Is All Fire Damage Covered by Homeowner’s Insurance?

A home fire is a terrifying event. Not only can they be deadly, they’re always going to cause a stressful aftermath.


The key to managing this stress is to have good homeowner’s insurance. Most instances of a residential fire are going to be covered. However, there are a few exceptions! The most notable of these are:

Lying on the application form
Arson
Vacant home
An act of war

How Can A Lie Void Your Insurance?


There are several questions your insurance company will ask you when you’re applying for a policy. For instance, you might be asked about smoke alarms or fire extinguishers.


If you lie and say you have those things when you don’t, chances are that they’ll never know. However, people have been caught, and if you are, you’ll lose your coverage! In the worst cases, you could conceivably be facing a fraud charge, so it’s best to tell the truth.


Is Arson Ever Covered?


In certain cases, yes. If you had nothing to do with the home fire – in other words, you didn’t set it, ask someone else to set it or know about it before the fire started – most policies should cover you. However, if you had anything at all to do with it – and you get caught – you’ll lose coverage and face potentially devastating criminal charges.


What Is a Vacant Home Fire?


A vacant home fire is one that happens in a home that the owner has no intention of living in. It doesn’t include unoccupied homes – you can safely go on vacation! But vacant homes have the utilities shut off and may even have most of the furniture removed.


What Is an Act of War?


Most policies specifically exclude damage from warfare. An act of war is typically defined as “invasions, insurrections, revolutions, military coups, and terrorism”. While not common, these exclusions have become a little more frequent in recent years.


Hopefully, insurance has you covered in case of a home fire. Either way, you’ll need a top fire damage restoration company like All American Water Restoration to remove the smoke residue and repair all fire damage.

All American Water Restoration works around the clock to ensure your property is restored after fire loss.