Fall is a beautiful time in Indiana: but it is also a season of preparation. Before freezing temperatures, severe storms, icy roads, and increased deer activity arrive, a few simple checks can help protect your home, vehicles, and family.
Fall is also an excellent time to review your insurance. Your home, belongings, vehicles, and household needs may have changed since your last policy review. Taking a closer look now can help you avoid surprises when you need your coverage most.
Use this practical checklist to get started.
Home and Property Checklist
Clean the gutters and inspect the roof
Leaves and debris can quickly collect in gutters and downspouts. When they become clogged, rainwater may overflow toward your roof, siding, foundation, or basement. In freezing weather, trapped water can also contribute to ice buildup and damage.
Before winter arrives:
- Clean leaves and debris from gutters.
- Make sure downspouts direct water away from the foundation.
- Look for loose, cracked, curling, or missing shingles.
- Check flashing around chimneys, vents, and skylights.
- Look for signs of leaks in the attic or ceilings.
- Repair small problems before they become larger winter claims.
A roof inspection is especially important after Indiana’s spring and summer thunderstorms. Wind and hail damage are not always obvious from the ground, so consider having a qualified professional inspect the roof if you suspect damage.
Your homeowners policy may cover certain storm-related losses, but coverage depends on the policy language, cause of damage, deductible, and condition of the property. Preventive maintenance is still the homeowner’s responsibility.
Trim trees and secure outdoor items
Indiana’s fall and winter storms can bring high winds, heavy rain, ice, and occasionally significant snowfall. Weak or overhanging branches can damage roofs, vehicles, fences, and power lines.
Walk around your property and:
- Trim dead or damaged branches.
- Remove branches touching the roof or power lines: but use a qualified professional when necessary.
- Check large trees for signs of disease or instability.
- Secure patio furniture, grills, umbrellas, and decorations.
- Store lightweight items that could become airborne.
- Inspect fences, gates, and sheds for loose or damaged sections.
Taking care of these items now can help reduce storm damage and keep your property safer for guests, neighbors, and passersby.
Check heating systems and fireplaces
Your furnace, fireplace, and other heating equipment will soon be working harder. Schedule professional maintenance for your heating system and address unusual noises, weak airflow, or inconsistent temperatures.
If you use a fireplace or wood-burning stove:
- Have the chimney inspected and cleaned as recommended.
- Check for damaged masonry or loose components.
- Keep flammable items away from the hearth.
- Use a sturdy screen or door to contain sparks.
- Dispose of ashes safely and only after they have fully cooled.
If you use portable space heaters, place them on a level, nonflammable surface and keep them away from curtains, bedding, furniture, and children.
Test smoke and carbon monoxide detectors
Smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors should be tested regularly: not just when the weather turns cold.
Check that:
- Smoke detectors are installed on every level of the home.
- Carbon monoxide detectors are near sleeping areas and on each level where appropriate.
- Batteries are fresh or the units are connected to working power.
- Detectors are not past their recommended service life.
- Everyone in the household knows what to do if an alarm sounds.
Carbon monoxide is an especially important concern during heating season because it is colorless and odorless. If an alarm sounds, leave the home and contact emergency services from a safe location.
Review Your Homeowners Insurance
Confirm your replacement-cost limits
Your home’s current market value is not necessarily the same as the cost to rebuild it. Labor, materials, construction standards, and local conditions can change over time.
Review whether your dwelling coverage still reflects the estimated replacement cost of your home. This is particularly important if you have:
- Completed an addition or major renovation.
- Updated a kitchen or bathroom.
- Finished a basement.
- Added custom features or higher-end materials.
- Replaced a roof, furnace, HVAC system, or electrical system.
- Experienced significant changes in local construction costs.
Also review coverage for other structures, personal property, and additional living expenses. If a covered loss makes your home temporarily unlivable, additional living expense coverage may help with eligible costs while repairs are completed.
Update your home inventory
A current home inventory can make the claims process easier after a fire, theft, or major storm loss. Walk through each room and photograph or record your belongings. Save receipts, appraisals, and serial numbers for high-value items such as jewelry, electronics, collectibles, firearms, and specialty equipment.
Store your inventory somewhere safe outside the home, such as secure cloud storage.
It is also worth asking whether you need special endorsements for valuable property or whether certain items have coverage limits under your current policy.
Understand exclusions and deductibles
Homeowners insurance does not cover every type of loss. For example, standard homeowners policies generally do not cover flood damage. If your property is at risk from overflowing rivers, heavy rainfall, drainage issues, or surface water, ask whether separate flood insurance may be appropriate.
Review your wind, hail, water, and other deductibles. A deductible should be an amount your household could reasonably pay after a covered loss.
The Indiana Department of Insurance property insurance resources offer additional consumer information, but your agent can help explain how your specific policy applies to your home.
Prepare Your Vehicles for Indiana Fall and Winter
Get ready for rain, frost, and ice
Fall driving can bring wet roads, morning frost, reduced visibility, and sudden temperature changes. Before winter weather arrives:
- Check tire tread and tire pressure.
- Inspect windshield wipers.
- Top off windshield washer fluid rated for freezing temperatures.
- Test the battery.
- Check coolant and other essential fluids.
- Make sure headlights, brake lights, and turn signals work.
- Keep an emergency kit in the vehicle.
- Remove leaves and debris from windshield vents and lights.
If you frequently drive rural roads or travel long distances, consider keeping blankets, water, a flashlight, jumper cables, and basic first-aid supplies in the vehicle.
Watch for deer
Deer activity often increases in Indiana during the fall, particularly around dawn, dusk, and breeding season. Stay alert in wooded or rural areas, reduce your speed when you see warning signs, and remember that deer often travel in groups.
If a collision with a deer occurs, comprehensive coverage commonly applies to animal-related damage. However, coverage, deductibles, and claim handling depend on your individual policy. Ask your agent specifically how your policy treats deer collisions.
Review auto coverage and roadside assistance
Fall is a good time to review more than just your liability limits. Consider whether your policy still includes the protection you need, including:
- Liability coverage.
- Collision coverage.
- Comprehensive coverage.
- Uninsured or underinsured motorist coverage.
- Rental reimbursement.
- Roadside assistance or towing.
Comprehensive coverage may help with certain non-collision losses, such as theft, hail, falling branches, or animal strikes. Collision coverage generally addresses damage from a crash with another vehicle or object. Your deductible applies according to the coverage involved.
Roadside assistance can be useful during cold-weather breakdowns, flat tires, dead batteries, or lockouts. If you rely on your vehicle for work, school, medical appointments, or family responsibilities, also consider whether rental reimbursement would be valuable after a covered loss.
You can learn more about available coverage options on Jett Insurance’s auto insurance information page.
Don’t Forget College Students and Seasonal Belongings
If a child recently moved into a dorm, apartment, or college house, review how their belongings are insured. Depending on the policy and living arrangement, a student may have limited coverage under a parents’ homeowners policy: or may need renters insurance.
Ask about:
- Personal property away from home.
- Computers, bicycles, musical instruments, and electronics.
- Items kept in a shared apartment.
- Liability coverage.
- Whether a separate renters policy is recommended.
Coverage can vary based on whether the student lives in a dorm, rents an apartment, or maintains a separate residence. Do not assume everything is automatically covered.
Also review seasonal belongings such as boats, trailers, recreational vehicles, hunting equipment, tools, and winter sports gear. Some items may require separate policies, endorsements, or specific storage requirements.
Review Life Insurance and Your Overall Household Coverage
Insurance reviews should include more than your home and auto policies. Fall is a natural time to revisit life insurance and household protection: especially after a major life change.
Consider a review if you have:
- Married or divorced.
- Had a child.
- Purchased a home.
- Changed jobs or income.
- Started or sold a business.
- Taken on new debt.
- Helped support aging parents.
- Experienced a change in beneficiaries.
- Had a child leave for college.
Make sure your life insurance amount, beneficiaries, and policy type still fit your family’s needs. Health insurance and other benefits may also deserve a closer look during employer open enrollment.
Jett Insurance offers life and health insurance guidance as part of a broader household coverage review.
Make Fall Your Annual Insurance Review
A little preparation can go a long way when Indiana weather becomes unpredictable. Cleaning gutters, maintaining heating equipment, preparing vehicles, and updating your home inventory all help reduce risk. Reviewing your policies helps make sure your coverage keeps pace with your life.
At Jett Insurance Agency, Inc., we have served customers since 1990. As an independent agency, we work with multiple insurance carriers rather than representing just one company. That allows us to compare options and build a personalized policy profile around your household, budget, and priorities.
Our approach is simple: insurance is not one-size-fits-all.
Contact Jett Insurance for a fall coverage review, and let’s make sure your home, vehicles, belongings, and family are ready for the season ahead.