Q&A Insurance questions: Here are some answers

By PURVA PATEL

Q: If I make temporary repairs without running it by my insurance company first, will I still be reimbursed?

A: Insurance policies usually require policyholders to make repairs necessary to prevent further damage, such as temporary roof repairs.

Prior authorization is generally not required, Nicholson said. But trouble occurs if the property owner incurs a large bill for temporary repairs, and the insurance company disagrees that the temporary repair was necessary or doesn't think the cost was reasonable.

For instance, some contractors may charge as much for a temporary repair as a permanent repair. If that happens, the insurance company will probably refuse to pay for the temporary repair and the homeowner will be left with the bill, she said.

To be on the safe side, she suggests getting the insurance company to authorize repairs in advance and give you an estimate.

Q: I live in Galveston, and I called in my claim but couldn't get in to photograph damage until recently. Replacement costs must be recovered within a certain time limit. When does the clock start: When I called in the claim, when an adjuster shows up at my house, when I start permanent repairs or some other time?

A: Most policies first pay actual cash value — how much it would cost to replace the house after accounting for depreciation. When you get that initial payment to start repairs, that's when the clock starts ticking, Mostyn said. Insurers usually pay the rest of the replacement cost funds once the house is actually repaired or replaced. Homeowners usually have 12 months under most policies to complete the repairs, he said. Many policies also grant an extra six months if a policyholder makes a request in writing.

Q: My power went out at my business. Can I be reimbursed for lost income?

A: Generally, if you have business interruption coverage you should be able to recover lost income, but it will be subject to your windstorm deductible if hurricane winds caused the damage, Williams said. Coverage usually only applies if you had physical damage to your property.

If you bought special coverage for loss of power "off premises," you may also have coverage. But that coverage depends on whether the power outage was caused by downed transmission lines or direct damage to a generating station; sometimes power outages caused by downed lines are excluded. If they're covered, there's often a limit on how far from your business the downed lines are before they're excluded and then there may be a waiting period and/or deductible that would apply depending on what the policy specifies.

Q: Will my auto insurance cover something that fell on my car or flood damage to my car?

A: It will if you have "other than collision coverage," also called comprehensive coverage, on your policy, the Texas Department of Insurance said. This information can be found on your policy's declarations page.

This is a great help. Many may have the same questions.

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