# Home Owners Insurance and Pellet Stoves



## gerryger (Jan 24, 2012)

i just received a letter from my Home Insurance provider. They would like to do an inspection on the exterior of the home before renewing my policy. I know once they see the vent stack on the outside of the house they are going to know a pellet stove is being used. I am assuming my policy is going to increase. Anybody else experience this and if so what am I looking at for increased expenses.


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## mrjohneel (Jan 24, 2012)

I CALLED my insurer, Liberty Mutual, and told them I was getting a stove and they said thanks for calling, there will be no change to your policy/cost. (I pulled a permit too and the inspector signed off on it today.) Call me overly cautious, but if something went wrong (fire) and I was denied coverage because I didn't do it right, well, I don't know what I'd do. ($15 for the permit.)


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## 1Dtml (Jan 24, 2012)

mrjohneel said:
			
		

> I CALLED my insurer, Liberty Mutual, and told them I was getting a stove and they said thanks for calling, there will be no change to your policy/cost. (I pulled a permit too and the inspector signed off on it today.) Call me overly cautious, but if something went wrong (fire) and I was denied coverage because I didn't do it right, well, I don't know what I'd do. ($15 for the permit.)



I did the same exact thing, and my insurer didn't care either, but what a bummer, for my permit fee was $50.00. :shut: 

1D


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## mroletta (Jan 24, 2012)

My insurance company didn't care either.


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## PJPellet (Jan 24, 2012)

Mine wanted the inspection report mailed to them.  They said it wouldn't increase my premium.  But the premium went from 643.00 to 707.00 in one year.  Maybe that's inflation, I don't know.


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## DexterDay (Jan 24, 2012)

Pellet stove.... Zero increase but they wanted to check it and take pics of clearances.

Wood stove..... $40 a year increase. Same with checking and pics.

If I added an inset into existing pre-fab fireplace. They didnt care either way. No increase and no checking clearances?? Didnt get that one.

Better that they know...... Just in case.


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## smilejamaica (Jan 24, 2012)

PJPellet said:
			
		

> Mine wanted the inspection report mailed to them.  They said it wouldn't increase my premium.


same thing for me


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## SmokeyTheBear (Jan 24, 2012)

It is common practice for insurance companies to do periodic outside surveys, they do that because of the liability portion of the policy, they are looking for unsafe items such as chimney bricks falling off of chimneys.  

They will issue a repair request (I had one such letter, but the job was on the list anyway) and if it isn't fixed they can and will drop you.


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## frizman86 (Jan 24, 2012)

I just had mine renewed and the guy came out and took pictures but this was 2 weeks before I got my pellet stove. I called them up and they told me this year dont worry about it but next year it will go up $15. But I have a feeling when they come out in the spring after I replace the roof on the gerage they will hike it up the $15 then. I know some insureance companies dont care as long as it is a pellet stove.


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## heat seeker (Jan 24, 2012)

No increase on my insurance, as long as the town inspected and approved. (They did.)


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## bill3rail (Jan 24, 2012)

Man, i never thought of insurance and inspections.  
I should look into these with USAA.  
How does one go about a town inspection.  
I would do the inspection before I called USAA insurance.

Bill


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## mpcm (Jan 24, 2012)

In my case the fire chief came out, checked that the pellet stove meet the clearances described in the hopper lid, was on a non-combustible hearth, and then checked my fire alarms and was on his way. 20 minutes max, insurance company just wanted a copy of the form from the town. 

Insurance premium increases are usually related to claims in your area, or for demographics that you are in terms of risk, like territory changes, or distance to fire-department/hydrant, plus overall claims, reserves and company health/returns. It is really a lot less about you specifically than you might think. Unless you change coverage or they perceive a greater specific risk, rarely is there a change in premium *just* because you have a pellet stove.


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## mepellet (Jan 24, 2012)

No increase in my premium here. Called the insurance company and they just recommended it was installed by a "professional" and according to the manufacturer's recommendations. I'm glad someone posted on here about removing their hearth pad under a Harman P series stove to find the flooring to be discolored/slightly singed. I assumed since I paid a "professional" to do the install that everything was ok. But I checked the pad anyway and learned that certain Harman stoves require a thermal protection board not just an ember protection board. There is a difference. I called up the stove shop and they didn't know anything about it so I told them to call the hearth pad manufacturer. Sure enough, the stove shop hadn't heard about the rule change back in Feb 2011. They had been selling these ember protection boards all year. They said they were going to send the bill fo the difference in hearth board prices but I still haven't seen it two months later. I think they realized that they messed up. 

Another good part to the story too.... When they sent out their contractor to replace the board, my wife was home and asked them to make sure the hearth pad was up against the baseboard trim in the room. She also asked if that was ok and wouldn't put it too close to the wall. The said sure and didn't even check the distance. It is now 11-1/2" from the wall where the install manual requires 13".


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## Weird tolkienish figure (Jan 24, 2012)

gerryger said:
			
		

> i just received a letter from my Home Insurance provider. They would like to do an inspection on the exterior of the home before renewing my policy. I know once they see the vent stack on the outside of the house they are going to know a pellet stove is being used. I am assuming my policy is going to increase. Anybody else experience this and if so what am I looking at for increased expenses.



I bought a house with one and they barely asked me about it... but it was a fireplace insert which might be a little safer. (*knock on wood*)


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## hotdawg (Jan 24, 2012)

I think home owner's insurance premium was increasing in general due to all the weird weather and losses for these companies but it shouldn't be that significant.  To be on the safe side, I called my insurance company to let them know I was installing a pellet stove.  They sent me a short informational sheet I needed to fill out about the stove, installation and inspection.  I also pulled a permit and the building inspector signed off on everything.  I guess I just wanted everything to be legit in case something happens.  Can never be too safe, especially with these insurance companies and payouts.


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## firebroad (Jan 24, 2012)

This reminded me of a story when I first moved into my home.  My neighbor stated that his insurance company charged more because their home had a fireplace.  He called and explained that the fireplace was never used, that it had indeed been sealed up to eliminate drafts.  The insurance company did not care, and refused to reduce his rate.  So some years later he had a woodstove installed in the basement, that he uses every day.  No change in insurance premium, go figure.


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## urkiddin (Jan 24, 2012)

1Dtml said:
			
		

> mrjohneel said:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



my permit was $70.00


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## Weird tolkienish figure (Jan 24, 2012)

firebroad said:
			
		

> This reminded me of a story when I first moved into my home.  My neighbor stated that his insurance company charged more because their home had a fireplace.  He called and explained that the fireplace was never used, that it had indeed been sealed up to eliminate drafts.  The insurance company did not care, and refused to reduce his rate.  So some years later he had a woodstove installed in the basement, that he uses every day.  No change in insurance premium, go figure.



My insurance people only cared about two things:

1) diving board on pool (since removed) 
2) drainage spout was routed to driveway (I guess it's a risk if it ices and someone slips and falls)

It seems to me they're more concerned about litigation (this is the land of the lawsuit after all) then actual harm that could befall the house. Not that they don't care, they just care less.


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## Lousyweather (Jan 24, 2012)

insurance co's really hate trampolines! they are worse than having a rottweiler for insurance purposes


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## Utilitrack (Jan 24, 2012)

My insurer only wanted proof of professional installation, I guess they assume that a dealership will always install properly, bad assumption based on many posts here...


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## Weird tolkienish figure (Jan 24, 2012)

Utilitrack said:
			
		

> My insurer only wanted proof of professional installation, I guess they assume that a dealership will always install properly, bad assumption based on many posts here...



Or they just want someone to sue.


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## mfglickman (Jan 24, 2012)

Utilitrack said:
			
		

> My insurer only wanted proof of professional installation, I guess they assume that a dealership will always install properly, bad assumption based on many posts here...



So they would not accept a DIY install w/inspection approval? Wow.


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## mepellet (Jan 24, 2012)

Weird tolienish figure said:
			
		

> Or they just want someone to sue.



BINGO!


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## whlago (Jan 24, 2012)

Lousyweather said:
			
		

> insurance co's really hate trampolines! they are worse than having a rottweiler for insurance purposes



Yep...insurance inspector came the day I was installing my stove....didn't care about the stove (which I had a permit for) but wasn't too happy about the trampoline.  With great joy I solemnly told the kids the big bad insurance man won't let us have the trampoline anymore.  The next day the sledge hammer came out!


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## roadking88 (Jan 24, 2012)

i told them i was going from wood stove to pellet stove..
they were happier than chit that i said i would not be using wood anymore,just if we lose power...


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## Battenkiller (Jan 24, 2012)

I only had two days after we got our closing date to get insurance. We had Allstate for auto and renter's insurance, but got a better policy for less money with State Farm. They won't write a policy without an onsite inspection, so after the guy came to do it he called back and said it was an extra $40/year for the pellet stove he found.  Still cheaper than Allstate, though.


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## 76brian (Jan 24, 2012)

My insurance company wanted a WETT inspection (http://www.wettinc.ca/what.html) done on the installation no matter who did it, and wanted the inspection certificate faxed to them. It cost me $150 for the inspection, but since it passed there was no increase to my premium. They didn't care that I did the install myself, just that it passed inspection.


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## John97 (Jan 24, 2012)

I called my insurance company, they didn't seem to care once I told them it was an insert that was installed in a masonry fireplace.  

Permit here is $154 with the township.  I haven't sent the form in yet.  I'll get around to it.  All they did when my neighbor had his insert installed was come out and measure the distance from the top of the insert to the mantle and the front to the edge of the hearth.  The guy was there all of 5 minutes.


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## mrjohneel (Jan 24, 2012)

My inspector just seemed fascinated by the whole pellet stove thing -- asked how it worked, how many pellets I use. I opened the hopper, showed him the controls and the auger in action. He didn't even measure the clearances. Five minutes and out the door.


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## khenault (Jan 24, 2012)

Utilitrack said:
			
		

> My insurer only wanted proof of professional installation, I guess they assume that a dealership will always install properly, bad assumption based on many posts here...



No, it just gives them someone to sue if it goes wrong.  ;-)


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## gfreek (Jan 24, 2012)

So far all my insurer wanted me to do was fill a form with make and model of stove, diagram of clearances,  pic of stove install ..


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## jcayer (Jan 25, 2012)

Our insurer wanted a permit.  I haven't done that yet.  It's around $350.  Something like 10% of the cost of the unit. 
I will need to get it done at some point.


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## krooser (Jan 27, 2012)

No increase here and my carrier much prefers them over wood stoves... no problem with a self-install either.


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