Home Insurance Coverage Options

Insuring Your Home

Your Residence Type Matters
Structures vary so widely that a different policy is required for each type of home.

• A Condo policy typically covers interior structures like wallboard and lighting fixtures. Depending on your stateassociation, your by-laws, and insurer, external walls will not be covered.
• A Home’s entire structure is covered along with sheds and detached garages.
• A Manufactured Home’s entire structure is usually covered, while sheds and garages may require an optional policy.
• A Renters policy usually has no physical structure coverage at all, but it does provide essential liability and contents coverage.

Most Unfortunate Events are Covered
Most insurance companies offer coverage for the same events that may damage the structure of your home, including fire, smoke, lightning, wind, hail, frozen plumbing, theft, explosion, vandalism, the weight of ice and snow, and a few others.

Excluded Events are Named in the Policy
An agent can explain the events that would not be covered by your specific policy when it comes to your home’s structure. Typically, floods and earthquakes are excluded from basic policies, but you may be able to get insurance for those with separate policies. A few other conditions most companies specifically exclude are mold, fungus, wet rot, dry rot and bacteria.

Personal Property Insurance

The Amount You Have To Replace Your Stuff
There is a maximum amount your insurance will pay for your personal property. This Limit is usually a percentage of your Structure Limit (the maximum amount your insurance policy will pay to rebuild your home).

Special Categories That Have Limits
Insurance companies group certain kinds of things into categories. Some categories have a maximum amount that can be paid to replace all the items in the category. Within a few categories, there's also a maximum amount to be paid for any single item. To make sure all your stuff is adequately covered, you'll want to go over your policy's category and item limits with your agent. More information on this subject can be found in the article How To Choose Property Coverage.

Actual Cash Value vs. Replacement Cost
Most of your things decrease in value over time. That purple leather sofa isn't worth anywhere near as much as you paid for it back in '92. When you purchase coverage for your personal property, choosing Actual Cash Value or Replacement Cost is one of the most important decisions you may need to make.

Liability Insurance

Accidents Happen…
…and so do lawsuits. Liability insurance helps keep a stranger's misfortune from becoming yours. For example, letting a tree branch grow over the sidewalk doesn't look like a dangerous hazard. But if a child is knocked off her parent's shoulder, falling to the sidewalk – you could potentially be accused of negligence and sued. If you are found liable in court, your personal assets could be at risk.

Family Liability Coverage helps protect you against the financial uncertainty arising from injury or property damage that you or your family may cause to other people – on or away from your property. It typically includes compensation for the injured party, the cost of defending you in court and any court awards or settlements up to the limits of your policy.