Once you spend money on homeowners insurance, what does it actually cover?
A regular homeowners insurance policy clearly spells out which perils are covered and which perils aren’t covered.
A standard special form homeowner’s insurance policy is said to have open perils, which is a slightly misleading way of saying that you’re covered against everything except what’s specifically listed in the exclusions section of the policy.
Watch the video below or keep reading for the full list…
What is covered on a homeowners insurance policy?
According to a standard Insurance Services Office (ISO) HO-3 policy (the template for most insurance policies), your homeowners’ insurance covers you against the following perils:
- Fire or lightning
- Windstorm or hail
- Explosion
- Riot or civil commotion
- Aircraft
- Vehicles
- Smoke
- Vandalism
- Theft
- Falling objects
- Weight of snow, ice, or sleet
- Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam
- Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning or bulging
- Freezing of plumbing
- Sudden and accidental damage from an artificially generated electrical current
- Volcanic eruption
READ NEXT: How Much Homeowners Insurance Do I Need?
What does homeowners insurance not cover?
The most common exclusions that not even the best homeowners insurance company will cover include the following.
- Earth movement (earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, subsidence, sinkholes, and so on)
- Water damage (when it’s from flooding, surface water, waves, tidal water, a sewer backup, or groundwater seeping up into the home)
- Power failure
- Neglect
- Ordinance of law (meaning the government orders you to tear down, rebuild, or renovate your home to meet local ordinances)
- War
- Nuclear hazard
- Intentional loss
- Governmental action
- Mischievous acts
- Birds, vermin, rodents, or insects
- Animals owned by an insured
- Mold, fungus, or wet rot (unless it’s hidden within the walls or ceilings or beneath floors after an accidental discharge or overflow of water from plumbing or HVAC systems)
Not this doesn’t mean that you can’t endorse some of these coverages back onto your homeowners insurance policy (or purchase a stand-alone policy) if you feel need the coverage.
The Rub
Every homeowners’ insurance company writes their home insurance policy a little different.
Never assume you have coverage.
Ask your insurance professional if you have questions or concerns about your policy.
If you have questions about your homeowners’ insurance, both either a coverage or price perspective, or you want to make sure you’re working with a great company who’s always going to be there when you need them, give us a call.
We are homeowners insurance experts, it’s what we do all day long here at Rogue Risk.
You can call us at (518) 960-6600 or click here to contact us online.
Thank you and have a great day,
Ryan Hanley
