There are two basic insurance policies that deal with a homeowner’s damage due to water — a flood insurance policy and a homeowner’s insurance policy. Losses not covered by one of these policies may be covered by the another policy. Knowing the losses to which your home could be exposed will help you decide whether to buy one or both of these insurance coverages. While insurance policies may differ in the coverages provided, often there are basic features common to all policies. The homeowner should ask his or her insurance professional about the specifics of one’s specific insurance policy. In the meantime, the following general information is based on standard insurance policies. Flood Insurance As the name implies, a standard flood insurance policy, which is made available by the National Flood Insurance Program, provides coverage up to the policy limit for damage caused by flood. The dictionary defines...
Read MoreMN Water Damage – Will Your Home Insurance Policy Pay For Water Damage? Part 1
Water Damage | Water Damage Insurance Water damage cleanup, repair and restoration can be a costly operation, and surely you’d want to receive financial help from your home insurance policy. In fact, water damage is one of the top reasons why most home insurance plan holders make claims. Unfortunately, home insurance tends to be tricky when it comes to water damage, which is why many people have had negative experiences when claiming insurance benefits for their water damaged house. The biggest challenge in making a water damage insurance claim lies in determining whether your water damage problem is covered by your policy. But even if you are uncertain about whether your insurance plan will cover your water damage expenses, it is still best to report any water damage incident to your provider. Water Damage Insurance Reporting Even in the panic of finding your home flooded, don’t forget to call up your insurance company to report the damage. Ask them about the step by step process they require in making a claim, and you may also ask for some recommendations on which water damage companies you can trust. You are not obliged to heed their advice, but there’s no harm in including the recommended companies in your comparisons when you ask for quotes. If you have had any kind of water intrusion, a proper inspection by a Certified (IICRC) Water Damage Restoration Professional can help detect water intrusion issues early, saving thousands of dollars in repairs costs. After receiving your report, your insurance company will most likely send an agent out to evaluate and document the loss, but in the meantime, before you or your water damage restoration service start the cleanup, take pictures of your water damaged home. After extracting the water, you should also take pictures of your water damaged floors. Take individual photos of everything that get damaged, including water damaged ceilings and walls, furniture, and even small loose items. These photos will come in handy when you make a claim; some homeowners have even taken videos. While taking pictures, write down these damaged items in a list. The goal is to give your insurance company a clear idea of the full extent of the damage. Other documents that can help make your claim stronger include cost estimates, a complete water damage report, and receipts of repairs, restoration, and even sanitizing services you used. If your insurance agent and water damage repair company comes up with a different cost estimates, they will have to agree on a single amount, usually halfway between their estimates. Just make sure nothing is compromised in terms of the complete repair and restoration your home will need. Homeowners Insurance on Water Damage – What’s Covered and What’s Not Since policies cover different types of losses, insurance companies have different standards, and water damage is caused by many reasons, not all water damage incidents are automatically covered. Water damage incidents that are covered are those that occur due to material defects such as dishwasher malfunctions or burst pipes, and those that are accidental in nature. However, insurance companies will not pay for damage caused by neglect, carelessness, or poor maintenance. There are exceptions, though. There are sudden and unexpected reasons that are beyond your control that insurance agencies nevertheless exclude from their basic coverage. These include water damage caused by natural disasters such as heavy rainfall or river overflows; such damage is considered to be flood damage, which is a common exclusion. Usually, home insurance policies offer separate coverage packages for the water damage incidents their basic plans do not cover. This way, homeowners...
Read More24/7 Water and Flood Damage Cleanup | Flood Damage Repair MN
Water Damage Restoration | Flood Damage Restoration MN Just a few inches of water from a flood can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Over the past 10 years, the average flood claim has amounted to over $33,000. Flood insurance is the best way to protect yourself from devastating financial loss. Flood insurance is available to homeowners, renters, condo owners/renters, and commercial owners/renters. Costs vary depending on how much insurance is purchased, what it covers, and the property’s flood risk. Residential Flood Insurance – Water Damages What’s Covered and What’s Not Flood insurance policies cover physical damage to your property and possessions. Basic flood insurance policies cover structures only. If you want to insure your personal belongings against flood damage, you must buy separate coverage. Water Damage- Test Your Water IQ Building Property The insured building and its foundation Electrical and plumbing systems Central air conditioning equipment, furnaces, and water heaters Refrigerators, cooking stoves, and built-in appliances such as dishwashers Permanently installed carpeting over unfinished flooring Permanently installed paneling, wallboard, bookcases, and cabinets Window blinds Detached garages (up to 10 percent of Building Property coverage) Detached buildings (other than garages) require a separate Building Property policy Debris removal Personal Contents Property Personal belongings, such as clothing, furniture, and electronic equipment Curtains Portable and window air conditioners Portable microwave ovens and portable dishwashers Carpets that are not included in building coverage Clothing washers and dryers Food freezers and the food in them Certain valuable items such as original artwork and furs (up to $2,500) What’s Not Covered: Damage caused by moisture, mildew, or mold that could have been avoided by the property owner Currency, precious metals, and valuable papers such as stock certificates Property and belongings outside of an insured building such as trees, plants, wells, septic systems, walks, decks, patios, fences, seawalls, hot tubs, and swimming pools Living expenses such as temporary housing Financial losses caused by business interruption or loss of use of insured property Most self-propelled vehicles such as cars, including their parts (see Section IV.5 in your policy) Flood Insurance for Basements and Areas Below the Lowest Elevated Floor Coverage is limited in basements regardless of zone or date of construction. It’s also limited in areas below the lowest elevated floor, depending on the flood zone and date of construction. These areas include: Basements Crawlspaces under an elevated building Enclosed areas beneath buildings elevated on full-story foundation walls that are sometimes referred to as “walkout basements” Enclosed areas under other types of elevated buildings Make sure to ask your agent for additional details on your basement coverage. You can use the following list as a general guide to what is and isn’t covered or simply refer to the Summary of Coverage (PDF 108K) to help you better understand your policy and coverage. The Cost of Flooding Find out what a few inches of flood water can cost in damage. To be covered, the flood must also be a temporary condition, and cover two or more acres or two or more properties The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) offers coverage in approximately 20,000 communities in the U.S. You can determine if your property is eligible for flood insurance by checking the NFIP Community Status Book. For Minnesota PDF 49KB Flood and Sewage Damage Flood damage is hazardous to your health and the integrity of your home or business. Treated quickly, you can minimize damage, reduce restoration costs and prevent mold or other contaminants. Time is of the essence when water and sewage damage occurs. In the unfortunate event of water damage to your home, Minnesota...
Read MoreWater and Flood Damage Repair Minneapolis MN
Water Damage Restoration | Flood Damage Restoration MN Just a few inches of water from a flood can cause tens of thousands of dollars in damage. Over the past 10 years, the average flood claim has amounted to over $33,000. Flood insurance is the best way to protect yourself from devastating financial loss. Flood insurance is available to homeowners, renters, condo owners/renters, and commercial owners/renters. Costs vary depending on how much insurance is purchased, what it covers, and the property’s flood risk. Residential Flood Insurance – Water Damages What’s Covered and What’s Not Flood insurance policies cover physical damage to your property and possessions. Basic flood insurance policies cover structures only. If you want to insure your personal belongings against flood damage, you must buy separate coverage. Water Damage- Test Your Water IQ Building Property The insured building and its foundation Electrical and plumbing systems Central air conditioning equipment, furnaces, and water heaters Refrigerators, cooking stoves, and built-in appliances such as dishwashers Permanently installed carpeting over unfinished flooring Permanently installed paneling, wallboard, bookcases, and cabinets Window blinds Detached garages (up to 10 percent of Building Property coverage) Detached buildings (other than garages) require a separate Building Property policy Debris removal Personal Contents Property Personal belongings, such as clothing, furniture, and electronic equipment Curtains Portable and window air conditioners Portable microwave ovens and portable dishwashers Carpets that are not included in building coverage Clothing washers and dryers Food freezers and the food in them Certain valuable items such as original artwork and furs (up to $2,500) What’s Not Covered: Damage caused by moisture, mildew, or mold that could have been avoided by the property owner Currency, precious metals, and valuable papers such as stock certificates Property and belongings outside of an insured building such as trees, plants, wells, septic systems, walks, decks, patios, fences, seawalls, hot tubs, and swimming pools Living expenses such as temporary housing Financial losses caused by business interruption or loss of use of insured property Most self-propelled vehicles such as cars, including their parts (see Section IV.5 in your policy) Flood Insurance for Basements and Areas Below the Lowest Elevated Floor Coverage is limited in basements regardless of zone or date of construction. It’s also limited in areas below the lowest elevated floor, depending on the flood zone and date of construction. These areas include: Basements Crawlspaces under an elevated building Enclosed areas beneath buildings elevated on full-story foundation walls that are sometimes referred to as “walkout basements” Enclosed areas under other types of elevated buildings Make sure to ask your agent for additional details on your basement coverage. You can use the following list as a general guide to what is and isn’t covered or simply refer to the Summary of Coverage (PDF 108K) to help you better understand your policy and coverage. The Cost of Flooding Find out what a few inches of flood water can cost in damage. To be covered, the flood must also be a temporary condition, and cover two or more acres or two or more properties The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) offers coverage in approximately 20,000 communities in the U.S. You can determine if your property is eligible for flood insurance by checking the NFIP Community Status Book. For Minnesota PDF 49KB Flood and Sewage Damage Flood damage is hazardous to your health and the integrity of your home or business. Treated quickly, you can minimize damage, reduce restoration costs and prevent mold or other contaminants. Time is of the essence when water and sewage damage occurs. In the unfortunate event of water damage to your home, Minnesota...
Read MoreWater Damage, Mold Damage and Flood Damage Repair MN
Minnesota Water Damage and Flood Damage Repair Water damage, Mold Damage and Flood Damage are some of the most common reasons people make claims on their home insurance. Burst pipes, leaky appliances and flooded basements are just a few of the ways you could discover exactly what is and is not covered by your home insurance policy. You need an Expert in Water Damage Restoration to help deliver the results you deserve as a policyholder. Water Damage and Insurance Policies Water damage can describe quite a few possible losses caused by water intruding where it’s going to permit assault of a content or system by damaging processes including decaying of lumber, microbial development, rusting of iron, de-laminating of materials, and several others. The destruction can be imperceptibly gradual as well as insignificant such as water areas which could sooner or later ruin a surface, or it might be instant and also catastrophic such as flooding. However quickly it takes place, water damage is a very key factor to loss of property and can lead to an unhealthy environment. Your homeowner’s insurance plan may or may well not cover the expenses related to water ruin along with the means of water damage recovery. Evaluate the “Exclusions” in your policy, if it doesn’t clearly exclude it then you probably have coverage. It is our experience that most water damages are in reality covered by insurance policies. Usually water damage which originates from broken or frozen plumbing, equipment failures and/or leaks (i.e. dishwasher, washing machine, water heaters) & water intrusion from damage to a property from a climate associated event are a insured cause of loss. Although a common reason for household water damage is frequently the failure of a sump pump, numerous homeowner’s insurance policies usually do not include the associated costs with no an addendum which will adds to the monthly premium of the insurance plan. Often the terminology of the addendum is similar to “Sewer & Drain Coverage.” Qualified Minnesota Restoration Experts Fast response within 48 hours is necessary in order to prevent mold development and latent further damage. It is URGENT to begin structural drying as soon as water damage is observed to confine possible reconstruction costs. Whether it’s a busted pipe, a severe storm or a flood; water damage is a huge headache that can use the help of a trained professional. Look for a company that is an insurance approved and qualified Minnesota water damage restoration...
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