Will Insurance Cover My Garage Door Repair?

Compared to some other components of the modern home, garage doors are relatively inexpensive. But that doesn't mean they're cheap. As such, should the garage door get damaged either by human error or an act of nature a lot of homeowners wonder if insurance will cover the cost of garage door repair or replacement. The short answer is… it depends. We’ll get into various scenarios where insurance may or may not apply to repairing garage door damage below.

How Do Garage Doors Get Damaged Anyway?

• You or a loved one drove into the door either from inside the garage or from the driveway.
• An act of nature sent a tree branch or other object into the door causing damage.
• A neighbor or guest at the house drove into the door by accident.
• The door was damaged during a burglary attempt.
• Someone vandalized the door by spray painting graffiti on it.

The bad news is that there is no such thing as garage door insurance. The good news is you may be able to collect an insurance settlement for a damaged garage door anyway. But as we said above, it will depend on the circumstances. Let's go through the 5 scenarios listed above to see which ones may be covered by insurance.

1: You or a Loved On Drives into the Door

It happens all the time: a homeowner or one of their children or parents who live in the house accidentally runs into the garage door either from the outside or inside, resulting in a stuck garage door, broken garage door springs or other damage. It's never good when this happens but you may actually be able to recover some or all of the cost of repairing or replacing the door. In this case, your auto insurance will not cover the damage, but it is possible that your homeowner's insurance policy may. Why? Because your homeowner's insurance policy covers damage to the house, as long as that damage is done by Mother Nature, or someone living in the home.

2: The Garage Door Is Damaged By an Act of Nature

Trying to collect on damage meted out by Mother Nature or old man winter can be a tricky proposition. In almost all cases it depends on the type of damage and what type of weather or other event caused it. For instance, if the garage door was damaged during a flooding event, normal homeowners insurance will not cover it. On the other hand, if a tree branch came crashing into the door during an extreme wind event your homeowners policy will likely cover it. Likewise, if the door panels were damaged by hailstones your insurance will probably cover you, after a deductible no doubt.

3: A Neighbor or Guest Drives Into Your Door

If your son or daughter drives into the garage door chances are your homeowners insurance will cover it. If your neighbor or friend drives into the door that same homeowners insurance will not. However, there is a chance that your neighbor or friend’s auto insurance policy will. That’s because auto insurance policies always cover against damage caused to other people’s property. And that includes your garage door. There is one caveat, however. If the cost of your garage door repair exceeds the amount of coverage in their policy someone is going to have to pay the difference.

4: The Door Is Damaged During a Burglary Attempt

10% of all home invaders come through the garage door. In most cases, they use a crowbar or similar tool to pry the door open. But in other cases would-be thieves have been known to ram their vehicle right into the garage door, busting it open and creating an easy way to enter the home. Whether the weasel has entered using a crowbar or a car chances are your homeowners insurance will cover the cost of repairs either in whole or in part.

5: The Door Is Vandalized By Spray Paint or Other Means

Graffiti “artists” don’t typically ask permission before they whip out their cans of spray paint and get to work. And they’re typically not picky about what surfaces they deface. It could be a bridge underpass or an abandoned building or the garage door on your Loveland home. The bottom line is that if it’s relatively flat and both visible and accessible from the street your garage door may end up doubling as a canvas. The good news is that this type of vandalism is often covered by homeowners insurance under the “malicious mischief” clause. You will probably have to file an official police report and submit a copy to the insurance agent in order to collect, but that’s simple enough.

For Expert Overhead Door Repair In Loveland Call C&M

If your garage door has been damaged there is a good chance you may be able to recoup some or all of the cost of repairing it either via your homeowners insurance or another party’s auto insurance. But whether you can or not you will still need to have the door repaired. For that you can search for “garage door repair near me” or you can simply call C & M Garage Doors at 970-663-7335. If you would like more information about our services you can write to us at; candmgaragedoorsllc@gmail.com. A member of our team will respond to you in a timely fashion.