Will Home Insurance Cover Damaged Patio Furniture After a Storm?

Storms can be intense, causing damage to the structure of your home. You may walk outside to find your patio furniture shattered into pieces or crumpled in the neighbor’s backyard. When this type of damage occurs, contact your home insurance agent.

Your agent will work closely with you to better understand what occurred, and how your policy provides coverage for damaged patio items. You may be able to file a claim for your losses. When does it apply? people standing outside of a home

When Does Home Insurance Cover?
Home insurance does not provide coverage for normal wear and tear on these patio items. If your patio table suffers a crack as a result of age, that will not have protection. Coverage also does not apply if someone in your home causes the damage. This might include a child hitting it, for example.

Rather, coverage applies when unexpected events, including storms, trigger the problem. It should provide financial protection for your patio furniture if it suffers damage due to lightning, fire or wind. If large hail hit the structure of your patio table shattering the glass, your coverage applies here, too.

What About Your Deductible?
Before you can obtain compensation for the property losses you sustain, you must consider the deductible. Home insurance policies nearly always have one. This is the amount you are responsible for paying before the insurance company kicks in to pay the rest.

The key here is to know what your deductible is. Is it $500, $1,000 or something higher? Then, consider the value of your patio furniture. If the value isn’t significantly above the value of the deductible, there is no benefit in filing a claim. You will not receive funds for it.

How Much Is Your Patio Furniture Worth?
Whether you have a wicker patio set or an elegant set of Adirondack chairs, your home insurance policy usually pays out based on the value of the items at the time the storm occurred. This takes into consideration depreciation since you purchased them. If your policy offers replacement cost coverage, on the other hand, they may pay enough for you to purchase a new piece of furniture similar to the one you have now. Your deductible will apply in both instances, however.

When an event like this occurs, take pictures of what happened. Then, contact your home insurance agent. He or she will walk you through the process of determining if you have coverage, what your deductible is, and how much you could receive for the loss. Storm damage is a typical type of coverage for most policies.

Will Home Insurance Cover Damaged Patio Furniture After a Storm?

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