Question concerning hail and auto insurance (Colorado Springs, Boulder: roofing, live, price)

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by jonwb

Hmm? Just a thought. Do you know if the change in climate is expected to increase the chances of hail storm events around the higher elevations like COS?

And... Is $4700 a year common for homeowners insurance? That's 2/3 of my current property taxes! Yikes!

I expect storms to worsen, since they have is most places. I suspect that what we paid for insurance is fairly common, depending on value of home, etc. When we left our taxes and insurance were about equal.

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by jonwb

Hmm? Just a thought. Do you know if the change in climate is expected to increase the chances of hail storm events around the higher elevations like COS?

And... Is $4700 a year common for homeowners insurance? That's 2/3 of my current property taxes! Yikes!

Climate scientists believe that hail may become less likely, but when it does happen the hail stones will be larger because the warming layer that will melt the hail stones is rising. That means smaller stones will melt easier, but larger stones will still fall.

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

I never carried comprehensive and collision until we moved to COS. I added it just for hail. I ran the numbers, and the additional cost seemed like a good bet to me. My wife parks in our garage, but my truck won't fit in the garage. Who knows if I'll ever need it, but there have been some truly insane hail storms here.

My roofer a couple years ago told me about a customer of his in 2016 who had hail coming in through the structure of the roof and into the rooms of his house. He had to take cover in a doorway. That's obviously an extreme situation, and it's the sort of anecdote a roofer picks up out of the hundreds of customers he's seen (and during one of the worst hail storms in Colorado history), but crazy stuff can happen. In 2018, a neighbor of mine was over near the zoo during the hail storm that killed some birds in the zoo, and his b-pillars on his sedan were dented in. It totalled the car.

A lot of people think "Oh, I'll just drive the car with the damage," and that's fine if you're the sort to drive the same car for years and years until it's value gets pretty low. But if you ever go to sell it, significant hail damage can really affect the value of a car. That needs to play into the financial analysis, too.

[jonwb]

Originally Posted by Mike from back east

I suspect that what we paid for insurance is fairly common, depending on value of home, etc. When we left our taxes and insurance were about equal.

Wow, even with our flood, our insurance only rose to $1400. After five years with no claims, it'll go back to around $800. Still, $4700 a year seems like an insane amount. I'm not surprised you moved to AZ

[jonwb]

Originally Posted by bluescreen73

Climate scientists believe that hail may become less likely, but when it does happen the hail stones will be larger because the warming layer that will melt the hail stones is rising. That means smaller stones will melt easier, but larger stones will still fall.

You're not selling me on this move

[bluescreen73]

Originally Posted by jonwb

You're not selling me on this move

We don't typically get the baseball sized hail that places like DFW get. Here it usually maxes out at ping-pong sized. Most hail storms are pea to marble size.

[COcheesehead]

I had hail damage twice. $1800 the first time. Did paintless dent repair. $9600 on the second. They didn’t total the car on the second, but we took the check from insurance, then traded in the car and got $3000 for the trade. The total was more than KBB value. Winner!

[phetaroi]

Originally Posted by jonwb

You're not selling me on this move

https://gazette.com/business/july-ha...912ec956d.html

Ah yes, I remember it well.

[jonwb]

Originally Posted by phetaroi

https://gazette.com/business/july-ha...912ec956d.html

Ah yes, I remember it well.

Wow... any chance the hail storms are weaker in the Boulder foothill communities?

[Wittgenstein's Ghost]

Originally Posted by jonwb

Wow... any chance the hail storms are weaker in the Boulder foothill communities?

The 2016 storm was the worst in Colorado Springs history, I believe. Our hail is rarely like that. And I'd be surprised if other front range areas are significantly better.