Renovations, Upgrades and Your Tennessee Homeowners’ Insurance Policy
You’ve been staring at that ugly Formica countertop since you bought this house and it’s finally time to do something about it. Maybe the roof shingles are on their last legs, and it’s time to replace them once and for all. Perhaps a surprise bonus from work means the inground pool your family has dreamed about for years. Or you love your house, but a new baby on the way means it’s finally time to convert that basement into a real living area. Whatever your reasons, home renovations and upgrades can be incredibly satisfying. They can also cause issues with your insurance policy. Certain projects are more likely to affect your coverage than others, and we wanted to go through a few of them with you, in case you have a remodel in your future.
- New roofs. One of the best investments you can make is the purchase of a new roof before it leaks or leads to damage to the inside of tour home. You need to tell your insurer that you’re having the work done, though, so your policy can be adjusted.
- An above ground pool probably isn’t considered a permanent structure – but you still need to tell your insurance company you have one, and your policy will change to reflect additional coverage in the event of an injury. In-ground pools are an even bigger issue. Many policies will not cover pool with diving boards or slides, so if you want to install either of those, you need to A) first find out if it will be covered, and then B) inform your agent.
- New additions. If your home is expanding, your policy needs to expand along with it. Make sure to tell your agent exactly what kind of room(s) you’re building, too. A bedroom or a den requires electricity, while a new kitchen or bathroom will mean changes to the plumbing and gas lines, too.
- A home office. Most homeowners’ policies do not cover damage or loss to your business, even if that business is run from a home office. You should sit down with your agent and review your policy entirely if you plan on building a full home office onto your home, or even in a separate building on your property, in order to make sure you are appropriately covered.
Any time you make major changes to the layout of your home or your land, it’s a good idea to run them by your agent. You want your policy to cover what you have, not what you used to have. You should also request a new, updated version of your policy and any paperwork you need to fill out once everything is said and done.
At the Gilbert Firm, we help uphold the rights of policyholders in disputes and bad faith actions. To learn more about how we can help, or to work with an experienced Tennessee insurance dispute attorneys such as Clint Scott, Brandon McWherter or Jonathan Bobbitt, please call us at 731-664-1340, or fill out our contact form. We proudly serve clients in Nashville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Jackson, Knoxville and throughout the state.
Since its inception, the Tennessee-based law firm of McWherter Scott & Bobbitt has focused its representation on cases involving a broad range of insurance matters. We represent claimants and insureds who suffer damage due to natural disasters, fires, theft, vandalism, and other reasons. Learn More