Can Commercial Painting Be Covered in My Insurance Claim?

Paying for a new commercial paint job can be a significant investment, especially if you have a large office building or need a lot of painting done. Although it can be costly, hiring a professional painter to take care of your commercial painting Orlando job is essential. It ensures you get the best results, but not every business can easily afford it.

When faced with the need to paint their commercial building, many businesses often wonder if it’s possible for the paint job to be covered by an insurance claim. In certain situations, it can be.

When Is Commercial Painting Covered by Insurance?

There are a few general criteria that must be met before your insurance will cover a commercial paint job. Since every insurance policy will be different from business to business, it’s vital to double-check with your insurance agency before assuming that the paint job will or won’t be covered.

Unavoidable or Unpreventable Damage

If you need to hire a commercial painter due to unavoidable or unpreventable damage, you may be able to get insurance to pay for it. However, unavoidable or unpreventable damage does not necessarily mean spilling coffee on your wall or mold growing in the paint. There needs to be a few other things involved first.

1. Named perils

A named peril is most commonly a natural disaster. These are events that you cannot control, such as wildfires, hurricanes, tornadoes, or storms. If the paint damage was done during a named peril and your policy covers damage that occurs in such an incident, you’ll likely be able to get them to pay for the job or repainting.

2. Other covered events

If the paint damage occurred during a different type of covered event, you may be able to have insurance pay for it. A covered event may include vandalism or fires. These are things that are not natural disasters, but may be included in your insurance policy. For example, if your insurance policy covers water damage and your paint is ruined due to a leaking roof or flooding, you may be able to file a claim to pay for your commercial paint job.

When Will Insurance Not Cover Commercial Painting?

Unfortunately, there are often more situations where your insurance will not cover the costs of your commercial painting than where they will cover the costs. If you aren’t repainting due to one of the two causes listed above, you will have a hard time convincing your insurance to cover the costs. 

1. Just to Update Appearances

If you’re painting because you want to change the look of your business or you rebranded, insurance won’t cover it. Even if you find that some of your paint has started to chip or dull over time, insurance won’t consider this a good enough reason and won’t pay for the paint job.

2. It’s Part of General Maintenance

For most insurance policies, the business owner is in charge of general maintenance without the help of insurance. Insurance likely won’t cover it if you’re painting as part of routine maintenance and building care. You should have another reason behind painting your commercial building and it needs to be included in your policy.

3. Repair damage from events not covered in your policy

It should go without saying that if an event isn’t covered in your policy or is intentionally excluded, you shouldn’t expect insurance to pay for the damage. If you need to paint due to damage from an event that is not covered in your policy, you won’t be able to convince your insurance to pay for the costs of the paint job.

Conclusion

It’s crucial that you read over your insurance policy before assuming something is or isn’t covered. Over time, it can be easy to forget what’s included in your coverage, so take the time to read through your policy. You may be covered for more than you expected, and your insurance may be willing to pay for your commercial painting.