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Breaking Down the Components of Homeowners Insurance

Insurance Online -> Home Owners Insurance -> Home Insurance Articles -> Components of Homeowners Insurance

The components of homeowners insurance are basically classified as property or liability. It involves coverage for the following main aspects of one’s home.

1. The Physical Structure of Your Home

This refers to your dwelling, attached structures, and property that are permanently installed (e.g., garages, tool sheds, landscaping, trees, shrubs).

As one of the components of homeowners insurance, this will enable you to rebuild your home when damage is caused by the risks listed in your policy. Damage due to earthquakes and floods are not covered by regular homeowners insurance but the following usually are.

  • fire or lightning
  • windstorm, hail, tornadoes
  • weight of snow, sleet, ice
  • freezing of plumbing, air-conditioning, etc.
  • explosions
  • falling objects
  • vehicles
  • aircrafts
  • smoke
  • theft, vandalism, malicious mischief
  • riots or civil disturbances

2. The Contents of Your Home

This means your furniture and personal items (clothes, books, etc.) are insured against theft, fire, and other risks listed in your policy. However, very expensive belongings such as jewelry art, and furs, usually have limited coverage against theft.

If you want your high-priced possessions to be insured for their full appraisal value, your policy must have a homeowners’ insurance rider that includes the items. Sans a homeowners’ insurance deductible, this rider would cover accidental disappearance.

A homeowners’ insurance deductible is the amount you agree to pay initially, out of your own pocket, the excess in damages of which will be paid for by your insurance company.

A bigger homeowners’ insurance deductible means you agree to shoulder more of the damage expense, which lessens your insurance company’s risk and thus drives down the cost of your premium. However, you will end up shouldering a bigger part of the expense in the event of an accident.

3. Liability Protection

This coverage will protect you in case of lawsuits charging you, your kin, or even your pet of bodily injury or property damage. It pays for your defense and any award for damages up to your policy’s limit. Moreover, it also takes care of no-fault medical payments in case a guest is injured in your home.

4. Temporary Displacement Costs Due to Disaster

This covers risks included in your policy that make your dwelling inhabitable. For a limited time, it will pay for hotel, food, and other living expenses. If you rent out part of your house, this will pay you for any lost rent.

Homeowners’ Insurance – Items for Exclusion

A policy will usually have any or all of the following items listed as an exclusion:

  • neglect
  • intentional loss
  • general power failure
  • earthquakes and floods
  • war damage

There is also exclusion called ordinance or law exclusion. This could end up costing you more when the law requires you to replace or repair property with higher grade or more costly materials than the original since your policy may not cover the full price.

More Resources

You can read more about the components of homeowners insurance and other related matters from the following resources.


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