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What type of disasters are covered?
Most homeowners
policies cover all disasters listed below. Some policies provide
coverage only for the first 10 listed. Check your insurance policies
for the "perils" covered.
| |
Dwelling & personal property |
Dwelling
|
Personal property
|
Dwelling & personal property |
Perils |
Basic HO-1*+ |
Broad HO-2* |
Special HO-3* |
Special HO-3 |
Renters HO-4 |
Condo/
Co-op HO-6 |
Modified Coverage
HO-8 |
| 1. Fire or lightning |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 2. Windstorm or hail |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 3. Explosion |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 4. Riot or civil commotion |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 5. Damage caused by aircraft |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 6. Damage caused by vehicles |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 7. Smoke |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 8. Vandalism or malicious mischief |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 9. Theft |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 10. Volcanic eruption |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
| 11. Falling object |
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
| 12. Weight of ice, snow or sleet |
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
| 13. Accidental discharge or overflow of water or
steam from within a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or automatic
fire-protective sprinkler system, or from a household appliance. |
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
| 14. Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking,
burning, or bulging of a steam or hot water heating system, an air
conditioning or automatic fire-protective system. |
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
| 15. Freezing of a plumbing, heating, air
conditioning or automatic, fire-protective sprinkler system, or of
a household appliance. |
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
| 16. Sudden and accidental damage from artificially
generated electrical current (does not include loss to a tube,
transistor or similar electronic component) |
|
x |
x |
x |
x |
x |
|
| All perils except flood, earthquake, war, nuclear
accident, landslide, mudslide, sinkhole and others specified in your
policy. Check your policy for a complete list of perils excluded. |
|
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x |
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* HO-1, HO-2 and HO-3 refer to standard
Homeowners Policies.
+HO-1 has been discontinued in most
states.
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Disasters not covered
- Floods
You can purchase flood coverage directly from your homeowners insurance
agent. However, the policy is provided by the Federal Flood Insurance
Program ( 888-379-9531, http://www.floodsmart.gov
).
You can get replacement cost coverage for the structure of your home,
but only actual cash value coverage is available for your possessions.
There may also be limits on coverage for furniture and other
possessions stored in your basement.
Flood insurance is available for renters as well as homeowners. You
will need flood insurance if you live in a designated flood zone. But
also consider buying it if your house could be flooded by melting snow,
an overflowing creek or water running down a steep hill. Don’t wait
until the evening news announces a flood season warning to buy a
policy. There is a 30-day waiting period before coverage takes effect.
- Earthquakes
Earthquake coverage can be a separate policy or an endorsement to your
homeowners or renters policy. It available from most insurance
companies. In California, it is also available from the California
Earthquake Authority ( http://www.earthquakeauthority.com/
). In
earthquake prone states like California, the policy comes with a high
deductible.
- Maintenance damage
It is your responsibility to take reasonable precautions to protect
your home from damage. Your insurance policy will not cover damage due
to lack of maintenance, mold, termite infestation and infestation from
other pests.
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RIGHTS RESERVED -
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