Fire Damage and Home Insurance

Fire damage is one of the most common claims homeowners make every year. They also tend to be the costliest claims because of how much damage they cause. In fact, most fire damage claims exceed $40,000.

Does home insurance cover fire damage?

Most home insurance policies include coverage for fire damage. Interestingly, home insurance was first created for that specific purpose. If there’s a fire in your home, fire is usually a covered peril and will include smoke damage to your property and belongings.

But, like most types of coverage, there are certain exclusions where your home may not be covered for fire damage.

Exclusions

In some cases, insurance companies might turn you down for fire coverage because you’re deemed too high risk. This could be because you live too far from a fire department or you’re in an area especially prone to fires. Unless your policy excludes it, you will likely have coverage for wildfire damage.

What is covered?

There are different components of a home insurance policy that can financially protect you from fires.

For example, your dwelling or structure coverage can be used for repairing damage to the physical structure of your home after a fire. You’ll want to make sure you have enough dwelling coverage to include the cost of rebuilding your home from scratch in the event it was totally destroyed. Personal property protection can also be used if your property, including furniture and electronic equipment, are damaged by fire or smoke.

Now, let’s say a fire that originated in your home spreads and damages a neighboring property. In this case, the liability protection component of your policy can be used.

In the event your home is temporarily rendered uninhabitable after a fire, additional living expenses on your home insurance policy can help cover the cost of hotel stays, gas, food, and other costs.

It’s important to remember that coverage has limits. Be sure to speak to your provider about your specific policy to ensure you have adequate protection in the event your home was damaged or destroyed by a fire or another covered peril.