The rain returns

It's been an overly dry winter here in southern California this year. Apparently, all the rain is going north through Washington and Oregon this winter. But, I woke up this morning and looked at the weather forecast and it basically showed rain every day for the next week. Uhm, it would have been nice to spread this out a bit. 
Inevitably when the rain starts coming insurance companies start getting calls about leaky roofs. I had one customer who I was trying to insure and he was quick to point out all his water damaged walls. He then went on to ask if those would be covered by his new home insurance policy. At that point I had to let him know that we wouldn't be able to issue a policy until he repaired or replaced his roof. And, if we did insure his home any pre existing damage would not be covered. 
There are a few things to know about water damage. The first is that if you have a bad roof and it leaks no insurance company is going to cover the damage. It is the homeowners responsibility to make sure they maintain the house properly. That means if you need a new roof you put one on the house. And insurance companies can tell if a leak is new or it has been there for awhile. 
Almost all my insurance companies will do some sort of a home inspection. They will either do an exterior to look at your roof and the surrounding areas. In some cases they will also do an interior inspection. After the inspection is completed if they find something they don't like they can cancel the policy. All home insurance companies have 60 days to cancel a new business policy in California. Most of the time however they will send a letter telling you what needs to be corrected and by what date it should be done. 
The important thing to remember is that a better maintained home will usually have less risk for insurance claims. Insurance companies understand that and if they find a home that is in disrepair they will often send a notice stating the policy will be cancelled. If you have any questions about how your home insurance inspection works call your agent or give us a call at 951-395-0754.