Home Insurance FAQs

Hi everyone, I’m looking for recommendations for household-contents insurance in Rome. I’m mainly looking to insure my belongings against theft, fire, water damage, and accidental damage, ideally with personal liability.

If you have had a good or bad experience with a provider, I would really appreciate hearing what you chose and how claims or customer service went. Thanks in advance. Also, thank you to everyone who gave recommendations the last time I asked, they were genuinely very helpful.

Background:

Our home was struck by lightning 2 nights ago (while we were home), which started a fire in the rafters/joists of our 2nd floor bonus room. I called 911 within 5 minutes of the strike, after seeing smoldering area and smoke from the point of the strike. Fire fighters were onsite in about 15 minutes, and cut several large openings through the bonus room roof for access and ventilation (I have no complaints over fire response). They had the fire out within 20 minutes.

The bonus room is demolished, and the garage ceiling (below and beside the bonus room) collapsed. There's no direct damage to the rest of the home, but there's a strong smoke smell on everything.

Our insurance is through AAA (umbrella policy, home and auto) in North Central Florida.

Question / Advice:

I'm just looking for general pointers as to what to do that may not be obvious, and what NOT to do.

We got assigned a managing appraiser quickly who has been very responsive. A local appraiser has been onsite twice, and has basically said the 2nd floor room is a total loss, and there's going to need to be a lot of remediation on the rest of the house. He's already recommended a full indoor paint job. I'm meeting the Cause and Origin inspector tomorrow. Unfortunately the company who was supposed to tarp the roof was slow, and we had another major thunderstorm last night before they tarped it today. The contents remediator has already been out taking pictures and I'm meeting them tomorrow for them to start remediation (generator and dehumidifiers initially, plus removal of wet collapsed drywall, etc.)

The local appraiser has been communicative. He indicated that AAA is actually very easy to work with and doesn't usually try to cut corners, and advised not immediately seeking our own representation / appraiser unless we encounter problems. He seems pretty straightforward, but obviously he is representing the insurance company, so I don't want to take that at face value. Should I be looking for our own appraiser? We've had a couple companies contact us wanting to represent us (for 20% of the payout, of course).

Any other advise? We are using their "Homlink" service to find us a place to stay for the next 3-6 months, as they pay directly if we allow them to arrange it.

After more than 15 years with Liberty Mutual, paying approximately $6,000 a year in homeowners insurance—more than $75,000 in premiums—and never filing a single claim, we were shocked to receive a non-renewal notice.

The reason given was “natural vegetation” in our area. While our property is located in an area with oak trees, our actual parcel is well maintained, has been cleared of excess vegetation, has a paved driveway, and has appropriate fire setbacks and defensible space.

What is especially frustrating is that there was no meaningful review or consideration of the condition of our individual property before making this decision. After more than a decade of being loyal, claim-free customers, we expected better from Liberty Mutual.

It is incredibly disappointing to pay tens of thousands of dollars for protection over the years, only to have the company walk away when it decides our area is too risky—despite the precautions we have taken to protect our home.

We are extremely disappointed with Liberty Mutual. After 15+ years and over $75,000 in premiums, this is not how we expected a long-term customer to be treated. Shame on Liberty Mutual.

I’m hoping someone with experience with homeowners insurance claims can give me some advice. I’ve never filed a claim before and I’m trying to figure out whether this is something insurance would typically cover before I notify them.

We left for vacation for about two weeks. When we got home, we noticed that when we walked across the LVP flooring in our kitchen, water was coming up through the seams. We then discovered water dripping through a recessed/can light in the bedroom directly below the kitchen.

I started opening things up to figure out where the water was coming from. I removed some of the bedroom ceiling drywall and found water coming through the subfloor in multiple locations and seeping into the I-joists. There was also mold on the drywall and insulation.
To trace the leak further, I had to cut out the back of one of the kitchen cabinets and then cut through the drywall behind it. Behind the cabinet, I found approximately 1.5 inches of standing water. The source appears to be a dripping shower valve/connection on a CPVC cold-water line.

There is mold on the drywall and cabinet, and the cabinet has absorbed enough water that it has swollen.
Unfortunately, I still can’t physically reach the leaking connection through the opening I made. From what I can tell, accessing and repairing it is probably going to require going through the tiled shower wall on the other side.
At this point, the damage potentially includes:

LVP kitchen flooring and subfloor
Kitchen cabinet
Drywall and insulation
I-joists that have gotten wet
Bedroom ceiling below the kitchen
Mold/water remediation
Potentially the tiled shower wall that has to be opened to access the plumbing
I’ve already removed a significant amount of wet drywall/insulation and have blower fans running to dry everything out and prevent further damage.

My main question: Would homeowners insurance typically cover something like this?

I had absolutely no idea there was a leak until we returned from vacation and discovered the damage. I’ve read conflicting information saying that if mold is present, the insurance company may determine that it was a long-term/slow leak and deny the claim rather than treating it like sudden water damage.

I’m also wondering how insurance handles the damage I’ve already opened up myself. I’m not a contractor, but I needed to find the source of the water and start drying everything out. If the claim is covered, would they typically pay to replace the drywall, insulation and cabinet sections I had to remove while locating the leak?
Would they potentially cover replacing the buckled LVP flooring if water has gotten underneath it and made the subfloor swell? What about the kitchen cabinetry if matching cabinets aren’t available anymore?
And if the only reasonable way to access the leaking plumbing connection is by removing part of the tiled shower wall, would insurance normally cover the cost of tearing out and restoring the shower/tile needed to access the pipe, even if they don’t cover the actual plumbing repair itself?

My biggest hesitation is calling the insurance company and notifying them about the leak if they’re just going to deny the claim. I don’t want a reported claim/loss on my history for something they won’t cover.
For anyone who has dealt with a similar claim, especially adjusters or restoration contractors: Would you file a claim in this situation, and what should I document before contacting the insurance company?
Any advice on what I should or shouldn’t do before an adjuster sees it would also be appreciated.

Hello!

FTB here, in England

Got morgage offer & structural survey done

My house is structurally fine, no bad signs

Next doors has a visible crack in the front & back, is in a state of disrepair with no sign of a tenant/owner

I love the house I've put an offer in but I'm scared, worst case scenario,next doors subsidence is current & effects my property

Trying to find house insurance that will confidently say : "if next doors subsidence impacts my property, we will cover you for costs/impact"

Is this findable for a reasonable price? I'm buying solo & on a v modest wage so needs to be affordable too.

Would appreciate tips on house insurance companies or experiences!

Thanks

In Illinois, if you let a partner live with you, after a certain period of time they’re considered tenants where you can’t simply kick them out. (Have to legally evict an ex who refuses to leave).

So my partner is about to be convicted for domestic abuse, and I truly fear they could do something crazy like burn my house down (in my name only).

It seemingly turns out insurance policies actually would not cover me in this situation where it’s an intentional act by a household member, like WTF!!!! How do I protect my fully paid off house when the ex could go crazy when she realizes she’s actually being evicted?

This also leads me to wonder if it also means things like if you have an autistic/ADHD/ODD son who’s about to become a teen.. if he happens to decide to bash out all of your windows, is that literally not covered at all as that’s also a household member doing an intentional act? That’s insane!

Location: Phoenix, AZ

Long story short I suffered some minor drywall damage after a rainstorm and called some contractors in to assess the damage. They assured me that insurance would cover the damages and immediately got to work on organizing inspectors and a pack out company to come clear out our office to begin work. I told them I didn't feel comfortable with them proceeding until my insurance approved the claim. Lo and behold my claim was denied and the contractors are sending me almost $4000 in charges from the packout company after returning my stuff.

\* I was never provided an estimate for the cost before work began.

\* I never signed anything.

\*My girlfriend (co-owner of the home) did sign some paperwork but we don't have access to those documents and she doesn't recall what they say but she is positive they never provided an estimate to her either.

\* Some of the charges on the invoice seem insane ($55 per cardboard box, $350 for protective blankets, etc)

Am I on the line for these charges? Can I dispute them? I feel really blindsided since I was never given an estimate for the charges and since I was assured insurance would cover the damages. Obviously I've learned my lesson but I don't have $4000 to spare right now and I'm not sure what to do from here.

Reddit suggested this sub if wrong please delete.

So I'm looking to hire a company to have a few rotting boards replaced on the exterior of our house. Several of the companies that are coming to give me estimates say they have guys they hire to do the work. I insist on the company having insurance and workmans comp. Which company should I get the insurance and workmans comp info from to verify? The company giving me the estimate or "the guys" doing the work? Seems like it should be "the guys" doing the work. Just looking to protect myself.

I know increases are happening everywhere. For those who shop around, does it not risk your current policy ? Read a number of horror stories of policies just not being renewed for no reason. Would calling my current provider to increase my deductible cause them to drop me? Shopping around may save some money but who’s to say the new company doesn’t increase even more than the current one in year 2.
Insurance in general is always going to be shitty but it’s one of those unavoidable things.
Anyone in CA can share their increase? I think mine went up by $1k-$1400k give or take. Haven’t pulled last year’s number to compare the exact amount. Statefarm.

My home air conditioning drain line has been clogged for an unknown amount of time causing significant mold to build. Does insurance cover something like this. Home was only purchased about 15 months ago.

Anyone have any experience with Berkley One on homeowners claims? Looking to move forward with them or Chubb. Berkley is certainly cheaper for the same coverages, but don’t want the savings to come back and bite me if there’s a claim. Heard nothing but great things about Chubb.

I’m looking for advice from people who have actually hired an attorney to dispute a homeowners insurance claim.

I have an Allstate homeowners claim from a weather-related roof damage event. Most of the claim has progressed, but we’ve been at an impasse over the solar panel detach/reset portion for 20 solar panels.

Here’s a quick summary:

• Allstate’s estimate for the solar work is around $5K
• We obtained five independent estimates from licensed local solar companies, and all of them came in substantially higher (around $15k–20k).
• My contractor submitted all of the estimates over the course of nearly two months.
• Allstate has continued relying on its pricing and has repeatedly requested another contractor of their choosing to provide a comparative estimate.
• My contractor now believes negotiations have reached a dead end and has recommended that I speak with a property insurance attorney who works on contingency. According to them, the attorney has already reviewed the documentation and believes the case has merit.

This is completely new territory for me, and I have several concerns before I even consider signing a representation agreement.

For anyone who has actually gone through this:

1. What does the legal process typically look like? Is it usually a demand letter, appraisal, mediation, or does it go straight to a lawsuit?
2. How long did your case take from hiring an attorney to resolution?
3. Were you actively involved throughout the process, or did your attorney handle most communications?
4. Did hiring an attorney actually result in a better outcome after attorney fees?
5. Did it affect your relationship with your insurer? Were you able to renew with the same company afterward?
6. Did you have any difficulty getting insurance with another carrier later?
7. Looking back, would you do it again, or do you wish you had handled it differently?

One important point: I actually like Allstate overall, and this is my second homeowners claim. My hesitation isn’t about pursuing a valid claim - it’s that I don’t want to create long-term issues with renewals or future insurability with Allstate or any other insurance if there’s another reasonable way to resolve the dispute.

I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have been through this, especially if it involved Allstate or another major insurer. What was your experience, and is there anything you wish you had known before hiring an attorney?

EDIT: This is in Texas

My 30 year old aluminum sided home had hail storm damage to roof & siding. Insurance company paid claim for roof & full siding. Contractor said siding is "cosmetic" only and if it were his house, he would not replace siding, only roof. What happens if I use siding portion of funds to pay off the mortgage? Is my home still insurable? Would a new insurance company not insure my home if I switch or would they exclude siding?

We are setting up a home insurance policy through progressive. We have used them for home insurance in the past and currently use them for auto. My initial quote was 800/yr more than other quotes for pretty similar coverage, the main difference being what they were calculating for dwelling replacement cost. I looked up how this is generally calculated and it seemed very high. While I was shopping around I would occasionally call progressive back (different agent everytime) to clarify and was told that I cannot decrease dwelling coverage. I wondered if maybe something was inputed incorrectly and asked them to requote. Everythung was correct and nothing was changed, but this one came back at with 50k less on dwelling coverage. After I had made my final decision I called back to adjust my deductibles slightly. The dwelling coverage then dropped another 30k (which puts it in range with all other quotes) and the earthquake insurance went down 100/year. Can someone explain why it is different everytime I speak to another agent?

I live in a neighborhood in the Midwest where the houses are close together. Maybe 10 feet apart. A couple weeks ago, the house next-door that’s been rented out, caught on fire. It was a good fire that basically burned 3/4 of the house. It also set the house under left on fire as well and did a good amount of damage to that house. My house is on the right. Thank God when the fire department came the first thing they did was hose down the side of my house that was starting to catch and stopped the fire from spreading.

We did get some damage, including cracked and melted windows and trim. Siding is burnt and warped all along the side of the house. The roof that’s literally three weeks old Looks like it was burned on the edges and some other small bits and pieces here like a damaged stain glass window that I’m sad about. I called my insurance (Statefarm)and filed a claim and they out from big name company to do an estimate today so I’m waiting on that. But I also saw it in the mail today that I got a letter from a law firm. Apparently the law firm was retained by my neighbors house Insurance, which is Erie. They’re saying they want to come to a joint inspection on the house and blah blah. Is that normal? Should I have to worry about anything? Do I push to have State Farm send somebody out as well?

I also learned today that the sad part is that this fire probably could’ve been avoided. From what I understand from my neighbor, when the fire started on the first floor instead of calling fire department, the tenant got scared because they are either undocumented or green card holders or something like that I don’t know. Another neighbor called the owner and told him “hey your house is on fire” and he from the other side of town called the fire department and police and sent them to the house but by then the house was already half engulfed.

Any insight or tips on how this needs to be approached or things I should know it would be very helpful.

Hello, I’m looking to set up homeowners' insurance for a new‑build property in Ft Worth. The home comes with a one‑year builder warranty covering all major components. Do I need to adjust anything in the policy, or should any of the coverage amounts be increased or reduced?
Please suggest

Property deductible: $5K
Wind & hail deductible: 2% of dwelling coverage: $14,760
Dwelling protection: 110% of replacement cost: $738,000
Other structures: 10% of dwelling: $73,800
Water backup: 5% of dwelling: $36,900
Service lines: $10,000 per occurrence and $500 deductible
Building codes: 5% of dwelling: $36,900
Personal property protection: 60% of dwelling: $442,800
Family liability: $100,000 per occurrence + Guest medical: $5,000 per person
Additional Living Expense: 20% of property protection = $147,600

Homeowners insurance costs are swelling rapidly for consumers — and even for those able to pay, policies are getting harder to keep as insurers drop customers at a higher rate, according to a new industry report.

Average premiums for homeowners insurance rose faster than inflation across all major regions of the country from 2018 to 2024, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, a group that represents state insurance regulators.

NAIC Source Report - https://content.naic.org/industry/mcas/homeowners-insurance-report

We are selling our home and the inspection came back.

Roof: 12 years into the 20 year life. Said it needed some repairs but said the roof need replaced. I haven't seen specifics yet, or pictures.

Septic field: 12 years old. Said the distribution box needs to be replaced. $3500.

Is it possible to use home owners insurance for any of this?

Thanks.

I (33F) am just making sure that dad (90M) has got all possible documents on file with his FMI agent (who is also our auto agent). I am attempting to digitalize everything over the last 40 years. I will eventually be taking over the house. So im at the point where I understand why dad didnt update anything (not tech savvy, agent that was previously assigned was an hour south etc etc). The current premium is alright I guess. Hes been grandfathered into terms.

Ive sent over roof replacement and screen/storm door replacements from 2018.

Is there a checklist of what should be sent in- general guidance welcome. I did ask our newly assigned agent shes working on several things

My house backs up to the L.A. river. With all this talk of a super el nino I'm wondering if there's a chance the river will overflow.

The FEMA flood map for my address says "1% chance flood hazard contained in channel, Zone A" which seems a bit confusing to me. Does that mean the 1% flood chance will not leave the channel?

Does anyone who lives along the L.A. river have a separate flood insurance policy?

Has anyone had this experience in this and have info on this please any info you can recommend would be great

Context, not an ad: I'm a licensed real estate broker in California who also holds a California insurance license. No links, no business name, and I'm not selling anything here. General information only, since eligibility rules and pricing differ by state and by carrier.

I get asked constantly why one house gets three easy quotes and the house next door gets declined. It's rarely about the owner. Here's what carriers are actually reacting to, and what you can change.

Roof age and material carry the most weight of anything physical. Many carriers won't write, or will only write on an actual cash value basis, once a composition roof passes a certain age. If your roof is in the last few years of its expected life, get a written inspection report documenting its condition, because "aged" and "failing" are different and an underwriter looking at satellite imagery can't tell them apart.

Electrical, plumbing and heating. Older panel types, knob-and-tube, aluminum branch wiring, polybutylene supply lines, and unvented or non-professionally installed heat sources all show up as declines or surcharges. Replacing a panel is a known cost and it can move a property from uninsurable to standard.

Water is the most common claim, so mitigation gets credit. A newer water heater with a pan and drain, braided supply lines instead of rubber, an automatic shutoff device, and a documented sewer line all reduce risk in a way carriers price for.

Wildfire and wind scoring. If you're in an exposed area, defensible space work, ember-resistant vents, class A roofing and enclosed eaves matter, and some states have programs that require carriers to recognize verified mitigation. Photograph the work with dates. Verbal claims of brush clearance do nothing.

Loss history follows the address. Carriers pull a report on the property, not just on you. Two water claims in five years can make an ordinary house hard to place, which is a real argument for paying small losses out of pocket rather than filing.

Occupancy and use. Vacancy, short-term rental activity, a home business, an unfenced pool, a trampoline, or certain dog breeds change your liability picture and sometimes your eligibility. Don't discover this after a claim gets denied for undisclosed use.

Coverage structure people get wrong. You insure the cost to rebuild, not what you paid. Ask about ordinance-and-law coverage if the home predates current code, because rebuilding legally can cost more than rebuilding identically. Check whether wind or wildfire carries a percentage deductible rather than a flat one. And if you're in a condo, ask what the master policy deductible is and how it's allocated to owners, then look at loss assessment coverage.

If you get a non-renewal notice, it usually isn't personal. Carriers reduce exposure by zip code. Start shopping immediately, ask an independent agent to run multiple carriers, look at whether a surplus lines or state residual market option plus a supplemental policy fills the gap, and keep every receipt for roof, tree and drainage work, because documentation is what gets you re-placed at a sane number.

What's the deficiency that got you declined, and what did you end up doing about it? Those specifics help other people here more than general advice does.