Homeowners Insurance Information
What Type of Disasters are Covered†?
Most Homeowner policies cover the disasters listed below. Some may provide coverage for only the first 10 listed. After reviewing the chart below, remember to check with your insurance provider to understand the "perils" covered under your policy.
| 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 |
Co-op/ Condo HO-6 |
Modified Coverage HO-8 |
1. Fire or lightning |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
2. Windstorm or hail |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
3. Explosion |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
4. Riot or civil commotion |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
5. Damage caused by aircraft |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
6. Damage caused by vehicles |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
7. Smoke |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
8. Vandalism or malicious mischief |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
9. Theft |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
10. Volcanic eruption |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ |
11. Falling object |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||
12. Weight of ice, snow, sleet |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||
13. Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam from within a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or automatic fire-protective sprinkler systems, or from a household appliance. |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||
14. Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking, burning, or bulging of a steam or hot water heating system, and air conditioning or automatic fire-protective system. |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||
15. Freezing of a plumbing, heating, air conditioning or automatic, fire-protective sprinkler system, or from a household appliance. |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||
16. Sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current (does not include loss to a tube, transistor or similar electronic component). |
♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ♦ | ||
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 excluded perils. |
♦ | ||||||
* HO-1, HO-2 and HO-3 refer to standard Homeowners Policies. +HO-1 had been discontinued in most states. |
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†This list is for educational purposes only, and is not representative of available Apple Financial Services’ homeowners policies. Apple Financial Services offers policies underwritten by Safeco or Travellers Insurance Companies.
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Disasters not covered
- Floods
Replacement cost coverage is generally available for the structure of your home, but only actual cash value coverage is available for possessions damaged or destroyed during a flood. Replacement cost coverage pays to rebuild your home as it was before the damage. Actual cash value is replacement cost coverage minus depreciation, meaning the older your possessions are, the less you will get if they are damaged. There may also be limits on coverage for furniture and other belongings stored in basements.
The Federal Flood Insurance Program only provides limited coverage. If you require more coverage than the federal program allows, additional coverage known as excess flood insurance is available from specialized insurance companies. Depending on the amount of coverage purchased, an excess flood insurance policy will cover damages above the limits of the federal program, with a disbursement guidelines similar to those of the federal program—replacement cost for the structure and actual cash value for the contents.
Flood insurance is available for renters as well. Flood insurance should be considered if you live in a designated flood zone, but it also should be added to your coverage to protect against the possibility of flooding due to melting snow, overflowing creeks or ponds or water running down a steep hill. Don’t wait for a flood season warnings on the evening news to buy a policy—most plans require a buffer of 30-day before they take effect.
- Earthquakes
Earthquake coverage can be a separate policy or an endorsement to existing homeowners or renters coverage. In earthquake prone states like California, policies can come with high deductibles. However, some of these states, such as California, provide their own insuring agencies like the California Earthquake Authority (http://www.earthquakeauthority.com). - Maintenance damage
Damage due to lack of maintenance, mold, termite infestation and infestation from other pests is generally not covered. Insurance companies generally deem it your responsibility to take reasonable precautions in order to protect your home from damage.
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Information provided with permission from the Insurance Information Institute, Inc.