DIY fixes are just part of owning a house. Even if you have the cash to hire a pro every single time you need something done, if you know how to replace a window, why would you sit in the draft all weekend waiting for a repairman to come by? A worthwhile concern: What DIY fixes will and will not affect your insurance rates?
No matter what sort of policy you have, whether you buy from Peter Laczko Insurance Inc. or you throw a dart at the insurance section of the yellow pages, you’re looking at essentially the same deal: If you need a permit or a license, you’d better call your insurer about it, first.
This is, of course, only a general rule of thumb, and there are plenty of exceptions, but more often than not this guideline holds true. If a project is big enough or delicate enough that licensing and permits are in order, then you need to talk to your insurer to make sure that it’s covered. This means things like building additional rooms onto a home, taking whole walls out of the house to expand a room, installing all new wiring and so on.
The problem that many homeowners run into is when their home suffers damages because of their own repair work. When a home owner installs a new bathtub without telling their insurer, and they seal it improperly, causing the flooring underneath to rot, the insurer is typically not going to cover that, for obvious reasons. On the other hand, you’re unlikely to have your insurer deny your claim for a house fire because you installed a new set of cabinet doors.
In short: If there’s any paperwork involved, just make sure your provider gets a copy.
