Home insurance...
 

My home is usually not occupied during the winter and my road is not plowed. Does your insurance carrier require your road be plowed?

Thanks in advance...

Not on the application, exactly
 

I sold insurance for ~25 years. The application asked distance to fire hydrant, and other related info to determine a rate. The roads to Welch Island are not plowed. Some companies sell coverage for secondary homes etc only as an accommodation to an existing customer, but not as a single line of coverage. Others will offer a fire policy that does not cover theft or other perils.

As with many things in life, the answer is, "It depends..."

We live on a private road where the cost of plowing is shared by many homes. This question comes up every year as some don't share the cost of the plowing since they don't access their properties during the winter. Some have policies that don't require plowing, some have policies that provide limited coverage, and others (like ours) require clear access year round.

So, it depends on the policy you have and the company that issues it.

I have a similar situation- Some pay, some don't- VERY IRRITATING!
Fact is- would you let your place burn down for lack of safety access? Common sense (WHAT?) should dictate your course of action.

I even have sibling-owners who don't participate/haven't participated in payment for road clearing or maintenance/insurance (20yrs.) But they sure like it when something goes wrong and that good ol' insurance kicks in!!!

I'm sure Grant could tell us many more stories about this scenario.

As I recall my policy questionnaire asked both about the road my house is on and my driveway being plowed. Pretty sure they were both conditions of the premiums being quoted. Personally, I like having the driveway plowed during the winter. If nothing else it gives the appearance of the house being occupied in addition to the access in the event something happened.

Not using the place in the winter and having 4 neighbors who refuse to participate and they are in "front of me" on a dead end road, with me being the last house. I will have to pay the charge for five. And can't restrict them from using it. Family hasn't plowed it in 60 years...Times change!

Island residents...
 

I'd be curious what island owners use for insurance being that their places are neither occupied nor accessible during the winter.

One of our neighbors used to be a sales rep for Liberty Mutual, so several people on Welch are with them. They want your primary home and auto first as "clean" accounts (no losses, tickets, high performance sports cars or GFBL if I remember correctly) . I iomgine most other big direct writers will do the same (SFM, Allstate USAA) Most independent agents have a variety of options. Insurance on a Winnipesaukee island is easier than on Atlantic coast barrier islands.

State Farm
 

State Farm here...Had my mainland home with them for years. They have been great to deal with.

Dan