"my agent literally asked if grass on roofs was 'a new trend.'"
Haha, sounds about right. Honestly, insurers can be so behind the curve sometimes. When I installed solar panels a few years back, they acted like I'd built a nuclear reactor in my backyard... Took weeks of back-and-forth emails and photos before they finally got it. You're spot-on about documentation though—tedious as it is, it's your best defense against their fine-print nonsense.
Haha, insurers really do seem to panic at anything remotely new or different. I had a similar experience when we put in a rainwater harvesting system—my agent acted like I'd installed some kind of medieval moat around the house. Took forever to convince them it wasn't a flooding hazard. You're right though, documenting everything is key... annoying, but it saves headaches later.
Insurance companies really do seem to have a knack for freaking out over the smallest things. When I bought my first house, I decided to put in a wood-burning stove—thought it'd be cozy and save on heating bills. Simple enough, right? Nope. My insurer acted like I'd just casually mentioned installing a nuclear reactor in the basement. They sent someone out twice to inspect it, asked for a million photos, and even wanted me to get some kind of special certification from the installer. It was ridiculous.
The funny thing is, after all that fuss, they ended up barely raising my premium at all. It felt like they just needed to panic first, then calm down once they realized it wasn't actually going to burn the neighborhood down. But yeah, documenting everything was definitely key. I kept every receipt, every email exchange, and even took extra photos just in case. Felt like overkill at the time, but it saved me from having to redo anything later.
Honestly though, sometimes I wonder if insurers just have a secret list of "things homeowners might enjoy" and automatically label them as risky. Rainwater harvesting systems, wood stoves, trampolines... what's next, raised garden beds being classified as trip hazards?
Had a similar experience when I installed a green roof on my shed. Insurer acted like moss and sedum were ticking time bombs... wanted engineering reports, drainage diagrams, the works. Did you have to jump through hoops for something eco-friendly too, or was it just me?
Yeah, insurers can get weird about anything that isn't cookie-cutter. When I put solar panels on my garage, they grilled me about roof load and wiring diagrams. Ended up submitting a bunch of photos and specs before they'd chill out... guess green doesn't always mean simple.
