Home Insurance in Penn Hills, PA

The Importance of Home Insurance in Penn Hills, PA

Bordered by the Allegheny River and home to several gorgeous streams, Penn Hills is home to just over 40,000 people, of which many are young, married couples with children. The small town offers good schools and low crime, not to mention affordable housing. Residents spend a median price of $150,000 on homes and are close enough to Pittsburgh to enjoy a wide range of events and culture, making the area very popular for those who want affordable housing without completely giving up city life. Of course, purchasing the right home insurance in Penn Hills, PA, is essential.

What Home Insurance Covers

Home insurance in Penn Hills, PA, typically includes several types of coverage in one umbrella policy. Naturally, the policy covers the repair or reconstruction of your home in the event of a natural disaster or other unexpected problem. You'll be able to choose whether to accept the replacement cost or the actual cash value of the home if you need to file a claim. The replacement cost is how much it costs to rebuild your home, and your insurance should typically cover about 80% of that. The actual cash value is often smaller than the replacement cost, as deductions are made for wear and tear.

In addition to your home itself, your insurance policy covers other structures on your property, such as garages, barns, or fencing. Typically, the coverage is 10% of the overall policy, which means that a $200,000 policy will pay 20% toward repairing unattached structures. It also provides loss of use coverage in case your home becomes unlivable for a period of time. Your policy will pay for rent, utilities, and sometimes other costs while you wait for repairs to be completed.

Your Insurance Protects More Than the Structures

Structures aren't all that's covered. Personal property, personal liability, and medical payments are also part of your home insurance policy. Your furniture, clothing, appliances, electronics, jewelry, and family heirlooms are insured for about 10% (or up to $1,000) on most policies. This is acceptable for average possessions, but if you have family heirlooms for high-end items, you may need to purchase additional coverage. 

Personal liability and medical payments protect people. Say someone steps in a giant hole in your yard and breaks an ankle. Perhaps you're walking your dog off your property and he gets spooked and bites someone. Liability and medical payments protect you. Personal liability is available to keep you from being sued in court, while medical payments pay for the cost of care for the injured people. However, medical payments may only be $1,000 on a homeowner's policy, so consider adding more coverage. 

What Home Insurance Doesn't Cover

Home insurance in Penn Hills, Pennsylvania, covers a lot of situations, but it doesn't provide protection from everything, not even every natural disaster. Most home insurance policies do not provide protection from earthquakes, even in states that are prone to them. While Pennsylvania isn't prone to earthquakes, the state isn't immune to them. If you worry about earthquake damage, you'll need an additional policy.

Flooding also isn't often covered in homeowner's policies, especially if the flooding could have been avoiding by waterproofing a basement or performing pipe maintenance. Penn Hills sits near a river and has several streams flowing through it, so be sure to ask us how we can provide the best flood protection for you. 

Finally, your coverage doesn't provide financing for natural wear and tear. If the roof needs to be replaced or your siding is looking a little dull, you'll need to cover it out of pocket. However, if a tornado takes your roof, or if your siding is melted due to someone else's house fire, your policy will cover it.

This information is intended for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice.