Is your stove install inspected for insurance?

[Pete Zahria]

If you (heaven forbid) have a fire, do you think your insurance company will cover you, since you didn't tell them you installed a stove?

I vote yes.

 

[Deezl Smoke]

Thing is, all of this code, zoning, inspection, insurance etc. is all different, and greatly so, state by state, county by county, city by city etc. Probably not one city is the same as the next much less one state the same as the next. Insurance in each state has to comply with the state they sell insurance in. The insurance companies that sell nation wide will tell you each state has it's own requirements and restrictions.

Rather than me tell you what my rural Oregon requirements are, you can find it so you can trust the info you find. None of the insurance companies I have had renters insurance with over the years have ever asked about what type of heat is in the house. I've had Allstate in the past and they are nation wide. They never asked for any info on heat type. They did ask if I had smoke detectors and if I had a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. In western Oregon, heat sources are typically wood, nat gas, electric or pellet. I know of no coal, and no boiler types in a dwelling. Now inside the urban boundary, there are restrictions even with using any fire source that burns unprocessed wood and makes smoke. But out here in the rural farming area, unless you build a new house, the old houses do not seem to fall under any sort of restrictions or inspections even for insurance. So some insurance companies will not insure any mobile homes no matter the heat source, and others will only insure them with gas or electric, but even that seems to vary widely here in Oregon from insurance comp to insurance comp.

There have been many stories about neighbors turning neighbors in that try to get away with things, but so far, other than building permit violations, the rural areas, do not seem to be restricted like the suburban and urban areas. I know some of you n the midwest have to have your automobiles inspected to get tag renewals. We only have to get thru a deq emissions test, nothing more. No safety checks. So even your auto insurances and licensing is highly variable state by state.

 

[DneprDave]

What's WETT?

 

[FirepotPete]

Thing is, all of this code, zoning, inspection, insurance etc. is all different, and greatly so, state by state, county by county, city by city etc. Probably not one city is the same as the next much less one state the same as the next. Insurance in each state has to comply with the state they sell insurance in. The insurance companies that sell nation wide will tell you each state has it's own requirements and restrictions.

Rather than me tell you what my rural Oregon requirements are, you can find it so you can trust the info you find. None of the insurance companies I have had renters insurance with over the years have ever asked about what type of heat is in the house. I've had Allstate in the past and they are nation wide. They never asked for any info on heat type. They did ask if I had smoke detectors and if I had a fire extinguisher in the kitchen. In western Oregon, heat sources are typically wood, nat gas, electric or pellet. I know of no coal, and no boiler types in a dwelling. Now inside the urban boundary, there are restrictions even with using any fire source that burns unprocessed wood and makes smoke. But out here in the rural farming area, unless you build a new house, the old houses do not seem to fall under any sort of restrictions or inspections even for insurance. So some insurance companies will not insure any mobile homes no matter the heat source, and others will only insure them with gas or electric, but even that seems to vary widely here in Oregon from insurance comp to insurance comp.

There have been many stories about neighbors turning neighbors in that try to get away with things, but so far, other than building permit violations, the rural areas, do not seem to be restricted like the suburban and urban areas. I know some of you n the midwest have to have your automobiles inspected to get tag renewals. We only have to get thru a deq emissions test, nothing more. No safety checks. So even your auto insurances and licensing is highly variable state by state.

I don't care if you live in the middle of the woods or in mid-town. The only way to know if you are covered is to read the entire insurance policy and understand what is and isn't covered by it. There is a lot of legalize in those policies so if you know someone in the insurance business you could ask them to take a look at it, otherwise you have to come right out and ask your agent if your policy covers solid fuel burning appliances. And then those appliances are broken down into categories of their own.

The insurance companies don't care where you live, if a claim comes in they will look for every reason to reduce the payment or not pay at all.

 

[womaus]

What's WETT?

Found this for ya:

(broken link removed)

A WETT inspection, which stands for Wood Energy Technology Transfer, includes a thorough inspection of all wood burning appliances such as stoves and open fireplaces, by a certified WETT inspector.

Given the potential threat these technologies pose to the well-being and health of those in the home, a WETT specialty inspection can give you the peace of mind you need when buying or selling a home, living in a home, and can also be a requirement when securing insurance.

 

[DougA]

What's WETT?

WWW.wettinc.ca
They regulate the inspectors that insurance companies rely on to ensure your wood burning device is safe.
IOW if you pass inspection and you have a house fire claim, the insurance company will sue the inspector plus the mfg of the stove & pipe to reclaim any money they paid you, if they did indeed pay you. You cannot get house insurance or sell your house without the inspection, in all cases I am aware of. Realty listings clearly state that stoves, fireplaces, etc are or are not certified. If the listing is falsified, you can sue the realtor. I spoke to one former WETT inspector who is really good at house Inspections and he quit doing WETT because the cost of his insurance was astronomic.

If this sounds like gov't BS, it's not. It has nothing to do with gov't.
If it sounds like insurance and lawyer BS - BINGO, you got it right
If it sounds like Canadian BS, BINGO twice.
The inspection I got a year ago cost $300. and took him 5 min to check the installation, 5 min to argue over the mfg manual, which he claimed was wrong and 10 min to fill in the paperwork.

 

[Deezl Smoke]

WWW.wettinc.ca
They regulate the inspectors that insurance companies rely on to ensure your wood burning device is safe.
IOW if you pass inspection and you have a house fire claim, the insurance company will sue the inspector plus the mfg of the stove & pipe to reclaim any money they paid you, if they did indeed pay you. You cannot get house insurance or sell your house without the inspection, in all cases I am aware of. Realty listings clearly state that stoves, fireplaces, etc are or are not certified. If the listing is falsified, you can sue the realtor. I spoke to one former WETT inspector who is really good at house Inspections and he quit doing WETT because the cost of his insurance was astronomic.

If this sounds like gov't BS, it's not. It has nothing to do with gov't.
If it sounds like insurance and lawyer BS - BINGO, you got it right
If it sounds like Canadian BS, BINGO twice.
The inspection I got a year ago cost $300. and took him 5 min to check the installation, 5 min to argue over the mfg manual, which he claimed was wrong and 10 min to fill in the paperwork.

Makes sense to me. Anytime you buy a house with the bank's money, as full inspection of the structure and many other things has to be done and approved.

 

[JohnRXL]

Own my house, installed the pellet stove myself, had it inspected, insurance company just wanted a description of the stove and clearances around it. That's it. Didn't even cost me anymore on my premium.