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Austin, TX 78758 Get Direction

I don’t live in a flood zone. Do I need flood insurance?

Most homeowners insurance policies don’t include flood insurance, so it can be difficult to determine if it’s a logical or wise investment. Speaking with one of our Austin, TX, team members at Armadillo Insurance Agency is a great way to determine if it’s a good investment. Our team is committed to helping people make educated decisions about insurance.

What is flood insurance?

Flood insurance can be purchased through the government-based National Flood Insurance Program or NFIP and private insurance companies. It’s designed to cover any losses as a result of flooding to the structure of your home, its walls, interior, exterior, your personal belongings, and more. A flood insurance policy covers any damage that results from flooding. This coverage also includes cleaning your home and its surrounding land, electrical, plumbing, flooring, basements, and more. Flood insurance also covers other structures or dwellings on your property.

I don’t live in a flood zone. Do I need flood insurance?

Believe it or not, annually, flooding occurs in many non-flood-zoned areas and moderate or low-risk areas. As a result, flood insurance is a wise investment. Natural disasters are unpredictable and hard to anticipate. It’s often better to be prepared for a disaster rather than unprepared. Flood insurance is that extra layer of peace of mind that can be key if you’re faced with an unexpected natural disaster like flooding. However, an insurance agent can help you decide on investing in flood insurance. If you have questions, call us. We’d be happy to answer them. 

 

What Does Condo Insurance Cover?

Owning a condo is a bit different from owning a stand-alone home. If you own a condo, you may wonder what condo insurance covers. At Armadillo Insurance Agency in Austin, TX, we offer condo insurance.  

Condo Insurance Basics 

When you purchase a home, you own the entire property. However, when you buy a condo, you purchase a unit within a larger building. 

How does condo insurance work? You’ll need a policy covering your condo’s interior and personal belongings. You may also get other coverage. 

Interior Fixtures 

This coverage will depend on the type of insurance master policy the building has. If it’s not covered under the master policy, you will need a policy that covers the interior fixtures of your condo, including sinks, flooring, and interior walls.  

Personal Belongings

Your condo insurance policy will cover your personal belongings, including valuables like electronics, jewelry, appliances, furniture, and clothing. 

If your condo is damaged, your policy will cover replacing these items if they are damaged. 

Liability Coverage

Like a homeowner’s policy, your condo policy provides liability coverage. If someone is injured on your property, liability coverage will cover their expenses. It also covers any accidental property damage that happens in your condo. For example, liability coverage will cover their medical expenses if someone slips on your floor and hits your head. 

Loss of Use Coverage 

You can choose to get loss-of-use coverage. If your condo is temporarily unlivable, this coverage will cover your living expenses, including rent or hotel expenses, meals, and transportation. 

Condo Insurance at Armadillo Insurance Agency

If you need condo insurance in Austin, TX, contact Armadillo Insurance Agency. Our experienced agents are here to discuss your needs and help you select the best policy. 

Insurance Upgrades When Expanding Your Business

Expanding your place of business may require temporary or permanent commercial insurance upgrades. Assess the expansion project. This will help you determine which type of coverage to add to your existing insurance policy.

Material Coverage

Your commercial insurance policy should cover raw materials used during the expansion project. Machinery, tools, and human error could damage the materials while the project is underway.

If you have adequate coverage for the materials, you can acquire replacement materials if an accident occurs.

Equipment Coverage

If you decide to perform many of the upgrades yourself, you may want to protect the equipment used throughout the expansion project.

You should add any valuable items, including power machines, vehicles, and other high-tech items, to your existing insurance policy. 

Liability Coverage

Increased liability coverage will protect against injuries that occur while the expansion project is underway. Before you acquire this type of coverage, inspect the premises where the project will take place. This type of inspection should be conducted professionally.

The inspection results will determine the worksite’s danger. After reviewing the results, choose the amount of liability protection you need to add to your existing insurance policy.

Insurance Terms

Once you have chosen the insurance upgrades you want to include in your commercial insurance policy, decide how long you will maintain the coverage.

Some of the coverage may only be needed while the expansion project is active. Take note of the upgrades that you will only need temporarily.

Contact Armadillo Insurance Agency

Our agents at Armadillo Insurance Agency will add the upgraded types of coverage to your existing insurance policy. Schedule an appointment to speak with a representative who serves Austin, TX.

Does Landlord Insurance Cover Storm Damage?

For those owning an apartment complex or a house rented out to tenants in Austin, TX, ensuring these properties are adequately insured against storm damage is essential. A landlord insurance policy can provide coverage for numerous weather events, but understanding what is and isn’t covered is vital. Let’s shed some light on these intricate details.

Types of Covered Storms

A typical landlord insurance policy covers damage inflicted by several types of storms, including thunderstorms, strong winds, tornadoes, hailstorms, and fires provoked by lightning. Although tornadoes are rare, all these weather events cause significant damage in Austin, TX.

The Exceptions

Landlord insurance does not cover flooding, which may occur due to heavy rain, tropical storms, or hurricanes. You can, however, purchase a separate flood policy if you’re concerned about this risk. Also, landlord insurance does not protect tenants’ personal possessions or vehicles from storm-related losses, as they are responsible for ensuring their belongings are insured independently.

What’s Covered

Landlord insurance is designed to cover the building itself and any items you own, including furnishings or appliances provided by the landlord in a furnished apartment. If severe storm damage forces tenants to move out, your policy may compensate you for the lost rental income. Its liability coverage might also be vital if a tenant gets hurt during a storm and claims inadequate maintenance as a contributory factor.

Securing comprehensive coverage for your property can be complex, but the professionals at Armadillo Insurance Agency can guide you along the process. As an independent local agency, we can find the ideal policy by comparing options from more than ten major insurers, tailored to your specific situation. For further assistance, feel free to contact Armadillo Insurance Agency.

How does remodeling affect home insurance?

Significant home remodeling projects often impact your home insurance needs. Not only do remodeling projects increase the value of your home, but the process of remodeling your home brings additional risks that you should protect yourself against. In fact, your home insurance policy may require that you notify their agent before starting the project, so it is best to play it safe. If you live in or near Austin, TX, consider contacting our Armadillo Insurance Agency team to ensure our home insurance policy fully protects you and your family.

The Impact of Remodeling and Renovating 

Home insurance policies typically protect against accidents during minor projects you perform yourself, like painting or recarpeting, but not against more substantial remodeling projects.

As the homeowner, you incur increased risk during the project due to potential liabilities involving the work crew, tools, and supplies. Remodeling projects also raise the risk of damage to your home. As a result, homeowners should consider modifying their home policy or acquiring an umbrella policy for increased protection.

Besides the coverage needed during the work, most projects enhance the home’s long-term value due to added floor space, updated fixtures, or additional furnishings. Some projects add pools or hot tubs for the homeowner to enjoy, but these additions create new risks the home policy should address.

Some remodeling efforts result in reduced insurance premiums because they include safer electrical or heating systems. So, regardless of your planned changes, talk to your agent in advance to confirm you have protection during and after the remodeling project.

Working with the Armadillo Insurance Agency

 If you live in or near Austin, TX, our Armadillo Insurance Agency team can help you obtain the home insurance protection you need. Please stop in or call us today at 512-249-2300.

What to Do If You Just Moved to a New Home With a Flood Risk

Armadillo Insurance Agency is a skilled insurance agent located near Austin, TX that can provide you with a myriad of different coverage options. For example, we can help you identify what types of flood insurance policies make more sense for you and will work hard to ensure you get the help you need.

Assess Your Danger

When you move to a new area with a potentially higher flood risk, make sure that you assess your risk. You can check out various flood maps or talk to your local authorities to learn more about flood patterns. In this way, you can get the insight you need to manage this issue. Just as importantly, you can identify a policy that fits into your home’s needs and which provides the support you deserve.

Talk With Your Agent

If you’re not sure what kind of policy makes sense for you, don’t hesitate to reach out to your agent to learn more. Our team can help you identify a flood policy that will cover your needs. Typically, we’ll start by doing a quick assessment of your case and ask you questions such as:

  • How much does your property cost, and how much protection do you need?
  • When was the last time this property flooded, and did it reach your home?
  • Are you comfortable providing a list of items you want covered by our policy?
  • Is it possible to identify what type of flood dangers you might expect on your property?

Get Flood Insurance Today

There’s no reason to ignore the danger of floods, especially if you move to a new area with a real risk of floods. Our team at Armadillo Insurance Agency can help Austin, TX residents get the policies that they need to be safe. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you.

Home Insurance for Homeowners in a Warm Climate

Home insurance is one of the most important things that you can purchase as a homeowner.  When you buy home insurance, you are buying protection for your most valuable asset, your homefront.  The climate you live in can have an impact on your home insurance.  If you live in a cold climate, there are different things you need to consider when comparing it to a warm climate.  Our team at the Armadillo Insurance Agency can help you understand your Austin, TX home insurance needs and more.  

Warm Climates and Home Insurance

The impact that a warm climate has on home insurance is largely tied to the weather patterns this type of climate brings.  When you are living in a warm climate, you are going to be much more prone to unique weather events such as heavy rainstorms, hurricanes, and more.  High winds can also be common when living in a warmer climate.  When you compare this to a colder climate, where you have snow and ice the risk factors will differ.

Insurers Consider Climate

When coming up with the price points for home insurance, insurance carriers will look at the climate to make determinations on what they want to charge.  They will consider things such as the temperature in a given climate and how they want to weigh the risk of insuring that particular residence.

Call Today To Discuss Your Options

As a homeowner, there is not much you can do about the climate in which you live.  Once you buy your home, you need to shop around for home insurance to get the coverage you need at a value-added price point.  Serving the Austin, TX area, our team at Armadillo Insurance Agency can help you understand home insurance and the impact a climate can have.

Will flood insurance cover the repair of my flood-damaged car?

Flood insurance is designed to pay for the repair or replacement of your home’s exterior and interior, all the structures on your property, and more. Many people who live in areas that flood invest in this form of insurance because homeowners insurance doesn’t cover flooding. Often, if a person lives in an area where the potential threat of flooding is elevated, flood insurance is a wise investment. Our team at the Armadillo Insurance Agency is invested in educating Austin, TX residents about the benefits of flood insurance. 

What is flood insurance?

In short, flood insurance provides financial compensation for the repair, restoration, or rebuilding of flood-damaged properties. Clothing, furniture, and other personal belongings are covered by flood insurance. Flood insurance is designed to completely restore, repair, and or rebuild a house after a flood has occurred. Unlike homeowners’ insurance, flood insurance is only designed to pay for the repair, replacement, or rebuilding of properties damaged by flooding. An insurance agent reviews topographical maps and other tools to discover floodplains and other areas where flooding could take place and can help determine if flood insurance is a wise investment.

Will flood insurance cover the repair of my flood-damaged car?

No. Flood damage is designed to cover the interior and exterior of your home’s structure, your foundation, all of your belongings, and all the other structures on your property. However, flood insurance doesn’t cover any flood damage your car sustains from a flood. Instead, your car’s flood damage is covered by your comprehensive auto insurance policy.

If you have more questions regarding what’s covered by flood damage, call us at Armadillo Insurance Agency in Austin, TX. We’d be happy to answer your questions. 

Beyond the Interior: How Condo Insurance Covers Structural Elements

Condominium ownership in and around the Austin, TX area combines the benefits of owning a home with the convenience of shared amenities and communal living. Condo insurance is designed to provide that same coverage for condo owners in shared buildings or communities. While the condo association typically insures the exterior of the building and common areas, condo owners need their insurance to protect their units and personal belongings.

Key Components of Condo Insurance

  • Interior Coverage: Condo insurance primarily covers the interior of your unit, including personal belongings, appliances, fixtures, and improvements you’ve made to the unit. This aspect is similar to a standard renters or homeowners insurance policy.
  • Liability Protection: Condo insurance offers liability protection in case you’re responsible for damage to other units or common areas or if someone is injured in your unit.

Coverage for Structural Elements

Condo insurance often extends coverage to structural elements beyond your unit’s walls. These structural elements can include these coverages:

  • Walls-In Coverage: This aspect of condo insurance typically covers the building’s structural elements from the interior walls of your unit. It provides plumbing, electrical wiring, built-in appliances, flooring, and fixtures. If damage occurs to these elements due to covered perils like fire, wind, or water damage, your condo insurance can help cover repair or replacement costs.
  • Loss Assessment Coverage: In some cases, condo associations may pass on the cost of damage to common areas or shared structural elements to individual condo owners. Loss assessment coverage within your condo insurance policy can help cover your share of these costs, saving you from unexpected financial burdens and heartache.

Armadillo Insurance Agency Can Help You

At Armadillo Insurance Agency, we can help answer questions concerning condo insurance. We serve the Austin, TX area. Contact us today. 

Does Commercial Insurance Cover Your Business Only In a Strip Plaza?

If you own a brick-and-mortar business inside a strip mall, you’ll need individual commercial insurance to protect your particular space and inventory. A strip plaza will carry its own insurance to protect the owner or owning company against liability and loss as a result of covered risks. If you would like to learn more about commercial insurance for your strip mall business, you can count on the professionals at Armadillo Insurance Agency to serve the residents in and around the Austin, TX area.

Commercial Insurance Coverage 

Commercial insurance coverage is essential for any business. If you own a business in a strip plaza, you’ll need your insurance to protect your business interests. If you would like to learn more about the available policy options, our insurance agents can help. We carefully assess your current and potential future needs and meet you with policies that will meet those needs. Additionally, we can assist with the submission of information and documentation to secure your coverage immediately. We strive to provide high-quality insurance products and customer service throughout the life of your policy. If you have any changes or claims, we are here to help.

Contact Us Today 

If you would like to learn more about the range of insurance products we provide to the residents in and around the Austin, TX area, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. Please call or stop by our office to schedule an appointment with one of our insurance agents to discuss your options. Please don’t guess when it comes to your commercial insurance coverage because it can lead to losses associated with business risk. Our team at Armadillo Insurance Agency looks forward to working with you.