Home Insurance

Section I — Property Coverages

• Coverage A – Dwelling
  Covers the value of the dwelling itself (not including the land). Typically, a coinsurance clause states that as long as the dwelling is insured to 80% of actual value, losses will be adjusted at replacement cost, up to the policy limits. This is in place to give a buffer against inflation. Renter’s insurance typically has no Coverage A, although it has additional coverages for improvements.

• Coverage B – Other Structures
  Covers other structure around the property that are not used for business, except as a private garage. Typically limited at 10% to 20% of the Coverage A, with additional amounts available by endorsement.

• Coverage C – Personal Property
  Covers personal property, with limits for the theft and loss of particular classes of items (e.g., $500 for money, banknotes, bullion, coins, medals, etc.). Typically 50 to 70% of coverage A is required for contents, which means that consumers may pay for much more insurance than necessary.

• Coverage D – Loss of Use/Additional Living Expenses
  Covers expenses associated with additional living expenses, for example, rental expenses, and fair rental value, if part of the residence was rented, however only the rental income for the actual rent of the space not services provided such as utilities.

• Additional Coverages
  Covers a variety of expenses such as debris removal, reasonable repairs, damage to trees and shrubs for certain named perils (excluding the most common causes of damage, wind and ice), fire department changes, removal of property, credit card / identity theft charges, loss assessment, collapse, landlord’s furnishing, and some building additions. These vary depending upon the form.

• Exclusions
  In an open perils policy, specific exclusions will be stated in this section. These generally include earth movement, water damage, power failure, neglect, war, nuclear hazard, septic tank back-up expenses, intentional loss, and concurrent causation. The concurrent causation exclusion excludes losses where both a covered and an excluded loss occur. In addition, the exclusion for building ordinance can mean that increased expenses due to local ordinances may not be covered. A 2013 survey of Americans found that 41% believed mold was covered, although it is typically not covered if the water damage occurs over a period of time, such as through a leaky pipe.

• Floods
  Flood damage is typically excluded under standard homeowners and renters insurance policies. Flood coverage, however, is available in the form of a separate policy both from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and from a few private insurers.

Section II — Liability Coverages

• Coverage E – Personal Liability
  Covers damages which the insured is legally liable for and provides a legal defense at the insurer’s own expense. About a third of the losses for this coverage are from dog bites.