The Dangers of DIY and Home Insurance

The Dangers of DIY and Home Insurance

DIY might seem like the easiest way to go in many instances. If you can do it yourself, why would you pay to hire a professional contractor? The reality is that DIY may end up costing you more on home insurance – and understanding this will make it easier to determine how you want to approach various projects within your home.

Electrical Problems

Any time you are working with electrical, whether it is wiring, circuits, outlets, or anything else, it’s best to work with a professional electrician. You don’t want to experience electrical problems that could lead to short-circuit or even a fire. Your home insurance might not cover a claim based upon how the fire started – such as something that you did.

Flooding

Many homeowners have experienced floods in their kitchens, bathrooms, and in other areas because of a DIY plumbing repair. They think that they have everything fixed, and then all of a sudden a pipe breaks. Flooding from plumbing issues are rarely covered on home insurance policies. You don’t want to be the reason for damaging your home. It’s best to work with a professional plumber who is licensed and experienced with a variety of plumbing issues.

Poor Workmanship

Electrical and plumbing aren’t the only areas where poor workmanship can affect your home insurance. You may decide to take the DIY approach with your roof, siding, concrete driveway, or in various other areas. Poor workmanship can lead to damages and it may also void warranties that you have in place on certain things within your home.

Any time that there is damage to your home, a home inspection is conducted as part of the investigation before an insurance company decides to pay the claim. If they determine that some of the damage is a result of poor workmanship, it could impact the amount of money that you get from the insurance company – if anything.

Lack of Permits

Many DIY-ers also failed to pull permits when they do work themselves. You don’t want to run into this situation because if you have any kind of work done to your home where there is no permit, it will not be covered on a home insurance policy.

Before you try and do any DIY work, it’s best to talk with your home insurance company. You don’t want to avoid any warranties or do anything that could prevent you from being able to file an insurance claim now or down the road.

It’s also important to work with an independent insurance agent who specializes in home insurance. It will allow you to get the necessary coverage on your home in Florida so that you have less to worry about throughout the year.