What if your home insurance coverage didn’t work when you needed it the most?
Many homeowners think that their home insurance covers just about everything. In reality, there are a number of different scenarios the average policy doesn’t cover. You may not realize that you’re not covered until it’s too late.
That’s where we come in. Our guide covers what your homeowners insurance doesn’t cover, as well as what you can do about it. Keep reading to discover the answers you need!
Home Insurance in Georgia Doesn’t Cover Flooding
Sometimes, there are things that one home insurance coverage policy will cover and others won’t. However, one thing that none of these policies cover on their own is flooding from Georgia’s extreme weather.
Floods are particularly scary because of how much damage they can cause in a short period of time. As a homeowner, you could end up on the hook for all of those expensive repairs.
Fortunately, you can add an additional rider for your policy to cover floods. Such a rider may be required if you live in a high-risk flood area. Even if you don’t live in such an area, you should consider this rider to protect your home from the unexpected.
Home Insurance in Georgia Doesn’t Cover Earthquakes
In terms of home insurance, earthquakes function much like floods. Each of these is considered an “act of God” that is not covered by your normal Georgia policy.
Another way earthquakes are similar to floods is that some areas are more prone to quakes than others. If you’ve lived in the area for a year or more, you probably know how likely your home is to get damaged by an earthquake.
As with floods, you can add a separate insurance rider to protect your home from earthquakes. This can give you peace of mind even when the ground starts shaking.
Georgia Home Insurance Doesn’t Cover Termite Infestation
Many Georgia homeowners are scared (and rightfully so) of termites because they are more of a hidden threat. Floods are scary, too, but it’s a kind of threat that you can see coming. With termites, by the time you notice they are there, they may have done some serious damage.
Unfortunately, termite damage in Georgia is not covered by your homeowners insurance. To your insurance company, it’s your responsibility to protect your home against any kind of infestation (ranging from scary termites to simple bedbugs).
How can you protect against it? We recommend you reach out to a local termite specialist and get a termite bond. With this bond, the company will inspect and treat your home against termites. Annual inspections and treatments when needed can keep the threat of termites at bay.
Home Insurance Doesn’t Cover a Backed-Up Sewer
If your sewer backs up, your Georgia homeowners insurance is not going to cover it. It doesn’t matter to your insurance company whether the backup is your fault (maybe your child was improperly disposing of the different waste inside your home) or happened on its own (all it takes is a tree root to pierce a pipe for you to have serious sewer problems).
What can you do, then, to protect against a sewer backup? Some Georgia insurance carriers will let you add a separate rider to protect against backups. Otherwise, your best bet is to hire a good local plumber to regularly inspect your pipes. As usual, a little bit of maintenance can keep something more catastrophic from happening later on.
Home Insurance in Georgia Doesn’t Cover Certain Dog Breeds
One of the unexpected benefits of homeowners insurance is that liability protection covers things like dog bites. Specifically, if your dog bites someone, then their medical bills and, if needed, your legal bills may be covered.
However, there are restrictions on this, and certain large dogs or breeds of dogs may not be covered. Sadly, there is not a separate rider for damage due to a dog bite. If your dog is not covered and you are worried about what might happen, we recommend you invest in behavioral training for your dog. If you think he is likely to bite, you may want to keep him away from public areas such as public parks.
As with car insurance, you can usually switch homeowners insurance at any time. Keep in mind that breeds restricted by your current carrier may not be restricted by a different insurance company!
Home Insurance Doesn’t Cover Very Valuable Jewelry or Art
If you have a lot of valuable jewelry or priceless art in your home, you may be wondering if these items are covered. In this case, the answer is both yes and no.
Your jewelry is partially protected as part of your standard homeowners insurance. However, the average policy in Georgia puts a limit on how much of a loss you can file with your insurance carrier. Typically, this limit is no higher than $2,000.
What if you have more than $2,000 worth of jewelry and art in your home? In that case, you need to add additional insurance. If you’re not sure how much your valuable items are worth, it’s time to conduct a home inventory.
In many cases, you can get an add-on policy to your main insurance. If that is not available, though, you may be able to get a separate policy designed solely to protect your valuables.
Home Insurance Doesn’t Cover Mold Within Your Georgia Home
Mold is very different from termites, but it represents a similar threat to Georgia homeowners. Like termites, mold stays hidden for a long time. By the time you notice, the damage may be done. In this case, damage to your health and the health of your family!
Homeowners insurance doesn’t cover mold, and there is no separate rider you can add. Instead, you must monitor for, contain, and treat mold in your home all on your own.
According to the CDC, mold requires moisture to grow. With Georgia’s wet weather and high humidity, leaks need to be repaired immediately. You can use over-the-counter products to clean for mold. To prevent future mold outbreaks, keep your home humidity low and make sure the air can flow freely from one side of the house to the other.