Does Insurance Cover Siding Damage? - Feldco Factory Direct

Siding is not only a necessary element of your home’s exterior, it protects it from the elements and insulates it for optimal energy conservation, it also functions as the overall aesthetic of your home. then a storm can come and wreak havoc on your siding, punching holes from fallen and cracked branches and shattering panels with flying debris causing damage to the siding.

Reading: How to get siding replaced by insurance

Homeowners are left scratching their heads over what to do next, and if this sounds similar to the mess you’re in, you might be left wondering if your siding insurance will cover horrendous damage inflicted on your siding.

a common mishap in siding insurance coverage

Not all siding is created equal, meaning your house could be older. How many homeowners in the United States have a brand new house, built in the last five years or so? the answer is: not many. For the vast majority of homeowners, their homes were probably built in the 1920s and beyond, sometimes even earlier, so for them that means siding that’s definitely not new.

There is a good chance that in these older homes, the siding was never updated and was installed on the home over the original frame at a time when vinyl siding was in its heyday. Vinyl peaked in the market in the 1960s and 1970s. Although its original debut was about a decade earlier, in the 1950s, it became a profitable replacement for aluminum siding.

Back then, homeowners were thrilled with this cheaper, yet durable siding alternative for their siding. As a result, many older homes keep this same vinyl siding originally installed to this day.

For insurance purposes, this presents a bit of a problem. Sure, it’s a testament to the siding’s longevity through decades of storms and outdoor elements. however, when panels are defeated by wind, hail, or whatever else mother nature throws at them, insurance companies are tasked with trying to replace this original siding.

matching liner insurance and how it works

The bottom line is that what is covered in your insurance policy is probably common damage-causing perils like: wind, hail, fire, tornadoes and, if you’re on the coast, hurricanes or tropical storms. while your liner is technically covered for these cases, your insurance company might have this problem of not being able to locate the proper liner to replace it. what does this mean to you then?

This is a common problem for homeowners and thus begins a long search, sometimes months, to try to find a siding that matches. insurance companies may try to convince homeowners to settle on what they think is a “close enough” match, but now the house has mismatched siding that can be detrimental to the aesthetics of the house.

It’s not just about the look of the house, either. having two different types of siding on a house will hurt the resale value, reducing its curb appeal. Not only is this something potential homebuyers will notice, but if they don’t, the home inspector certainly will.

If you’ve put work into your house, you don’t want the fact that your insurance company was too cheap to match your siding to your house.

Because this is a common problem, insurance companies introduced matching siding insurance, allowing homeowners a better deal by matching siding when faced with damage from a listed common peril cause and covered by your policy. insurance companies will cover the cost of replacing damaged sections and then reimburse homeowners up to a certain amount, say around $20,000, of the costs to replace the undamaged siding so that the entire house matches.

Please note that insurance companies will not replace your old siding due to normal wear and tear. If you move into a house and notice some scratches and puncture marks on the siding, you probably can’t make a claim for it and expect to get all new siding for your house.

Please read your policy carefully, as it will likely tell you that for siding insurance coverage, the damage must be caused by one of the listed common perils, which are usually weather related.

the insurance covers damage to the cladding

Yes, homeowners insurance policies cover siding damage, but reading the fine print, most of them only cover the siding that was damaged, so homeowners could end up with siding that does not match.

If your policy is generous, the insurance company may reimburse you up to a certain dollar amount to replace your entire home for matching siding to maintain your home’s value. Otherwise, you may have to work to prove that by having mismatched siding, your insurance company is reducing the home’s resale value.

start with feldco for your next siding project

If a storm has just damaged your home, you may be looking for new siding. Feldco has been trusted on thousands of siding projects throughout the Midwest. get started with a free quote today.