As you’ve done check with your particular insurance. My old tower was indeed
covered under accessory structure which also was 10% of my home’s replacement
value.
Mine was damaged and the adjuster was excellent about working with myself in
documenting the problem. We had Hector, XE2K, do an estimate of exactly what
you have mentioned in your thoughts. We also had a new tower from Tashjian
Towers quoted for replacement value after deeming that replacement was required.
With proper documentation everything was handled professionally and efficiently.
I was subsequently dropped from that insurance company during policy renewal
even after being with them for twelve years without a previous claim.
A local insurance agent spoke to other various underwriters and had two
competing company’s for my business without issue before there was a lapse in
coverage.
Your thinking is valid... my base required a certain model replacement and
that’s what I documented and asked for to keep costs down and not having to
remove the old base which was still structurally sound.
A new crankup from US Tower will cost you a lot considering their current
prices and I’m not surprised that the ARRL’s cap doesn’t work for you as it
wouldn’t have for myself either. It’s expensive to have this done the way an
insurance company wants it done, but at least the work will be done safely and
within code which is their main concern.
I was at first amazed by the estimate that we submitted but having seen the
labor first hand (and the fact that the replacement tower had much thicker wall
diameter’s to meet our ever increasing state codes) it became quite apparent
why it cost more than I thought. Both the tower manufacturer and installer did
their own excellent jobs with demo, haul away, fabrication, permit plans, and
installation.
My advice is to document your talks with your current insurance company through
emails as while the claims process was fine, the underwriter later claimed no
knowledge of my communications with the company via phone calls when I had
permitted and built the structure. The reason for dropping me was that they had
not known of the increased risk due to my tower structure previously, that was
utter BS as I talked to them during planning, building, and after completion.
End of the day they paid out but the dropping portion still bothers me based on
the way they justified dropping me. Not everyone will be honest.
73,
Tim / N6WIN.
Sent from Yahoo Mail for iPhone
On Tuesday, April 3, 2018, 12:14, Don W7WLL <w7wll@arrl.net> wrote:
My tower and all are covered by my homeowners insurance as accessory items
on the property.
Don W7WLL
-----Original Message-----
From: john@kk9a.com
Sent: Tuesday, April 03, 2018 11:56 AM
To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Insurance for my tower??
You can increase your home owner's accessory structure insured amounts.
$50k for a 20 year old 72' crankup seems excessive.
John KK9A
Dick Blumenstein WroteL
I have just completed a tower build which took me a good part of a year
to do.
Last October a rare tornado came through the area and devastated a lot
of homes, trees and property. I started wondering if my house insurance
would have covered the tower and antennas if it was up at that time. I
found out.... mostly not; i.e. Actual Cash Value (ACV) not Replacement
Cost, and then only up to 10% of my house insurance limit. They also
couldn't tell me exactly how an adjuster would calculate the ACV.
The 72' US Tower I bought and installed was in fairly good shape and
about 20 years old. I realized that one of the scenarios in a downed
tower would be the ability to find the _exact_ same replacement tower to
exactly fit over the embedded 1" bolts sticking up through the concrete
base. I don't even want to think about that issue!
I checked with the ARRL tower insurance folks (Risk Strategies Company)
and their limit is only $15K and hence I was told they couldn't insure it.
Since a replacement value on the tower, motorized winch systems, prop
pitch motor, mast and antennae if totaled (plus labor to haul away the
broken pieces and INSTALL all the replacement parts) could cost $50K or
more (for new), I was wondering if any other company insures ham radio
towers?
Thanks,
Dick, K0CAT
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