Simple Home Inspections
Last updated on July 12, 2024
The home inspection is a long-standing critical process of many home insurance policies. The traditional method involves the policyholder inviting a stranger into their home to photograph and record a variety of information. This data is then sent to the insurance carrier with little to no input or understanding on the part of the homeowner.
Apart from the pressure of scheduling an appointment and the inherent potential for awkwardness and imposition, there is a greater consequence to this method: The removal of the policyholder from the process of preventing loss to their property. Nobody knows a home better than the owner, and performing the inspection highlights many features of their home they may have not otherwise considered.
In using a self-inspection app, we ask policy holders to capture commonly overlooked aspects of a home such as water main shutoff, the age of their water heater, brush and tree encroachment of the home, drainage, and many others. This process raises awareness of potential hazards on the property and allows the owner to mitigate these risks.
Common perceptions currently create an “Us versus Them” dichotomy between insureds and their agents or home inspectors. However, insurance is truly meant to be a mutually beneficial partnership that protects your assets. We get it. The traditional inspection process sends a stranger through your house taking numerous photographs throughout your home. The worst ones are tricky to schedule with, wear their shoes in your home, track mud through your home, upset your dog, or some of them just don’t even show up at all.
We prefer to put the power back into the hands of the policyholder and offer transparency to a process that can otherwise feel like an invasion of privacy.
Now, both the policyholder and carrier are strongly invested in loss prevention which in turn leads to better loss prevention and hopefully one day transforms the way risk pools are managed. We believe that this is a natural evolution of property insurance and can be as fun as it is informative.
How the inspection process works in three easy steps:
A link to download a mobile app is sent to the insured's email listed in the application. This email includes a code specific to the insured's property and is linked to the associated policy. The insured has two weeks to complete the inspection but may request a new code in the chat box of the self inspection app if the original one has expired.
The insured will download the app onto their phone and follow the in-app instructions. The insured will follow prompts in the app to walk around the exterior of the home and throughout the interior to capture specific photos and videos. This should take only about thirty minutes.
An inspector will review the photos and provide recommendations to underwriters at Commercial Insurance Group, LLC.These will additionally be reviewed by underwriting and then sent to the carrier for validation of rating information provided on the application.
The inspection requirement is listed in the policy documents and is meant to be a loss prevention opportunity as well as a verification of rating data. The app can be downloaded on any smart phone and completed by the policy holder, a renter, agent, property manager, or a friend that can help. Any attempts to intentionally provide inaccurate information are considered fraud.
Learn more here: https://simpleinspection.com/bigfoot-insurance
Requirements:
Must be performed at the location
Must be completed within 30 days of policy effective date
Must provide clear imagery of exterior and interiors including:
Address identified from street (impacts fire and rescue response)
Exterior and property in good condition (no peeling paint, missing eaves, clear walkways)
Roof condition as well as gutters and eaves (view from ground level)
Free of general hazards and safe distance between brush, trees, etc.
Railings for stairs (secure and no gap greater than 4”)
Electrical panel (see below for more information)
Water heater
Plumbing (kitchens and bathrooms)
Appliances: washer & dryer, water heater, etc.
We are fully willing to work with the agent and the insured on this process as we realize technology is sometimes difficult and the process is still relatively new. Please feel free to contact us with any questions or concerns. Once the photos are submitted, there may be recommendations conveyed from the underwriters to the agents which in turn must be communicated to the insured directly. Proof of updates or changes per the recommendations can be submitted to plinspections@bigfootbinds.com directly or added to our Bigfoot Insurance platform under the attachments tab of the account.
Electrical
Some homes built prior to the 1980s still have certain electrical panels that are now known to have a dangerously high failure-to-trip rate when a circuit is overloaded; this is a dangerous fire hazard. Unacceptable electrical panel manufacturers include but are not limited to Zinsco, Federal Pacific, and Sylvania. Knob-and-tube wiring and the presence of fuses are also outdated designs unfit for modern power loads. Other common hazards include faceplates missing from the electric panel, exposed wiring, and knock-outs missing. Electrical updates may be recommended upon further review or underwriting may accept a statement from a licensed electrician (must be on company letterhead) stating that it is functioning as designed for the current policy term, but will be non-renewed if it is not replaced before renewal.
Plumbing
In houses built before 1950, we look for evidence of galvanized steel plumbing. These pipes are known to experience corrosion and subsequent leaking over the decades. In homes built between 1978 and 1995, there is the concern for polybutylene plumbing, which was discontinued as it becomes brittle and cracks when exposed to many common water chemistries. The presence of either of these two materials may require the policy to be altered if the pipes are not replaced with modern material.
Questions? Contact wilson@simpleinspection.com or call (719) 301-7157