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Will home insurance companies pay for damage caused by unlicensed work?

I'm planning on doing some work on my home's electrical system. I'm not a licensed electrician, but I know what I'm doing. Will my insurance company pay for damage to my home from unlicensed work?

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Eric Schad · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“In most cases, a
home insurance
company will payout, even if the work done was by an unlicensed worker or yourself.
However, this isn’t true for all insurance companies. Some may deny the claim if they get evidence of faulty or shoddy work.
Additionally, homeowner policies only cover some instances of electrical damage or failure. Depending on the type of policy you have, you may not have coverage.
If you need clarification on what your homeowners policy covers, you can contact your insurance company. An agent can go over the details of your policy and its exclusions.
Be sure to do this before you begin working on your home’s electrical system. If you think you may cause damage and it isn’t covered, it might be worth hiring a professional.
Review your policy before you start the electrical work yourself. If you worry that your current policy won’t cover unlicensed work, you might want to find a different company before you start the work yourself.
Shop around for companies that meet your needs and offer good rates.
Jerry
makes comparison shopping easy by doing all the hard work for you. Jerry compares rates from multiple companies and even helps fill out the transfer paperwork, so you can get right into your electrical work.”
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WHY YOU CAN TRUST JERRY
Jerry partners with more than 50 insurance companies, but our content is independently researched, written, and fact-checked by our team of editors and agents. We aren’t paid for reviews or other content.

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