Smoke Damage and Your Insurance

12/20/2022 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of North Central Austin is here to help you through this difficult time.

Smoke Damage and Your Insurance

Fire and smoke damage can be devastating, especially if you weren't home at the time of the incident. The good news is that most homeowners’ insurance policies cover fire and smoke damage, so there's a good chance that you'll be able to file an insurance claim to help cover the cost of repairs. In this post, we'll go over what type of damages your policy covers and some common questions about filing a claim for fire or smoke damage.

Smoke Damage Basics

Smoke damage, like water damage and mold, can occur in a fire. Smoke damage can also occur in the aftermath of a smaller fire that does not cause structural damage. For example, if you have an electrical short in your home or apartment and it causes a small fire which burns itself out before causing much structural damage but leaves your walls blackened with soot and ash, then this would be considered smoke damage.

Fire and Smoke Damage Coverage

Any homeowner who has experienced a fire in their home will tell you that the costs of repairing damage to your home, replacing personal items lost in the fire, and paying for temporary housing while your home is being repaired can be staggering. While some insurance companies offer coverage for these expenses, it’s important to know whether or not your policy does.

The following are examples of what may be covered by a claim depending on your policy:

• Cost of repairs to your home - If your house was damaged by fire or smoke damage you may have to pay for repairs yourself unless you have replacement cost coverage. This type of insurance provides reimbursement up to an amount specified in your policy based on current construction costs (i.e., what it would actually cost today). The amount paid out on this type of claim depends on several factors including whether any improvements were made since last year's assessment and what those improvements were (elevation requirements increase over time).
• Replacement value - This type of insurance pays out according to current market value instead of actual cash value like some other policies do so there won't be any deductions for depreciation or wear-and-tear associated with aging property. For example: if someone buys another house after selling theirs four years later then sells again ten years later but keeps using same furniture throughout those years then even though they're just using older stuff now than when originally purchased--it'll still count toward their total contents list when determining how much money should come back from an insurance company if anything goes wrong at all during those 10 years!

Limitations to Smoke Damage Insurance

Let's be honest, the last thing you want to hear is that your insurance company has any sort of limit on claims. But like everything else in life, there are some limits to what they will cover.

Here are some things to keep in mind:

• Does your policy have a deductible? A deductible is the amount you have to pay before an insurance company starts paying for something. It can be a flat amount (for example $500) or it can be based on your coverage level (for example $250 for everything but car damage). If your insurer does not pay until after this deductible has been met then their obligation ends once the damage exceeds this amount. The higher your deductible, the lower your premiums will be but also remember that if you don't meet this threshold during an event then you may find yourself out of pocket for repairs yourself!
• How much does it cost? In general more expensive items are more likely than cheaper ones because they hold more value and therefore pose a greater risk if they're damaged or destroyed by fire or smoke damage events such as hurricanes etcetera; however even things like clothing could fall under this category depending upon how many articles there were lost due to water damage caused by flooding during Hurricane Matthew last year; when someone had all their clothes washed away along with other belongings then those items would no longer constitute as luxury items because they were wiped out completely without leaving anything behind whatsoever."

Fire vs. Smoke Claims

When it comes to smoke damage claims, there is an important distinction between fire and smoke. Fire refers to actual flames and can be covered by your home insurance policy, but smoke is different. While both types of damage will leave your property looking unsightly, a fire claim can include structural damage that requires rebuilding or replacing the damaged structure—which may not be covered under your standard homeowner's policy. Smoke damage simply involves cleaning up after the fires have been extinguished and does not usually require extensive reconstruction or replacement of damaged parts.

However, if you have a separate smoke damage policy for your property—which can be purchased as part of an add-on rider to your homeowner's insurance—you may be able to file an additional claim for this type of loss as well.

If you have questions about filing an insurance claim for fire and smoke damage, contact your local insurance agent. Insurance policies vary slightly by company, but most have similar coverage options. Your agent will be able to tell you if your policy has coverage for smoke damage and should be able to answer any other questions you might have about the claims process.

We know a fire in your home is not ideal. Between the flames and the smoke and the soot, there is bound to be a plethora of problems that need to be taken care of. SERVPRO of North Central Austin is here to help you through this difficult time. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about smoke damage and fire damage restoration. We can help you file an insurance claim for fire and smoke damage. Our agents are always ready to assist you in getting your Austin home back to normal, so give us a call today!