Some of the most common accidents that happen to a home occur from natural disasters. Hurricanes, tornadoes, freezes, hail storms, flooding….No matter where you are, your home has endured one of these things.
Maybe you’ve been fortunate enough not to have any serious damage to your home after encountering one of these forces of nature.
On the other hand, maybe you’ve experienced an unfortunate loss in your home. This has caused you to evaluate your options to repair the damage.
“Alas!” you think, “That’s why we have homeowners insurance!”
While it’s true the point of having homeowners insurance is to cover accidental damage, there are a few things you must understand before assuming your insurance will cover all your damages.
This is especially true if you want to use homeowners insurance for a siding replacement.
The siding on your home makes up most of your exterior, making it costly to repair or replace.
So, if you have damage to your siding and want to use your homeowner's insurance for a replacement, you must understand the right process to follow to make it as easy as possible.
At Southwest Exteriors, we’ve helped hundreds of homeowners repair and replace their siding since 1989. This is common especially after a large rain or hail storm rolls through San Antonio.
But, we meet with many homeowners who think they will use their homeowner's insurance but then see the quote for their project and realize insurance won’t cover it all. This just results in a large waste of your time and effort.
Our goal is to minimize the amount of effort you need to put into your project. We want you to have the right information about homeowners insurance regarding your siding replacement to find the right solution for you faster.
This article will outline three key things you need to know about using homeowners insurance for a siding replacement and the step-by-step process to follow if you find yourself in this situation.
After reading, you’ll have the right information regarding your siding replacement and know what to do if you plan to use homeowners insurance for your project.
3 Things You Need to Know About Homeowners Insurance for Your Siding Replacement
Whether you’ve had a recent storm you know damaged your siding or just come across an area that looks like an accident has happened, you may think your homeowner's insurance will cover all the funds for the project.
After all, that’s what insurance is for, right? You pay a premium for coverage when accidents happen.
While this is the purpose of insurance, you need to know a few key things if you want to use your homeowner's insurance for a siding replacement.
Here, we’ll dive into what those three things are before using your homeowner's insurance for a siding replacement.
1. Homeowners Insurance Won’t Cover the Entire Siding Replacement
One of the first things you need to know is that your homeowner's insurance won’t cover the entire siding replacement project.
Now, this may come as a surprise to you. At Southwest Exteriors, we’ve encountered many homeowners who want to replace their damaged siding with high-quality James Hardie siding.
Then, they are shocked to find their homeowners insurance is only giving them $800 for the entire project a contractor quoted for $50,000.
It's important to be aware of this to avoid feeling blindsided by a cost.
Know that your homeowner's insurance will not cover the full cost needed to replace your siding, no matter how big or small your project is.
2. Insurance Coverage Won’t Give You a High-Quality Product
Now that you understand your homeowner's insurance won’t cover the full amount for a siding replacement, the second most valuable thing to understand is the quality of the product you get if you rely solely on insurance coverage.
If you only get around $800 from insurance and decide to go with the least expensive option, consider the quality of the product you are getting.
In the home remodeling industry, cost and quality have a direct relationship. The highest quality products and services will never be the least expensive.
So, if you decide to go with the least expensive option, you will not be getting a high-quality product.
Your siding probably won’t be installed as well as it should. These are just a couple common things you see when you choose a less expensive, lower-quality contractor.
If you want to replace your damaged siding with something you won’t have to worry about it in the future, expect to pay more.
3. Siding Replacement May Not Be Your Only Option
Depending on the degree of damage to your siding, replacing the entire siding may not be your only option.
If your entire house was pummeled by a massive hail storm, then replacing all your siding is probably your only option.
But, say you have impact damage from heavy winds only on a small area of your siding. Then, you may be able just to have your siding repaired instead of fully replaced.
If you are contemplating a siding replacement or repair, you must inspect the damage and also get the opinion of a professional.
A siding repair, as opposed to a replacement, will lower your costs for your project. With this, your homeowner's insurance will then cover a higher part of the project as opposed to a full siding replacement.
3 Steps to Take if You Want to Use Homeowners Insurance for a Siding Replacement
Now that you know three crucial things about using homeowners insurance for a siding replacement, you must follow the right steps to get the right results.
If you want to use your homeowners insurance for your siding damage, you must:
- Contact your insurance company and have your siding inspected
- Determine what coverage you have and the bounds of your insurance
- Find the right contractor for your project
Let’s further explain each of these steps so you can understand exactly what to do when you find yourself in this situation.
1. Contact Your Homeowner’s Insurance Company First
The very first thing you should do is contact your homeowner's insurance company, not a siding replacement company.
If you contact a siding replacement company first, you are making assumptions about your insurance coverage. This will result in you wasting time and effort meeting with one or multiple contractors without knowing what the next steps are.
By contacting your insurance company first, you will know exactly what coverage you have and what they will provide for your home.
Your insurance will most likely send an inspector to your home to assess the damage and talk with you about if it’s covered and what they will provide for you.
If you have a siding replacement or repair company come out first, you may be getting a large quote that your insurance will not provide the funds for. Then, you’re left confused about what you should do and how much you should be paying.
Talking to your insurance company first ensures you will have a full understanding of your coverage and will be equipped to take the correct actionable steps.
2. Determine What Coverage You Have and Weigh Your Options
After contacting your insurance company about your damaged siding, you will know what kind of coverage you have to move forward.
You want to outline if you have any deductibles, how much money your insurance is giving you, and what next steps to take for your project.
Do you want to replace your entire siding or just repair the damaged areas? How much are you looking to pay out of pocket? What kind of siding do you want?
These are just a few questions to consider before taking the next step and looking for the right contractor for your project.
3. Find the Right Company for Your Siding Project
The third and final step to take is to find the right contractor for your project.
If you are getting your siding repaired and not replaced, then you must find the right company that offers siding repair for your type of siding.
If you only have a small area of siding that is damaged, you’ll have to find a contractor that works on small projects. Some contractors have a minimum size your project must be for them to work with you.
In order to find the right company for you, you must outline your goals, wants, and needs for your project.
Know what to identify in a siding contractor and what red flags to look out for. It’s also important to ask the right questions to tell the difference between a high-quality and a faulty contractor.
The last thing you want is to commit to a contractor that promises you something too good to be true, only to be disappointed with the outcome of your project. Finding the right contractor is crucial to the success of your siding project.
Using Your Homeowner's Insurance for a Siding Replacement Project
Now you have the right information about using your homeowners insurance for a siding replacement and know the right steps to take moving forward.
It’s important to remember if you want to use your insurance for a siding replacement or repair, the insurance will not cover the full project. Be prepared to spend out of pocket.
Also, you must consider the quality of product and installation you will be getting if you choose a less expensive company for the sake of using insurance.If you want a high-quality siding replacement that will last, it is going to cost you more.
If you plan to use homeowners insurance for a siding replacement or repair, follow these three steps:
- Contact your insurance company first
- Determine what kind of coverage you have
- Find the right company to work with for your project
If you are considering replacing any of your siding and using homeowners insurance, it’s important to know how much your project may cost you and what factors affect the cost.
Check out this article that outlines how much a siding replacement costs and what factors play into the cost. Then, you’ll have a better idea of how much your project will cost you and can have a better idea of what your budget needs to be.
Need Your Siding Replaced With Something That Will Last?
Southwest Exteriors exclusively installs James Hardie fiber cement siding because of its durability and longevity.
After your siding is installed, a certified James Hardie inspector will come out to your home to ensure the proper installation practices are followed. So, you’ll have the assurance that your siding was installed correctly and will last.
Now, we are not the least expensive contractor on the market. If you want to use a contractor that allows your homeowner's insurance to cover the majority of your project, we are not the right contractor for you.
But, if you want a new siding that you won’t have to worry about for the rest of your time in your home, expertly installed James Hardie siding may be right for you.
Schedule your free, in-home consultation with an expert design consultant today to learn more!