When it comes to homeowners insurance, you likely have many questions, with “What does it cover?” and “What doesn’t it cover?” probably being the most important. Here are some things to be aware of.
A basic homeowners insurance policy covers your home and possessions in the case of fire, windstorm (unless you live in a hurricane zone), hail (not available everywhere), explosion, riots, aircraft (and things falling from aircraft), vehicles (and things thrown from vehicles), smoke, vandalism (although not all policies), malicious mischief, theft and volcanic eruption. This policy is called HO-1 among insurance agents.
The problem is not all states allow this policy to be sold. Often you will have to upgrade your insurance to cover everything. HO-2 covers what’s in HO-1 plus damage due to falling objects; the weight of ice, snow and sleet; damage to electrical parts due to power surges; flooding from your appliances, plumbing, HVAC or fire-protection sprinkler system; glass breakage; and abrupt collapse (like from termite damage, for example).
These insurance policies feel very comprehensive. Surely not much else can go wrong, right? But what they don’t cover are natural occurrences such as floods, landslides, sinkholes, pollution and hurricanes. Sure, you can upgrade your insurance to cover specifics, especially if you live in a hurricane-prone state, but it can be quite hard to cover yourself. If you’ve bought an old home, you may also require an additional insurance policy.
Are you unsure what your homeowners policy covers? Call or email us, and we can go over your policy and ensure you have the coverage you need.