What is going to happen when all this snow melts?

Eventually, all this snow that has been on the ground since late December is going to melt. Then it will get interesting around these parts. Not only will we be faced with a lot of leaky roofs, there will be an excess of surface water that will unfortunately find it's way into many of our basements.

The $64,000 question is "will my NJ Homeowners policy cover the water damage I may incur?" Unfortunately, there is not a broad-brush answer for everyone. A lot depends on what type of Homeowners coverage you have. Bill Wilson (bill.wilson@iiaba.net) the director of the Big “I” Virtual University, recently provided a great article on the subject that you can read online.

As Mr. Wison points out the traditional NJ Homeowners policy excludes water damage from ground surface water. It also excludes damage from Flood waters as well. Your policy has to be properly endorsed to provide protection from damage occurring from surface waters. Additionally, a Flood policy will only provide protection from tidal surge damage.

You can check to see if your New Jersey Homeowners insurance policy is up to date with a free review from Eastern Insurors. Eastern Insurors can save you money with competitive NJ insurance rates. An independent insurance agent like Eastern Insurors can help you determine the price, coverage and service that best meets your needs. Visit our website, call us at 800.269.3203 or email us at info@insurance-nj.com for a free, no-obligation insurance review with premiums from over 15 insurance companies.