If you own a house, you will want your broken window fixed immediately. Your home insurance provider can be the first person you call. However, does your home insurance coverage include window damage?

A house insurance policy could cover broken windows, but it will depend on the exact source of the damage. You might have coverage if a hailstorm or a fallen tree smashed your window. However, your house insurance won't assist you in covering the cost of repairs if your window breaks because it's old.

Before you buy a policy, read the fine print in your insurance contract to find out what is and isn't covered. Almost all insurance plans share some coverage.

How Does Home Insurance Cover Broken Windows?

Homeowners' insurance policies often cover several categories. Broken window coverage may come under your liability policy, other structure coverage, or dwelling coverage, depending on the extent of the damage.

Dwelling coverage: This coverage would extend to windows that are a structural component of your home.

Other structure coverage: You would file a claim under this coverage if the damaged window is on a different structure on your property. This can be a detached garage or storage shed.

Liability coverage: If you or a family member destroys someone else's window, you are covered under liability coverage.

Broken Windows And Home Insurance

The best hint as to when and how your damage could be covered depends on the cause of your broken window. Home insurance does not cover routine maintenance concerns, but it does cover unexpected, abrupt damage. The coverage depends on the circumstances surrounding the incident.

Circumstances When Home Insurance Covers Broken Windows

If a risk covered by your home insurance breaks your window, your insurance provider will assist in covering the cost of the repairs. There are two types of homeowner's insurance: named peril and open peril. If your policy is open-peril, it should cover window damage from any peril not excluded from coverage. A named-risk policy pays for losses brought on by any peril the policy names.

Because a named-peril policy identifies the precise risks it covers, it provides more limited protection. Your window is covered if it breaks due to a risk specified in the policy. These risks include smoke and fire, thunderstorms, hail and windstorms, vandalism, damage from a car or airplane, or falling items.

Other homeowner's plans include open-perils coverage, also known as all-risk policies. They offer protection against any danger if it isn't included as an exclusion. While standard exclusions may differ, most all-risk plans do not cover damage from deliberate actions, earthquakes, floods, war, and other disasters.

Circumstances When Home Insurance Doesn't Cover Broken Windows

Home insurance offers protection against unforeseen and unexpected harm. It excludes normal wear and tear that causes structural issues such as decay. Your insurance company may refuse to pay for a rotten window if it developed because of carelessness. The expense of repairs is also on you when window seals fail over time because of wear and tear since they are categorized as routine maintenance.

Not all cases of unexpected, unintentional damage are covered by homeowners insurance. For example, most plans do not cover accidental damage you inflict on your home. You will most likely have to pay for anything that happens to your child when they toss a ball through your house window or if you accidentally break a window pane.

Home insurance does not cover routine maintenance problems or window wear and tear. So, maintain your windows well to avoid any issues, as you will pay for repairs or replacements if a window breaks due to improper upkeep.

How Deductibles Work For Broken Windows?

You'll have to pay a deductible before any damaged window coverage begins. A deductible is the amount you must pay toward a covered claim before your insurance company pays the remaining balance.

Your insurance provider will not pay you if the window repair costs less than your deductible. There are also relevant coverage restrictions under your insurance. This implies that your coverage will only cover repairs for a certain kind of loss up to the policy maximum.

Looking For Homeowners Insurance?

Your home insurance contributes to the cost of repairing damage caused by wind, theft, fire, hail, and vandalism. You can submit a homeowners insurance claim on your dwelling policy if, for example, hail breaks one of your window panes. Call us today, and we'll set up coverage for you. Consult with our knowledgeable insurance representatives for expert help.