January 2016 – Ask the Chimney Sweep

What the Heck is a Sudden Occurrence Insurance Claim? When a chimney fire occurs, wind damage or lightning strikes your chimney, the damage is incurred. Most folks' insurance policies cover sudden occurrences. A chimney professional must try to help homeowners make the insurance process go as smoothly as possible. My number one recommendation when it comes to insurance claims, no matter what kind of insurance, is to document everything at the very beginning of the process. You need to be sure to document the date it occurred, the name of the professional(s) who comes out to evaluate the situation, and the date(s) the professional evaluated the situation. Your professional should also be doing some documentation as well. The service technician must document the damage, the date it happened, and how they discovered it. Most chimney fires are discovered by chimney sweeps who come out and observe signs that a chimney fire has occurred when running a video inspection of the flue system. This is a dangerous situation which we will not ignore because you cannot continue to burn wood regularly in your fireplace without repair. You may notice exterior damage on the chimney caused by a lightning strike. In this case, the technician should document that he came out to observe possible lightning strike damage at the request of the owner of the home. Most insurance policies do not cover normal wear and tear of the chimney, for example, deterioration over many years. Vertical cracks in flue tiles often indicate a chimney fire has occurred. They do not cover problems such as a clogged flue or spalling brick. Which is almost always the result of poor maintenance of the chimney. Instead, documentation for insurance claims are used to file a "sudden occurrence." It has been my experience that most insurance companies are willing to work with you so long as you provide the documentation and information that they require. Fire is only should be contained within the firebox of your chimney. When the fire escapes this area, it often causes vertical cracks in the flue tiles of a chimney. It can warp a stainless steel line, and cause other damage to the chimney and home in general. Documenting your claim on a large, roaring chimney fire is easy, seeing that the fire department must be called. What about slow-burning chimney fires, which most homeowners aren't aware occur until a chimney sweep comes out and tells them Chimney professionals are almost always willing to come out, meet with an insurance agent or a homeowner. Then they do whatever work is necessary in cases regarding sudden occurrence insurance claims. My policy is to never get ahead of the insurance agency and follow their lead when it comes to the claim. Then, provide what documentation and service they require. Remember, it is not the chimney professional's job to defend the home owner's claim. It's their job to review observable facts and provide documentation that a person other than a trained professional couldn't do. Call out one or more professionals if you suspect a sudden occurrence has taken place. They can almost always make the insurance claim process less of a hassle. Sudden Occurrence Insurance Claims