Solar panels are a great idea and a very good investment when it comes to saving on power bills. While you might think they are expensive, they will quickly pay for themselves by reducing your power bills. However, just like with any investment, you will likely want to protect the system. So, can you cover your south Texas solar systems, or are they covered as soon as they are installed? Will they affect the price of your current home insurance policy? We have created a guide on how solar panels affect home insurance to help you answer that exact question.
Are solar panels affected by home insurance?
First off, we need to answer whether solar panels are covered by home insurance. And the simple answer is yes, but there’s a bit more to it than that. Generally speaking, as long as the solar panel system is attached to your home, they’re covered under the dwelling section of a homeowner’s policy. The catch is that you’ll only receive coverage if a covered peril damages the panels. If your solar panels are damaged by hail or a fire, they will likely be covered. However, they won’t be protected from wear and tear, earthquakes, or flooding; you’ll need separate insurance for those threats. Remember that you can always review your insurance policy or ask your insurer if solar panels are covered. And if you’re interested in south Texas solar systems, remember to look into residential solar services near you.
Do solar panels increase the price of home insurance?
Most homeowner’s insurance policies are based on the total value of your home, so they can adequately cover the property. However, this means that having solar panels does increase the price of home insurance, as it increases the value of your home. As such, you will have to increase your insurance policy to match your home’s new value. As such, it’s essential to reach out to your insurance company and inform them about the new system. This will help the insurance company re-rate your current policy and help you determine if you need additional coverage.
Additionally, if you’re planning to move soon, remember to talk to your movers about insurance policies. Solar panels are easily damaged during transit, and you want to make sure they’re covered, especially when moving long distances. Besides, it would help if you made it your task to find the finest long-distance movers Texas offers. This will allow you to keep your belongings safe once you transfer across the state.
How solar panels affect home insurance cost
Solar energy systems attached to your home are considered permanent attachments; as such, the cost of insuring them is usually included in your homeowner’s coverage. However, what will change is the coverage limit of your insurance policy. This means that you will need to make sure your policy limit is high enough to cover both damages to your solar panels and damage to your home. You should consider severe damage or even a complete replacement of your solar power system. So, it would help if you increased your coverage limit to fit your solar panel system, as they add a lot of value to your home. Thankfully, this shouldn’t increase the premium on the coverage too much. However, remember to think about how to protect your solar panels from theft. This is because insurance policies don’t usually account for the theft of south Texas solar systems
Roof damage from installation
One of the reasons you should only rely on experts to install solar panels is that inexperienced contractors can damage your roof. And, generally speaking, insurance policies don’t account for contractors damaging your home. This means that you would have to pay out of pocket for repairing any roof damage caused by this. The only way to make sure that your home is protected from this is to contact your insurer and ask. However, you can easily avoid this problem entirely by working with a reputable installation company. Experts will know how to handle the installation process properly and prevent damage to your roof. Now think about it – when moving, you would contact a reliable professional such as heavenlymove.com to help you with the transfer of your items, right? There’s no reason why you shouldn’t resort to professionals when installing your solar panels. We recommend you always look at all available reviews before deciding on a company, no matter what kind of service you are looking for. Additionally, always ask a contractor to show you their proof of insurance and licenses before hiring them.
Getting additional insurance for solar panels
You will need additional coverage or an entirely different insurance policy to cover your solar panels in certain situations. This is the case when your solar power system isn’t connected directly to your home’s roof. For example, if you have a ground-mounted solar system or if it’s wall mounted on a separated surface, also, you will need additional coverage if the system is attached to a carport. And while a homeowner’s policy typically covers solar panels connected to your home, insurance companies tend to handle things differently. The best way to figure out if you need additional insurance is to contact your insurer and ask. Increasing coverage or getting an entirely different insurance policy can be difficult, so always ask before you do anything. Additionally, remember to think about maintaining your solar panels. Just like when installing them, only rely on experts to maintain your solar panels.
How solar panels affect home insurance – wrap up
Solar panels can affect your home insurance policy in different ways. Of course, the exact details are different from company to company, but generally speaking, there will always be some differences. The particularities of your insurance also depend on the way the solar panels are installed, so the only accurate way to know is to ask your insurer. Of course, getting south Texas solar systems installed is still an excellent investment in the long run. We hope you found this explanation of how solar panels affect home insurance informative.