What do you picture when you think of common home insurance claims? Most people imagine major disasters like a wildfire or tornado  – unpredictable events that are largely out of your hands. While those are certainly times when people want their insurance to come in and take care of things, the reality is that many claims are preventable.

Six percent of homes had a claim in 2020 according to Insurance Services Office (ISO). That year, 97.7% of claims were related to property damage resulting from wind, hail, water damage, freezing, fire, lightning, theft and uncategorized damage. While you can’t stop normal weather patterns, you can minimize the damage they can cause to your home.
Property damage claims are often the result of the homeowner’s actions or equipment. Think: overflowing sinks and burst pipes. In fact, most standard policy terms are more likely to cover these common home insurance claims than a once-in-a-lifetime flood. Flood damage caused by a natural event often requires the purchase of additional flood insurance.

While it sounds grim, look on the bright side: this means that some common home insurance claims are preventable with a little proactive work.