Homeowners Insurance Coverages (2024)

Homeowners Insurance Coverages (1)

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What are the standard homeowners insurance coverages?

Standard homeowners insurance includes coverage for your house, other structures on your property, your belongings, personal liability, medical payments coverage to others, and even temporary living expenses while your home is being rebuilt or repaired due to a covered loss.

Find the typical coverages you’ll have required or available to you below, or estimate how much homeowners insurance coverage you'll need with our home insurance calculator.

Standard homeowners insurance coverages

These basic homeowners insurance coverages are included in your homeowners policy.

Dwelling coverage may pay for damage to your house and structures permanently attached to it.

Example: A windstorm damages your home’s roof. Dwelling coverage may pay to repair or replace what's damaged.

Other structures (Coverage B)

Covers structures not permanently attached to your house

Other structures coverage includes detached garages, gazebos, patios, sheds, pergolas, fences, and driveways.

Example: During a windstorm, a tree falls and damages your shed. Other structures coverage may pay to repair or replace the unattached structure that was damaged.

Personal possessions (Coverage C)

Covers personal belongings if they're stolen or damaged

Personal property coverage may cover your personal belongings damaged by a covered peril.

Certain limits may apply to your more expensive items like jewelry, art and collectibles but additional coverage may be available by purchasing an endorsem*nt.

Example: Someone breaks into your garage and steals your bicycle and camping equipment. Your home insurance may pay to replace the stolen items, up to the limits of your policy and minus your deductible. Learn more about how home insurance covers theft.

Loss of use (Coverage D)

Covers increase in living expenses

Loss of use coverage covers expenses above what you'd normally pay, up to your policy’s limits, if your home is damaged from a covered loss and you can't stay there while it’s being repaired or rebuilt.

Example: There's a fire in your home, and you can't stay there for two weeks while it is being repaired. If you spend $1,000 eating out, loss of use may cover the food bill beyond what you normally spend, and your rent/hotel expenses. Make sure you keep your receipts.

Personal liability (Coverage E)

Covers lawsuits against you

Personal liability coverage protects you financially if you are responsible for someone’s injuries or damage to their property.

Example: A delivery person falls because of a loose railing at your house and sues you for their medical bills, lost wages, and damaged merchandise. Personal liability may cover you.

Medical payments (Coverage F)

Covers injuries on your property

Medical payments to others coverage may pay for medical expenses if someone is injured due to a covered occurrence.

Example: Your child's friend breaks her arm at your house, and their parents ask you to pay the medical bill. Medical payments may cover the medical costs.

Optional homeowners insurance coverages

There are many types of home insurance. You may be able to add any of these coverages to customize your policy based on your needs.

Water back-up and sump discharge or overflow

Covers damage from water that backs up, overflows, or discharges from sewers, drains, sump pumps, or related equipment.

Some homes have sump pumps in their basem*nts/crawl spaces, which are designed to pump water out from underneath and around your foundation. Sump pumps, plumbing and sewers can get backed up. Water back-up coverage may pay for damage to your belongings and water removal.

Example: Your sump pump breaks down, and water backs up, overflows, or discharges into your basem*nt, damaging your carpet, furniture, belongings, etc. Water back-up coverage may pay for the sewage removal and damage to your property.

Learn about how homeowners insurance covers water damage.

Personal injury

Covers uncommon but expensive lawsuits and situations

Personal injury covers your legal fees and additional damages from:

  • Slander or libel lawsuits (something you say/write that damages a person's reputation or business)
  • Malicious prosecution
  • Wrongful eviction or wrongful entry
  • False arrest, detention, or imprisonment

Example: Your teenage child damages their teacher's reputation by spreading a rumor. So, the teacher decides to sue you. Personal injury may cover your lawyer, court fees, and any damages you have to pay.

Perils: What you're protected against

Perils are occurrences that can damage your house, other structures on your property, and your belongings.

Some of the perils that are typically covered

  • Fire or Lightning
  • Smoke
  • Damage from tornadoes
  • Power surges
  • Damage from the weight of ice, snow, or sleet
  • Volcanic eruption
  • Windstorms or hail
  • Theft
  • Explosions (e.g., aerosol can or gas grill)
  • Vandalism or malicious mischief
  • Vehicles/aircraft crashing into your home
  • Damage from falling trees or other objects
  • Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam (damage from leaking roofs, bursting pipes, or broken appliances, but not floods)

Learn more about covered perils.

What's not covered?

Home insurance policies won’t cover floods (if you live in a flood plain, your lender will likely require this insurance) earthquakes, landslides, mudslides or sinkholes.

General wear and tear typically won’t be covered by your policy, like if your roof is old and simply needs to be replaced. However, a roof damaged in a storm and heavy winds may be covered, up to your dwelling coverage limit minus any applicable deductible

Learn more about what homeowners insurance covers and how home insurance works.

Homeowners Insurance Coverages (3)

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Homeowners Insurance Coverages (2024)

FAQs

What are the 4 major categories of coverage in homeowners insurance? ›

Types of Coverage in a Homeowner's Insurance Policy
  • Damage to House. - Covers damage to the house. ...
  • Other Structures. - Covers damage to other structures or buildings, such as a detached garage, work shed, or fencing.
  • Personal Property. ...
  • Additional Living Expenses. ...
  • Comprehensive Personal Liability. ...
  • Medical Expense.

What is usually covered in home insurance? ›

Homeowners insurance covers damage to your home, property, personal belongings, and other assets in your home. Your homeowners insurance policy may also cover living expenses above your normal cost of living if a covered loss forces you to stay elsewhere while your home is being repaired or rebuilt.

What are the three basic levels of coverage that exist for homeowners insurance? ›

There are three coverage options:
  • Actual Cash Value.
  • Replacement Cost.
  • Guaranteed/Extended Replacement Cost.

What is coverage C on a homeowners policy? ›

Personal property coverage, which is Coverage C within home insurance policies, helps to pay for your personal items that have been damaged, destroyed or stolen due to a covered peril. It's standard protection within many home insurance policies and is pivotal to cover those personal items that mean the most to you.

What is coverage F on a homeowners policy? ›

Coverage F, or “Medical Payments to Others” coverage is the component of your homeowners insurance policy which will help pay towards injuries sustained by someone who is not the insured, or a regular resident of the property.

What is covered by coverage B? ›

Coverage B will cover damage to the detached structures of your home such as fences, outdoor kitchens and bars, sheds, pools, guest houses, and detached garages. Coverage is typically defaulted to 10% of Coverage A but may be increased to up to 70% of the Coverage A limit.

What is the most common damage to your home that insurance does not cover? ›

Earthquake and water damage

In most states, earthquakes, sinkholes, and other earth movements are not covered by your standard policy. Earthquake insurance can be purchased as an endorsem*nt (an addendum) for an additional fee in all states except California.

What is not covered in a homeowners policy? ›

Homeowners insurance doesn't cover floods, earthquakes, typical wear and tear, and damage due to insufficient maintenance. You can usually add flood and earthquake coverage to your policy for an additional fee, but wear and tear and damage from a lack of maintenance are considered preventable.

What is usually excluded from typical homeowners insurance? ›

Earthquakes, landslides and sinkholes generally aren't covered under home insurance. Exceptions include Florida and Tennessee, where insurers must offer optional sinkhole protection. Aside from that, you'll need separate coverage for these disasters, which your insurer can help you find.

What is the most common homeowners insurance policy? ›

HO-3. The most common type of homeowners insurance is the HO-3 policy, which covers your home, your personal property, liability, additional living expenses and medical payments.

What is the most complete homeowners insurance policy coverage called? ›

Called a comprehensive policy, an HO-5 policy offers the highest level of insurance coverage for houses and belongings. It covers your house and belongings under all circ*mstances except those listed as exclusions in the policy. The exclusions for HO-5 policies are the same as those under an HO-3.

What is the most basic homeowner policy known as? ›

HO-1 Basic Form Policy: The HO-1 policy is the most basic and limited homeowner insurance option. It provides coverage for a specific list of perils, such as fire, lightning, hail, theft, and vandalism.

What is coverage D in a homeowners policy? ›

Coverage D, or what is often referred to as “loss of use” or “additional living expenses” coverage provides coverage for the additional living expenses incurred, as a result of your home being deemed uninhabitable due to damage sustained from a covered peril.

What does coverage e mean in insurance? ›

The Coverage E—Personal Liability Coverage provisions provide coverage if a claim is made or a suit is brought against an insured because of bodily injury or property damage arising from a covered occurrence.

What are the six categories typically covered by homeowners insurance? ›

A standard homeowners insurance policy covers the following:
  • Dwelling Coverage.
  • Other Structures Coverage.
  • Personal Property Coverage.
  • Loss of Use / Additional Living Expenses Coverage.
  • Liability Coverage.
  • Medical Payments to Others Coverage.
May 22, 2024

What are the four levels of coverage? ›

Plans in the Marketplace are presented in 4 health plan categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. (“Catastrophic” plans are also available to some people.) Health plan categories are based on how you and your plan split the costs of your health care.

What are the 4 recommended type of insurance? ›

Four types of insurance that most financial experts recommend include life, health, auto, and long-term disability.

What are the 3 types of coverage available in dwelling policies? ›

Dwelling policy coverages
  • Coverage A (Dwelling): Covers the main dwelling, including attached garages or carports.
  • Coverage B (Other Structures): Covers detached structures on the property.
  • Coverage C (Personal Property): Covers personal belongings.

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