Keep Your Homeowners Insurance Current: A Pre-Disaster Checklist

Review Your Policy Every Year - Not Just When You Renew

Most homeowners treat their insurance policy like a set-it-and-forget-it document. They sign up when they buy the house, pay the premium automatically, and never look at the details again. Then a pipe bursts or a storm takes off part of the roof - and they discover their coverage hasn't kept up with their home.

Make a habit of reviewing your policy once a year. Your annual renewal notice is a natural trigger. The goal: understand what you have, identify gaps, and make updates before you need to file a claim.

Make Sure Home Improvements Are Covered

Did you finish the basement? Add a deck? Renovate the kitchen? Every significant improvement you make to your home increases its replacement value - and your coverage should reflect that. If you've done major work since you last updated your policy, call your agent and report it. Underinsurance is a real risk: if your home is insured for less than its actual replacement cost, you'll pay the difference out of pocket after a major loss.

Understand the Water Damage vs. Flood Coverage Distinction

This is one of the most consequential things to understand about your policy, and most homeowners don't know it until they file a claim.

Water damage from internal sources - burst pipes, appliance failures, overflowing toilets - is generally covered by your standard homeowner's policy. Flood damage from external sources - rising groundwater, overflowing rivers, storm runoff entering your home - is not covered by a standard policy. It requires a separate flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or a private carrier.

In Utah, homeowners near rivers or in low-lying areas along the Wasatch Front should ask their agent whether flood insurance makes sense. Even outside of designated flood zones, spring runoff and heavy summer storms can push water into basements.

Ask What IS and ISN'T Covered Before You Need to Know

Call your insurance agent and ask these questions now:

• Is mold remediation covered if it results from a covered water event?
• What's my coverage limit for personal property (contents)?
• Do I have sewer backup/sump pump overflow coverage? (Often a separate endorsement)
• Is my detached garage, shed, or outbuilding covered?
• What's my deductible for wind or hail claims? (Some policies have a separate, higher deductible for these)

Getting answers now costs nothing. Finding out you don't have coverage while you're standing in two inches of water is a very different experience.

Ask About Ordinance and Law Coverage

This one is rarely discussed but matters a lot - especially in older Utah homes. After a major loss, your insurer will pay to restore your home to its pre-loss condition. But if building codes have changed since your home was built, restoring to "pre-loss condition" may not be enough to pass a current inspection. You may be required to bring electrical, plumbing, or structural systems up to current code - and that extra cost isn't covered by a basic policy.

Ordinance and law coverage covers the additional cost of rebuilding to current code standards after a covered loss. Many older Utah homes - particularly those built before the 1990s - benefit significantly from this endorsement.

Document Your Belongings

Your personal property coverage is only as good as your ability to prove what you owned. Before a disaster, document your belongings:

• Walk through your home with your phone and record a video of every room, opening drawers and closets
• Note high-value items specifically: electronics, jewelry, art, collectibles, tools
• Store receipts for major purchases if you have them
• Back the video and documentation up to cloud storage - not just a local hard drive that could be destroyed in the same event

This documentation speeds up claims, prevents disputes, and ensures you're compensated for what you actually had.

Understand Your Deductible

Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks in. Know your number - and make sure you actually have that amount accessible in an emergency. Also understand that some policies have separate, higher deductibles for specific types of claims like wind and hail. Read the declarations page carefully.

Keep Digital Copies of Your Policy

Store your policy documents somewhere you can access them if your home is damaged or uninhabitable - email them to yourself, store them in cloud storage, or keep copies with a trusted family member. The last thing you need after a disaster is hunting for paperwork in a damaged home.

When Disaster Strikes, Five Point Works With Your Insurance

Five Point Restoration works directly with all major insurance carriers in Utah. We handle documentation, line-item scoping, and adjuster coordination - so you can focus on your family while we handle the claim. In most cases, you only pay your deductible.

Call us at 801-566-1577 - we respond the same day, 24/7, anywhere on the Wasatch Front.