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woodburning stove increases home insurance?

Z

zooeyhall

Member
I'm considering getting a wood burning stove for my basement. Mainly as a fallback source of heat if something goes wrong with my propane furnace. However my insurance agent says that it will increase the cost of my homeowners insurance.

Have others who have wood burning stoves encountered this same situation with their insurance? Are all insurance companies likely to do this? Why does having a stove (that I may only use once or twice a year, if at all) considered such a risk? I would have thought that modern stoves would have all sorts of safety features to prevent fires.
 
Just ask the ins cos about that but its a common thing burn with wood and poof there gos yur rates. You need to check with ins companies first some go along with them check around many write policies just need to find the one who suits your problem.
 
Yes. The boys had bypassed the non working oil furnace in my shop and hooked up a small wood stove. The insurance inspector saw it and told me to get it out or pay more. He said just unhooking the pipe wasn't enough. Get it out.
 
I have a beautiful, brand-new Fisher wood-burning stove I found at a yard sale for $40, but my insurance (Farm Bureau) will go up by 15% if I install it. What's odd is that a wood-burning prefab fireplace doesn't add anything to my insurance bill. I've talked with other people about the topic, and some have no increase in cost while others will have insurance canceled if they install a wood-burner. And a wood-burner in a detached building? No way I can have one at any cost. It seems to be up to the individual insurer.
 
Quite common. Basically they frown on building a fire inside a structure that they have insured against fire.

There are too many ways to goof up the installation, and even if the installation is inspected and approved it is too easy to modify it and create a hazard. A built-in fireplace is at least more permanent and harder to goof up after the fact, although we all know those guys who could break an anvil.
 
My insurance man had a similar story Randy. If they find a wood heater in the rubble, after the fire, my insurance is worthless, unless I have the rider. I don't understand how an extra $30 changes anything. I went for decades without paying the rider. Lucky I didn't have a fire, I guess.
 
Some insurance companies around here will not even insure a place with a wood stove. My current insurance came out last month and took a picture of my stove (among other things) for their records. Luckily, I am running seamless pipe into a thimble to a masonry chimney, with proper clearances around the stove, so they did not have anything to say about the installation.

Back when I was single and living in another house, the insurance company I had told me they would not insure my garage as it had a wood stove in it. Thing was that I did not even put it in, it was in the garage when I purchased the place.
 
Might be cheaper in the long run to just get a small generator big enough to run your furnace in an outage instead of changing insurance or paying more.

Rick
 
I had a Kohler standby generator installed 4 years ago. It's programmed to run for 20 minutes once a week. My neighbors were calling when we had
a power outage. Hal
PS: My wife ordered the generator over the internet in AZ and the set was shipped from TX to Atlanta, GA and then to my home. No shipping charges.
 
Same in Ohio with my ins. co. for years now. You will also get charged extra for certain dogs and shingle roofs. I don't think my charge for a shingle roof came down as much as I was charged once I had my steel roof put on and showed them the receipt.
distance from a fire station matters too.
 
Ain't that the truth. I know my rates have doubled in approx. 10 years. This year I doubled my deductible (to $2000) just to drop my yearly premium $200. I had to look at it as if I only really raised the deductible $800 since I saved $200 the first year. Of course next year will probably mean another $100 increase for same coverage if the trend continues.
 
If it's got an underwriters approved that might make a difference plus if you have a professional install it that way the insurance can rest easy that it's installed and built correctly.
 
I was told once I couldn't get an umbrella insurance policy because I own the old tractors. Insurance companies want as little risk as possible.
 
Yep : just had an insurance company refuse to renew my policy because I installed a UL certified wood furnace. Already insured with a fireplace: saw no reason not to install a factory built furnace. Oh well: new insurance company is higher but is a good deal higher coverage amounts too.
 
No cost for us to have wood but install has to be wett certified and cleaned once a year.

They have funny ratings for lots of things, I could have a 40,000$ detached garage for no change in policy price but I pay extra to have my 3 chainsaws insured as they only cover 1. If I don't have automatic heating of some type the rate is higher (freezeups in winter) but I have to pay extra for my generator. Here we have far more electrical outages in the winter than any other time negating the backup electric heating.
 
Its another thing that all suffer for dumb people.
Insurance is just a big legal scam. You do everything you can to keep them happy, something happens, oh we can't pay because of this tiny unrelated issue. I haven't figured it out either.

We had a wood furnace in the house shop and greenhouse for years (with greater then manufactured clearances on all sides) no problems. Then insurance said get rid of or loose coverage. Went and spent big money and put in one of those outside burners, ok house and shop can now be covered(still didn't want to cover greenhouse, for unknown reasons). Ins. still grumbled about burning wood, but gave in cause burner was outside and farther from buildings then required and installed by "pro".
 
As a former insurance inspector, I've seen policies cancelled when a homeowner installed a wood stove.

There are many, many variables involve from the make and style of the stove, to how it's installed, to the individual insurance company.

Suffice to say insurance companies in general get awfully nervous when they see a wood burning device.
 
I have allstate on one house and Cambridge mutual on another and they both have 2 wood stoves each--no extra charge for them---i guess it depends on your insurance company
 
Home generators are becoming more common. I am retired from the business but I still get calls. To check an installation out. To make the insurance companies happy.
 
How much does the insurance increase for the stove? $25 per year - no problem, $250 per year I would consider using propane instead of wood for backup heat. Adding a second propane stove as a backup might be pretty easy. The risk of a house fire is higher with a wood burning stove, not everyone knows how to work with wood fires, even when the stove is properly installed.
 
When I first insured my house where I live now the agent came and had a look through ask if I was going to us the stove insert said yes.Told me the rate would be higher but if I used the fire place alone the rates would be lower doesn't make sense.
 
The reasoning is solid behind higher premiums for wood burning appliances like fireplaces. These devices raise the risk of having a fire that could damage your home or even completely destroy it. In order to compensate for that risk, some companies charge a higher premium. Other insurers feel that the risk is very slight if the device passes inspection, so they don't concern themselves with charging you anything extra. Just be sure your insurance company knows about the device. If you fail to tell them and it does cause a fire, you may have a hard time getting your claim paid. An independent insurance agent or broker can help you find the right insurance company for your needs.
 
If Farm Bureau Insurance out there is any thing like it is in Virginia, you probably don't have ANY insurance. They LOVE to find a way out of paying a claim.
 
I have two fireplaces. I wanted to put a insert in one. Farm Bureau insurance said my insurance would go up about a hundred a year. Guess they don't mind a fireplace but don't like wood stoves.
 
My insurance did not increase when I installed my airtight stove about 25 years ago. The insurance company however wanted proof the stove and flue piping was UL/CSA listed. Also that the finished installation was inspected/approved by the town fire marshal and bldg inspectors.
 
I solely heat my house with wood. I have a good wood furnace, a couple years old now, but I have beat my house with wood for 10 years since I bought this place. My dad heats his house with wood, so did my grandpa. My dad and I have Farm Bureau Insurance. It was a one time fee of $20 or $25. They come out and inspect it to make sure the clearances between combustibles is at or greater than the manufacturer's recommendation, and take a couple pictures of the install. I've switched out woodstoves, they come out and take pictures of the install of the new one, but don't charge anything. Once you pay the fee, that's the only fee. I installed my wood furnaces myself, including the ductwork and whole house humidifier etc. As long as you do it neatly, and spec'd to what it needs to be, it is no problem here.
 
My added inurance cost per year is $87.00 for having one wood stove in the house and one in my freestanding shop. They both have to have certification and be installed according to code rules. Burning wood for me saves easily between $2000 and $3000 per year so the added insurance cost is minimal in the big picture of things. It really pays to shop around for insurance companies and check reviews on each of them as some are less than decent to deal with if you have claim.
 
I have State Farm. Agent never asked. Been in the house 37 years....."Earth Stove" brand , mounted on a brick hearth, Code distance from rear to brick wall with fire retardant sheet rock backing, 8" dia. triple wall straight vertical stack, ⅛" steel plate, fire brick lined, sealed, manual/thermostatically controlled damper, weights in at 500# and cost me a buck a pound. Real cozy heat.....love it. Put in one door seal since new and that's it for maintenance.
 
I worked as an insurance adjuster for 47 years. Fireplace fires-studs too close to stove were a common problem but a wood stove with triple wall pipes almost never caused fires. The only fires I can recall from wood stoves where when a log rolled out onto the carpet and burned it. Unless one lied on the insurance application the fact your wood stove was not reported when installed will not prevent you from collecting on a claim. There are basically three things that will cause one not to collect on a claim: 1. material misrepresentation on the app, 2. intentionally causing the loss, 3. a claim as a result of a loss from an illegal operation considered a morale hazard. That is assuming the claim is covered in the first place.
 
Mine went up by $50 as I recall. The agent came out and inspected the installation before adding the rider to my policy. I also get it cleaned an inspected by a chimney sweep every year so if there's ever a problem I have some documentation that it was in good shape. A wood stove puts out a lot of heat, you'll also want a ceiling fan to spread it around.
 
When you sign up for your homeowner's insurance policy, you may not be required to submit to a pre-approval home inspection. If this is the case, you might be tempted to omit mention of the wood-burning stove on your application. While this might temporarily reduce your rates, such a decision could have far-reaching consequences. If you fail to report the presence of a stove and subsequently file a claim that's unrelated to the device, your claim may be denied outright. Your policy could even be cancelled.

Law Dictionary: Does a Freestanding Wood-Burning Stove Make Your Homeowner's Insurance More Expensive?
law dictionary
 
My insurance was dropped for having a fireplace. Got a call from agent asked if I had one. Said yes. My insurance got dropped the next month. If I didn't totally close it off and pull chimney out. I changed insurance and it cut my auto in half and raised my home owners $10 a year
 
I heat with wood. I didn't originally, but bought a Vermont Castings that heats the whole house. This house is 100 year old and still has the central chimney from the kitchen coal stove. My agent said that since I was using that chimney and just having a stainless liner put in it my insurance would not change. They don't seem to like the flue I guess.
 
Ron, shop around for a different company every couple of years, if you have to. I found out the only thing loyalty gets you is an excuse for them to stick ya, because they figure your too complacent to go anywhere else. I had am-fam for 30 years, and the s.o.s. Switched to hartford/aarp and saved 800 the first year. You got to be willing to move your car insc. along with the house though.
 
Only if the app has a question pertaining to a wood stove. Be honest on app and you won't have a problem on a covered claim. If not asked and you have one or add one later your claim won't be denied.
 
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