Statewide Guidance on Homeowners Insurance in Your Four State Area

Statewide Guidance on Homeowners Insurance in Your Four State Areafeatured image

Posted on September 30, 2022 by Phillip Camerer

Last time we talked about essential elements of your homeowner’s policy in case you had to file a loss claim on your home’s roof. Today we’ll take a deeper dive to look at resources across the four states for homeowners looking for guidance on homeowners insurance whether you live in:

  • Northwest Arkansas
  • Southeast Kansas
  • Southwest Missouri
  • Northeast Oklahoma

While homeowners insurance is a fairly straightforward topic that is similar in many ways, each state does have different approaches to guide and instruct homeowners.

Northwestern Arkansas

If you’re a homeowner living in Northwest Arkansas, the Arkansas Insurance Department says homeowners are not required to have homeowners coverage. Instead, if you have a mortgage on your home, it may be mandatory for you to carry full coverage as an agreement of your loan. Otherwise, it might be considered a breach of contract.

In addition, the Arkansas Insurance Department provides homeowners with a practical question-and-answer guide in a disaster. The guide includes helpful tips and instructions on preparing before a catastrophic event and what steps to take following an emergency.

For example, suppose your home’s roof is damaged. In that case, the Arkansas Insurance Department’s guide states that a homeowner should take temporary steps to protect your home from additional damage, whether erecting a temporary roof using plywood and a tarp, even if you haven’t yet met with an insurance adjuster.

Southeastern Kansas

For Kansas citizens living in southeastern Kansas, the Kansas Insurance Department would like everyone to have easy access to understanding what a homeowner’s policy covers. In Kansas, if you cannot find a company willing to insure your home, there might be optional coverage through the state.

That’s because Kansas lawmakers created a plan called the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements, also known as the FAIR Plan. Although the FAIR Plan is not a guarantee of coverage, you must meet three criteria to qualify before you are approved:

  1. Been denied coverage by three different insurance companies.
  2. Can not apply to the FAIR Plan through just anyone; it must be a licensed insurance agent who sells homeowners insurance.
  3. Under the FAIR Plan, your home is inspected to determine eligibility.

Southwestern Missouri

Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance wants homeowners living in southwest Missouri to know that roof coverage on their homes has changed radically in the last decade. Therefore, the Department diligently educates homeowners on protecting themselves by understanding what is covered under a homeowner’s insurance policy.

They recommend homeowners review the declarations page to see if the policy provides replacement cost coverage on a roof. It is commonly referred to as either Replacement Cost Value (RCV) or Actual Cash Value (ACV). The difference comes down to “RCV will cover the full cost to replace the roof,” while ACV may only cover a percentage of the “cost to replace the roof, based on the depreciated value on a roof.”

That’s why the Department provides homeowners with a user-friendly online tool called Raising the Roof on Insurance Coverage. To use it, you select the name of your insurance carrier and scroll down to see the information on:

  • Roof coverage
  • Underwriting Restriction
  • Roofing Details

Northeastern Oklahoma

For homeowners in northeastern Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Insurance Department provides a valuable online resource on:

  • Understanding your insurance rates
  • Finding an agent
  • List of questions for insurance agents
  • How to file claims
  • Preparing for storm season
  • Tips on how to save

Working With An Approved Roofing Contractor

Filing an insurance claim after damaging your home’s roof can take time. Your best approach is to document the damage after everyone in your immediate family is accounted for and safe; then, you can start filing an insurance claim. 

You can also contact an approved roofing contractor in your area with extensive knowledge of working directly with insurance providers. Phillip Camerer Roofing is one such roofing contractor. With over twenty years of area experience, the Phillip Camerer Roofing team can help expedite your insurance claim by working directly with Insurance Adjusters.

Call the team at Phillip Camerer Roofing today at (417) 451-5479 to schedule an onsite storm damage assessment.