{"id":1559,"date":"2019-02-19T16:43:12","date_gmt":"2019-02-19T16:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homeinsuranceking.com\/blog\/?p=1559"},"modified":"2019-02-19T16:43:14","modified_gmt":"2019-02-19T16:43:14","slug":"should-i-use-my-insurance-for-these-types-of-repairs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gethomeinsurancequotes.com\/blog\/should-i-use-my-insurance-for-these-types-of-repairs\/","title":{"rendered":"Should I use my insurance for these types of repairs?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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It\u2019s been a tough winter in many areas across the country. In fact, at one point this winter, roughly two-thirds of Americans were in an area that was below freezing and in many cases, well below zero. This type of cold can do some serious damage to your home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything from cracked windows to burst pipes, ice dams and even collapsed roofs can crop up during severe winters which may leave you wondering if your homeowners insurance<\/a> will cover the damage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While homeowners insurance will almost certainly cover this type of damage, the other question you should be asking is, should I use my insurance for these types of repairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Claim Can Result in a Premium Increase<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to homeowners insurance, the general rule of thumb is to save it for truly catastrophic damage and cover smaller claims out of pocket. Despite the fact that your insurer will absolutely cover this type of winter damage, it may result in a premium increase<\/a> or in more drastic situations, a non-renewal. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most insurance companies will raise your rates if you make a claim on your policy, especially if it is a large claim and in some cases they may refuse to renew your policy when the time comes if you have made numerous claims on your policy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Insurers keep detailed records and love statistics and the stats show that customers who make numerous claims are a much bigger risk, which translates into a much higher premium.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Every time you file a claim, your insurer makes a notation in the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange<\/a> (C.L.U.E.), which is a shared database that all insurers check before writing a new policy. If you end up with a number of claims on your record both your current insurer and others you might be shopping your coverage with may end up refusing to write a policy.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can have trouble finding a policy for up to three years if your C.L.U.E. report is less than stellar. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While each situation is different there are a few scenerios where it almost never makes sense to file a claim on your homeowners policy:<\/p>\n\n\n\n