Homeowners Insurance Could Cover A Damaged Chimney

Homeowner’s insurance is a good thing to have in many scenarios. A lot of the chimney repair and rebuilding work we do at Felgemacher Masonry & Chimney for our Buffalo and Rochester-area customers is part of insurance claims. We also do a lot of work on chimneys damaged by events and circumstances not covered by insurance.

If your chimney isn’t functioning correctly or is in a potentially dangerous state, it doesn’t matter what caused it or who’s going to pay for it. What matters is that you get the problem resolved as quickly as possible.

Chimney Damage Typically Covered by Homeowner’s Insurance

Damage-causing events that your homeowner policy should cover include:

• Lightning strikes
• Falling trees/branches
• High-force wind storms and hail
• Earthquakes
• Chimney fires

Reasons for Damage that Usually Aren’t Covered

A chimney can suffer damage for many reasons. While some of these reasons are unexpected singular events, others are long-term issues that could have been prevented at many stages along the way.

A leaky chimney, for example, can eventually lead to serious structural damage that requires some level of chimney rebuilding. If your chimney is leaning or has partially or completely collapsed due to years of neglected water-damage, your insurance provider will not pay to have the situation resolved.

When you’re in doubt about what kinds of chimney damage are and aren’t covered by your insurance provider, read your policy. If the wording is confusing or vague, contact your provider for clarification.

Having Your Chimney Repaired

Whether or not the trouble with your chimney is covered by insurance, hiring a reputable company to do the repairs is critically important. By “reputable,” we mean several things:

• Proven experience in successfully completing the kind of chimney repairs you need
• Licensed to do business in your area
• Chimney Safety Institute of America (CSIA) ownership and other important hearth-industry memberships and credentials
• Fully insured, to cover their work
• Able to perform chimney repair or chimney rebuilding projects so that they meet all local fire safety and building codes
• Able to produce a result that is not only functionally sound but also aesthetically pleasing

Getting Quotes for Chimney Repair Work

If you’re filing a claim with your insurance provider, you’ll likely be required to get more than one quote or estimate for the repair project. If you’re handling the repairs yourself, you also should get several quotes and use the above checklist in evaluating potential providers.

The chimney technicians at Felgemacher are always available to provide not only additional estimates for work but also second opinions on the work required. You may have met with a chimney company rep that didn’t instill confidence in you, and you may wonder if all the tasks he or she quoted are actually necessary. We’ll give you an objective appraisal that comes from nearly 70 years in the New York chimney and masonry business.

The Job Done Right Is Job #1

No matter what kind of chimney damage you’re experiencing, and whether or not it’s covered by insurance, our team will do the repairs right the first time and make your chimney once again efficient to use and safe for your home and family.

Speak with a chimney expert at (716) 907-4914 in the Buffalo, NY, area or (585) 308-4914 in and around Rochester, NY.

Felgemacher ownership holds CSIA chimney sweep certification and maintains memberships in the National Chimney Sweep Guild, the New York State Chimney Sweep Guild and the National Fireplace Institute.