Calvin Henry-Cotnam wrote:
Andy ) said...

Your insurance will only have a problem
with your own work if THAT is the reason for a fire and that
unacceptable procedures were used. They won't fail to pay a claim unless
your negligence caused the problem.....


Not necessarily -- if an insurance company can find a way to get out of a
claim, or at least to reduce it, they will.

Let's suppose that you purchase a roll of Romex that has a small defect
in it somewhere. Not very likely to happen, but let's say there is a small
section where one of the conductors is 40% narrower than spec.

Now let's suppose you happen to use that section on a circuit that has
a fairly heavy load on it (pushing the 80% limit for several hours at
a time). Now suppose that this defect, under a heavy load for a long
duration, overheats and starts a fire.

Should your insurance company find out that this circuit was installed
without a permit, what are the chance they will deny the claim? In fact,
even if they simply found out that *ANY* wiring in the home was done
without a permit, there is a good chance the claim will be denied.

Admitedly, this scenario involves a lot of "what ifs", and the part about
the insurance company "finding out" about the non-permit may be pretty
dubious, but does anybody really want to take the chance. Even if they end
up paying, it might be six months or a year later than otherwise.

If your work passed inspection, the insurance company loses any chance
to deny the claim due to the electrical work - case closed.

I have worked in fire and rescue for over thirty years and in that time
I was involved in two declined claims. In both cases it was the
homeowners own action that caused the fire. In order to breach the
contract the insureds own action must be the cause of the loss a
manufacturers defect would not be enough. Most state insurance
commissioners take a very dim view of refusing claims and no carrier
will do it lightly. I'm not saying that the insurance carrier will
never refuse a claim but in thirty pluss years of service and thousands
of fires with literally dozens caused by home owner action I have only
heard of two refused claims. In both cases the insurer had an open and
shut case and the home owners action was unlawful per se.
--
Tom Horne

Well we aren't no thin blue heroes and yet we aren't no blackguards to.
We're just working men and woman most remarkable like you.