TL;DR
- We’re launching self-inspections for Homeowners customers to simplify the insurance experience.
- You’ll use the Lemonade app to snap a few photos around your home. The whole process takes about 10 minutes.
- The self-inspection helps us verify key details about your home, so we can make sure that you’re adequately protected.
Since we launched, Lemonade has always been about harnessing tech to make insurance fairer, simpler, faster, and more user-friendly.
Endless paperwork, red tape, and labyrinthine bureaucracies may have become all too familiar to insurance consumers, but Lemonade set out to reimagine the entire experience and put trust back into the industry.
To make that happen, we gather loads of data—thousands of times more than traditional insurers—which enables us to better understand our customers, assess risk, and provide people with the coverage they need.
Simply put, we’re obsessed with data, and we’re obsessed with our customers—and those two obsessions merge in our Homeowners product’s new self-inspection feature.
Before your Homeowners policy is up for renewal, you’ll hear from us with a request that you either provide us with a third-party professional inspection report from the past three years, or just snap a few pictures inside and around the exterior of your house so we can confirm key details about its condition and make sure that you’ve got the right protection.
If you decide to go the self-inspection route, here’s what you should know.
How it works
Several weeks before your policy is set to renew, we’ll reach out via email, SMS, and (if you’ve got the Lemonade app installed) push notification with all the info you need to get started.
If you don’t have the Lemonade app, you’ll need to install it to start your self-inspection. If you already have it, make sure the app is updated. From there, it’s a quick and straightforward process. Once you’re in the app, we’ll guide you through the roughly 10-minute process.
You’ll start inside, where we’ll ask for photos of your kitchen and bathrooms to verify your home’s construction materials and condition. These are key data points in making sure you’ve got enough reconstruction cost coverage to rebuild your home if it’s a total loss.
We’ll also ask for a few photos of your water heater, including the manufacturer label, to confirm its age. The age of your home’s water heater is one of the most important factors that determines whether or not we can extend coverage, since water heaters past their lifespan are more prone to leaks.
You’ll end the self-inspection with a few minutes in the great outdoors, where we’ll ask for photos of the front, back, and sides of your home, all of which will help us match you to the right level of reconstruction coverage, aka dwelling coverage.
Protected inside and out
Chances are that this will be the first time an insurance company has given you the chance conduct a self-inspection of your home.
Most companies will ask for a third-party inspection—and we still accept those!— but we’re putting trust in our customers themselves.
If you already have an inspection report or want to schedule an inspection, that’s perfectly fine. Don’t want to have someone come in to inspect your house and prefer to DIY? Self-inspection it is!
Without the vital info provided by an inspection report or your self-inspection, you may wind up underinsured, where you’re not adequately covered and are left vulnerable to potentially massive out-of-pocket costs. Or, you may be overinsured, a situation in which you’re paying for coverage you don’t need.
We understand that your home is much more than just a physical dwelling. It’s where you create memories, find comfort, and build your future. By providing us with a glimpse into your home, you’re taking an active role in ensuring that your homeowners insurance policy aligns perfectly with your needs.
Safeguarding your most valuable asset, and your privacy
Beyond its sentimental value, chances are that your home is your biggest financial asset—which is why we want you to feel confident and informed about your homeowners insurance.
You should also rest assured that the photos you provide through your self-inspection will be treated with the utmost care and privacy. We’re only using your photos for your renewal review.
Next steps after your self-inspection
After you’ve completed your self-inspection, we’ll review your photos and be in touch with you about your homeowners insurance renewal.
Any questions about how the feature works? Check out our FAQs below, or reach out to the Lemonade team, and we’ll be more than happy to help.
Self-inspection FAQs
Am I required to complete the self-inspection?
If we reach out asking for a self-inspection, you’ll need to complete it in order for your coverage to be renewed.
Alternatively, you can send us a third-party professional home inspection report from the past three years.
How long does it take?
You can complete the entire self-inspection process in about 10 minutes.
Can I stop and save my progress?
While the self-inspection takes only a few minutes, we understand that life can be hectic and you can’t always get everything done in one go. Your progress is saved after you complete the interior journey, and your exterior inspection.
Should you stop in the middle of the interior inspection—after you’ve photographed your kitchen and bathroom, but before you’ve snapped your water heater, for example—you’d need to start the inspection over once you log back into the app. But if you finish everything inside, you’ll be able to pause the inspection and pick back up with the exterior journey later—just make sure you don’t forget to resume the inspection!
Do I need to install the Lemonade app?
Yes, the entire self-inspection journey is through our app.
What happens next?
Once you’ve submitted the pictures, our team will review your self-inspection ASAP. We’ll reach out if we need any more info before we make a decision on renewing your policy.
