Home Insurance Does home insurance cover damage from lightning? By Penny Gusner Penny Gusner Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. | Updated on August 7, 2020 Why you should trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing honest and reliable information so that you can make the best financial decisions for you and your family. All of our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. We maintain strict editorial independence from insurance companies to maintain editorial integrity, so our recommendations are unbiased and are based on a comprehensive list of criteria. Yes, standard home insurance covers damage from lightning, including zapped electronics and fires caused by lightning. However, the coverage may be limited so check your homeowners policy for details on the limits to claims from lightning strikes. One way to protect your home is to install a lightning protection system, which provides a network of low-resistance paths that intercept and direct the lightning to the ground. Make sure you hire a qualified professional to install the system because a botched installation can raise the risk of a strike and make damage worse than it would have been without the system. Before disaster strikes, update your home inventory with detailed records of big-ticket items, such as expensive electronic equipment. Make sure you have enough home insurance to protect expensive personal property. You may need to buy a “floater,” which provides extra coverage for certain belongings. Typically, home insurance policies have a coverage limit on expensive items, such as computers. If your home is struck by lightning, report it to your insurance agent as soon as possible. Check all the outlets and all the electronics that were plugged in. Damage may be hit or miss. Just because the television in the family room survived, doesn’t mean the computer in the home office was unaffected. Don’t throw any items away that you plan to claim as damaged until you check with your claims representative. Are you looking for a homeowners policy? Check out our list of the best home insurance companies with reviews by policyholders. Penny GusnerContributor  . .Penny is an expert on insurance procedures, rates, policies and claims. She has extensive knowledge of all major insurance lines -- auto, homeowners, life and health insurance. She has been answering consumers’ questions as an analyst for more than 15 years and has been featured in numerous major media outlets, including the Washington Post and Kiplinger’s. In case you missed it What is HO-6 insurance? Average home insurance cost in 2023 What is dwelling coverage and how much do you need? Personal liability insurance: What it is and why you need it Renters insurance quotes: Compare rates Hurricanes and home insurance: 14 key questions answered Replacement cost policies for your home: Getting what you pay for How much do claims increase home insurance rates? Mobile home insurance: What does it cover and how much does it cost? Homeowners insurance basics Home Insurance Advisor The Best Cheap Homeowners Insurance of 2021: Guide How much flood insurance do I need? How to bundle home and auto insurance policies to save money The largest home insurance companies by market share Home Insurance Discounts Guide to dog liability insurance: cost and coverage Do you have an emergency go-bag? Most Americans don’t 1/1 Related Articles What is HO-6 insurance? By Shivani Gite Are landlords responsible for tree damage to your car? By Casey Bond Can my homeowners insurance get canceled because my house is empty? By Nupur Gambhir Does homeowners insurance cover a leaking washing machine? By Laura Longero Does homeowners insurance cover car damage? By Nupur Gambhir Are drones covered by homeowners insurance? By Geoff Williams