Does Homeowners Insurance Cover Bullet Holes?

When considering homeowner's insurance, we generally include natural hazards such as earthquakes and storms. However, certain scenarios are considerably more uncommon, and when we encounter them, we may wonder if our insurance will cover the harm. One of these would be the presence of bullet holes. Do homeowners' insurance policies cover bullet holes?

When your home was riddled with bullet holes, it was likely a condition you never anticipated would occur. You probably never thought to search for this in your homeowner's insurance policy. But now that it has occurred, you are stunned.

So how do you determine whether it will be covered? And if so, how do you know that filing a claim will be worthwhile? Here, we will answer these questions in further depth.

Will This Be Insured?

Bullet holes in a home are not common, but they do occur. When discovering this, the first question is whether the damage is fresh or old. Can you pinpoint the exact date? Or may it have been there before you moved in?

If the damage occurred during a recent occurrence and you can provide the insurance company with the date, this is the first step in assessing if you can file a claim for it. The event may not be covered if you cannot provide an exact date.

Additionally, you must be able to explain to the insurance company how this harm occurred. The discharge of firearms is not a risk covered by the homeowner's insurance policy. However, vandalism and theft are. You must successfully demonstrate that the damage was caused by vandalism or theft.

The Deductible

Consider the amount of your deductible when deciding whether or not to file a claim for bullet holes. A deductible is the number of damages you must pay out of pocket before your homeowner's insurance will cover the remaining sum.

The average policy deductible is $500. If the cost to repair the gunshot damage to your home is less than your deductible, you should not file a claim.

For instance, if a bullet hole caused damage to a window in your home. This window will likely be replaced for less than $500. Therefore, you should probably not bother filing a claim.

However, repairing your home's siding with multiple bullet holes may be substantially more expensive. If the damage costs exceed your deductible, it makes sense to file a claim.

Additionally, you should evaluate whether the incident caused other damages to your home besides bullet holes. Suppose someone destroyed your residence by shattering windows, spray painting the interior walls, and shooting a hole in the siding.

All of this damage will be combined as a result of the same hazard, and although the damage from a single bullet hole is likely modest, you should include it in your claim.