Dwelling coverage
Pays to repair or rebuild the house itself after a covered loss. The limit should reflect what it would cost to rebuild at today's prices, not the market value or the mortgage balance.
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Homeowners Insurance
For people who own and live in a house. If you own a condo unit, the questions are different; see condo insurance. If you rent your home, see renters insurance.
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What to review
The questions that matter
Other structures and your belongings
Other structures covers detached garages, fences and sheds, often as a percentage of the dwelling limit. Personal property covers your belongings, at home and often away from it.
Liability and medical payments
Personal liability responds to covered claims that you injured someone or damaged their property, at home or elsewhere, and usually includes your defense. Medical payments pays smaller injury bills for guests regardless of fault.
Loss of use
Pays additional living expenses, such as temporary housing and higher food costs, while your home can't be lived in after a covered loss.
Endorsements to ask about
Ordinance or law pays some of the extra cost of rebuilding to current building codes. Water or sewer backup covers water that backs up through drains. Extended replacement cost adds a cushion above the dwelling limit.
Policy conditions
Policies set duties after a loss, such as prompt notice and protecting the property from further damage. They commonly exclude gradual damage such as slow leaks, wear and tear, and lack of maintenance.
Illustrative example
a kitchen fire
A kitchen fire damages cabinets and wiring, and the house can't be lived in for six weeks. Dwelling coverage can pay to repair the structure, personal property can cover damaged belongings, and loss of use can pay for temporary housing, each subject to its limits and the deductible. If the rebuild has to meet current electrical code, ordinance or law coverage decides whether that extra cost is covered. A real claim depends on the facts and the policy.
What to prepare
- Property address, year built, square footage and construction type
- Roof age, and any updates to roofing, wiring, plumbing or heating
- Mortgage lender details, if any
- Your current declarations page
- Claims in recent years
- High-value items you may want to schedule
Questions people ask
Quick answers
- Enough to rebuild the home at current construction costs. That can be more or less than the market value or what you owe on the mortgage.
- Generally no. Flood needs a separate policy, such as through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer, and earthquake is usually a separate endorsement or policy.
- Replacement cost pays to repair or replace without deducting depreciation, usually once the work is done. Actual cash value deducts depreciation.
- Many insurers offer multi-policy pricing. Compare the bundled price with separate policies on equivalent coverage before deciding.
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