You never really know your insurance coverage until you have to use it. Foolishly we were covered under homeowners not an ag plan as we should have been (with a shop that size, equip etc). Come to find out, most homeowner's plans cover outbuildings (garages etc) at a percentage of the home's value ---- in our case 10% of home value. So we ended up paying about half of the basic rebuild out of pocket (~$17,000 OP).
Contents were covered at same as home - BUT you have to send them a list of what you had AND they use a national database that links your "stuff" to what the cost is somewhere ........ so be specific as to make, model, HP etc or the database will match you with a Walmart brand "thing". Also, they sort of pro-rate (depreciate) stuff and you can get some of that depreciation back IF you are willing to go through the hassle (they assume most people won't). An example - say a 1/2" drill was lost and valued by them at $150 but they estimate or you tell them you've had it for 2 yrs .... they might give you $80 for it upfront. After you buy the new drill you can submit the receipt to them for the balance between what they gave you ($80) and what you paid, not to exceed their est $150 valuation.
So my advice:
See what your coverage is (some folks do have replacement cost on the contents).
Make sure you have some sort of basic inventory just in case something happens. Looking through charred remnants is way harder to ID stuff than you'd think. I've thought about doing a digital camera/video of the shop every so often OR trying to keep an inventory on an Excel spreadsheet or something.
Don't use heat lamps on calves (cause).
Bazateer - that was a metal pole building --- not that much wood on it. Plenty of flammables IN it ...... when the bay door is left open
This happened very fast. I drove up past the shop at 9PM and guarantee there was no fire ...... 10:30PM looked out upstairs bathroom window and saw flames shooting out the roof. Called 911 and waited (we're 5 miles out of town with a volunteer FD) and watched things burn. Luckily my tractor wouldn't fit in the shop (too full) but it did melt the headlamp covers.
Certainly a nightmare. No one hurt but we lost 6 calves.
We're in northern Idaho -- a couple of pictures for you
