I've been living in my house for a few years now, and my deck is starting to fall apart. When I called in a contractor, they informed me that it's actually out of code and was hand-built. On top of that, I found out that the moisture barrier between my house and the deck wasn't installed correctly, which has been causing damage. I know home insurance doesn't always cover decks, but considering this one is causing issues for my house, do you think they'll cover it? Also, how should I approach my insurance company about this? Just to clarify, this deck is for my second-story back door, and the only other exit is through the garage.
3 Answers
Honestly, I wouldn't count on your insurance covering this. They typically only cover damage from sudden incidents, not from long-term wear and tear. If they find out your deck is in bad shape and not up to code, they're likely to deny any claims.
Good luck with your claim. I'm betting they'll deny it since the deck wasn't built to code and no permits were pulled during its construction.
It’s funny how you put that! Every deck is technically hand-built unless there’s a ‘deck machine’ I don’t know about. But seriously, you might want to save your breath; insurance probably won’t want anything to do with this situation.
*laughs* Who knew there were professional deck machines? But yeah, I totally get your frustration.
I get that they cover roofs and shingles, but why not a deck? If this deck is my only way out—like, straight to the Void™—shouldn’t they be more flexible?