Today, most homes come with modular kitchens where you have a set of cabinets, drawers, and other storage units. These storage units are wooden-based and are prone to damage, especially when there is a leak or flooding.
So, whenever your kitchen floods and these storage units suffer damage, you must get them repaired immediately. However, repairing a water-damaged kitchen can be expensive.
Despite that, you will still need to replace those cabinets if you want to continue to use them.
Many homeowners buy insurance policies that cover various household repairs, including the kitchen.
So, if you have bought a homeowners insurance policy, you do not need to worry. However, you still ought to know what your insurance policy covers. You must read the terms and conditions to understand if it covers damage caused due to kitchen flooding.
About Water-Damaged Kitchen Cabinets Insurance: What Your Homeowner’s Insurance Covers?
Most homeowner’s insurance policies cover the expenses you may incur for repairing or replacing your kitchen cabinets. However, what is covered, and to what extent, depends on the policy you buy. Insurance companies that hand out policies to homeowners decide these factors depending on the damage done and its causes.
The factors that play a prominent role in deciding what and how much coverage to provide include:
Damage due to sudden or unexpected leaks from faulty plumbing works.
Damage from natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes, and storms.
So, insurance companies decide the cover depending on the damage caused to your cabinets. For instance, when you have an unexpected plumbing leak, the severity of damage caused becomes essential for deciding the expenses that your insurance policy will cover. So, if the leak is minor, it probably won’t cause much damage to your cabinets, and your homeowner’s insurance may not have you covered here. However, almost all insurance policies cover repair or replacement expenses for natural disasters, such as floods, that can cause significant damage.
Water Damage to Kitchen Cabinets Insurance: What Your Homeowner’s Insurance Doesn’t Cover?
Most homeowner’s insurance policies don’t cover accidental damage caused to your kitchen cabinets. So, if you have had constant plumbing leaks for a while and failed to address the issue, your homeowner’s insurance won’t have your back since you were negligent.
Similarly, insurance companies also decide what parts of the cabinets they want to repair or replace, per the terms and conditions laid out in the policy. For instance, the company will only replace or repair the damaged sections if you have a cabinet set.
So, if your cabinet came with ten items and five were damaged, your insurance provider may replace only two, depending on the policy terms.
Also, most insurance policies don’t allow providers to maintain precision when repairing or replacing your kitchen cabinets. So, for instance, if your original unit came in a particular color, your insurance provider may not be entitled to replace it with the same color.
However, if you want the same color as the original set, you may need to pay to replace the entire cabinet.
Water Damage Kitchen Cabinets Insurance: How to File a Claim?
One of the best ways to claim your homeowner’s insurance policy, especially for a water-damaged kitchen, is to work with a local public adjuster to know if you can make a claim and understand the terms thoroughly.
The process of claiming your homeowner’s insurance involves the following steps.
Providing the Required Information
After discussing with a local adjuster, you can then contact the insurance provider and have them send someone over to your house. However, before that, gather these details so you can present them to the agent.
- Your personal information
- Accurate description of the damage.
- A set of documents that prove you own the property.
- Insurance policy documents.
Assessing the Damage
The insurance provider will send their in-house adjuster to assess the damage and let you know how much you may need to pay. So, it is crucial that you first speak with your local adjuster to get a rough estimate and see if that matches closely with the insurance company.
Filing a Claim
You can begin the claim process after knowing the settlement amount and comparing it with your local adjuster. Claiming your homeowner’s insurance is not as easy as it sounds, especially when you have a water-damaged kitchen. However, you can make this process seamless by following these tips.
- Note the damage done, possibly, with the help of photos and videos.
- Estimate repair costs.
- File a claim.
- Estimate how much you would be paying with the help of a local adjuster.
- Provide the required information to the insurance company by submitting the relevant documents.
Conclusion
While you may go with an insurance provider of your choice, it’s always good to seek help from experts such as Water Damage Near Me. Companies like Water Damage Near Me have the tools and training to fix a leaking pipe or appliance that caused the damage and collaborate with renowned insurance providers to help residents make claims seamlessly.
Claiming your homeowner’s insurance in the event of a water-damaged kitchen involves the following steps as outlined in the table below.
Serial Number | Steps |
---|---|
1 | Provide all the relevant details to your insurance company. |
2 | Let the insurance company assess the damage and come up with an estimate. |
3 | Submit the required documents and file a claim. |