4 Items To Check On Your Business Insurance Policy Before Severe Weather Hits

According to the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), damage from severe weather could exceed $100 billion in the U.S. by the end of the year. In 2022 alone, we have seen 15 weather events that have caused over $1 billion in damage. This is the 8^th consecutive year the U.S. has endured 10 or more billion-dollar disaster events.

And these severe weather events aren’t just related to hurricanes—there have been hailstorms across the Midwest, tornadoes in the Great Plains, and wildfires out West.

Ensuring your insurance policy is up to date with the proper coverages and limits is always important, but especially during storm season. So, before severe weather hits your area, here are four things to consider when reviewing your commercial property insurance policy: 

1. Ensure your building and business property are insured to value. If your building and business property are not adequately insured, you may not have a high enough limit to repair or replace your property should it sustain damage. Think about if any renovations were done on your property that would increase its value. Even if nothing has changed with your property since the last review, inflation has likely pushed up the cost to rebuild, meaning your building limit should increase as well. 
2. Take inventory to ensure everything is covered. Different insurance policies cover different types of equipment. Just because you use a piece of property in your business doesn’t mean it will be automatically covered. If you have added any new fixtures to your building or purchased any new business property, review with your agent to ensure it is covered under your current policy.  
3. Check your covered causes of loss. Check to make sure your policy covers the types of loss that would be most applicable to your business. If a gap is identified, work with your agent to fill it. For example, loss due to flood or earthquake is generally not covered automatically and would need to be added. 
4. Work with an independent insurance agent. An independent insurance agent will be able to help you ensure your property is insured to value, adequately covered, and protected from the types of damage most likely to impact it. Additionally, an insurance agent can help you find the carrier who can provide the best coverage at the lowest price.

If you have any questions about reviewing your property insurance, reach out to your Acuity Insurance independent agent to learn more.