Home Owner's increases by $245/year w/woodstove!

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USAA gets a good reputation (VERY few complaints). But it's US Armed Service members only.
 
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I've got USAA and replaced a pellet stove with a wood stove. I called and specifically asked if it's covered, if it needs to be inspected, etc. The guy told me no, nothing changes because my insurance already lists my primary heat as wood. I installed my stove myself.

I also have USAA and am just putting one in. They said no increase even though my primary is/was forced air. Can't wait to get back to wood heat!!!
 
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I just called my state farm agent today. The want pictures and some information. They're also send a check sheet to be filled out. They said it'll be a $40 increase, I can live with that.
 
Yup, sent pictures of my in ground pool diving board...premium up $135. I call it "low hanging fruit". Alternate is to shop but will require an inspection. Is the roof 100%, are there hand rails on all steps to the approach of the house, are all decks in place, is the fence around the pool adequate (I live on a 10 acre hilltop), sure, ducks can get through my gate, I'm screwed.
 
I thought to get insurance today you needed a automatic heating system to be the primary heat. The stove is a backup heat source, right?
 
Never saw a rate change with Allstate as place had a smoke dragon when we bought it.
Same here, but not primary heat. Just threatening to change carriers has dropped both my auto and home insurance, but it's trick you can only do every few years. Luckily my allstate agents keep retiring, so I 'threaten' each replacement agent that I'm moving to Geico unless they can drop their rates.

TE
 
State Farm here said no increase for us because it is an insert to an existing fireplace. However, a free standing stove with flue up through the house would be $50/yr more. Primary heat indicates natural gas, but at this time it is only used if we leave house more that 24 hous.
 
We had to switch over to State Farm when we moved into our new home heated solely with a wood stove. Their only concern was our approximate distance from the nearest fire department.

wow, my state farm agent told me they wouldnt insure me period if i had a wood stove or wood furnace, was one of the reasons i switched companies.
 
No I increase for pellet insert today from Liberty Mutual. Actually went down after profile updated.
 
Going from a cosmetic/ recreational fireplace to a secondary/ backup cord wood stove Geico charges me and extra $50 per year.
 
It seems like insurance companies in the USA take it easier on wood burners than those of us north of the border. My rate went up $90 as well which wasn't bad but that's supplemental burning only.
 
I called my State Farm insurance agent today for my stove I'm getting installed and I was told that it would increase my rate by $20 a year. They just need to come by and take a picture for underwriting.
 
I've been a USAA customer for a number of years now. Homeowners in my area is probably a touch higher than State Farm and the like, however I get excellent coverage and great piece of mind. I wasn't surprised that they treat a wood stove/insert the same as they do a fireplace. Since I have an existing masonry fireplace, adding a wood insert made no difference in my premium.
 
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Should you call them? I just asked an insurance person for you (my wife). She says your "suppose to" let your ins co know. And ins co's are all over the place on wood/pellet burning. Some require professional installation, some require permits, some require nothing but notice. Some will add to your premium (mine does $50) some won't. If your wood/pellet burner is primary source of heat, some will not write the policy. Just like everything else, you have to shop. In the case of calling, you don't want to ask after a claim to find out.

Answer: Yes . . . only because I know for a fact that failing to disclose something like this can sometimes lead to major problems down the road. My parents installed an outdoor wood boiler and failed to report this . . . which wasn't a problem until their house burned down. To make a long story short . . . they did eventually receive a pay off, but the adjustor took a very, very long time with the check and in the end they did not get the "full replacement value" that their policy stated . . .

Yeah, it sometimes can be a pain . . . and may lead to an increase in premium . . . but as you have seen . . . if you don't like what you hear you can always find other companies that may be better to work with in the long run.
 
I have AAA homeowners and there was no increase with a woodstove. My primary heat is listed as the FHW boiler and woodstove as secondary.
 
I see you are in MO also. Ironically, I recently dumped Shelter as an insurer given the size of the premium increase.
 
We are in Mass and have Amica for hoemowners. They did come for a walk through inspection when we bought the place but that was more over concerns due to the age of the structure. They saw the stove, but more importantly they also saw the two 200 year old open fireplaces! - and didn't have a problem with any of it.
 
Nationwide insurance just wanted to know to change the policy to say "Supplemental Heating= Y". $30/year increase.
Just to note. My policy was created at the nationwide main office (I just called the 1800# when I purchased my house). I called a local nationwide office to inquire about my wood stove install and they would require me to have someone come look at it, take pictures etc. At those local offices they couldn't help me, i'd have to get my policy "transfered" to them.
 
Same here, but not primary heat. Just threatening to change carriers has dropped both my auto and home insurance, but it's trick you can only do every few years. Luckily my allstate agents keep retiring, so I 'threaten' each replacement agent that I'm moving to Geico unless they can drop their rates.

TE

My agent has been the same for the last 18 years. He is so responsive and easy to work with this might be tough. I know... it's just business but sometimes service counts too.
 
We're so screwed here at our house, I doubt we'll ever get homeowner's insurance. Three wood stoves, no central heating system, six golden retrievers, and nearest fire hydrant 4 miles away. That last one is the first thing I've been asked when shopping the past year. Now and then, every few months, I do a little shopping just for the heck of it. Last week, five different insurers asked me, right off, how far from the nearest hydrant. Conversation was over within a minute each time. With Geico, lack of central heating system killed the deal before they asked about the hydrant.
 
We're so screwed here at our house, I doubt we'll ever get homeowner's insurance. Three wood stoves, no central heating system, six golden retrievers, and nearest fire hydrant 4 miles away. That last one is the first thing I've been asked when shopping the past year. Now and then, every few months, I do a little shopping just for the heck of it. Last week, five different insurers asked me, right off, how far from the nearest hydrant. Conversation was over within a minute each time. With Geico, lack of central heating system killed the deal before they asked about the hydrant.
There is an insurer for everything. You most likely would be assigned to a "special risk" pool. This is actually what my wife does. She insures specialty autos, extreme jewelry, even clothes (yes, some people do have $$ closets). With this type of coverage, yes, premiums are higher than the norms.
 
Electric baseboard counts as central heat. Just don't turn it on. Then your wood stoves are secondary heat sources and you're in a different category.
 
I have Geico. No central heating either. Electric baseboard heating only. That counts as our primary heat source....

No problems getting covered in Michigan and they were also the cheapest. May want to consider looking into installing baseboards. I am not sure electrically what it takes to properly set them up. There is an entire separate sub-panel on our electric panel that is just for the baseboard heaters. Each baseboard heater has its own separate breaker.
 
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