A Consumer's Guide to… Homeowners Insurance

A Consumer’s Guide to…

Homeowners Insurance

This guide provides information on how to make decisions when you

buy homeowners insurance. You have a choice in coverages, and prices will

differ between insurance companies.

(Updated September 28, 2021)

There are two major reasons to buy homeowners insurance:

• To protect your assets.



Homeowners insurance covers the structure of your home and your personal property.



Homeowners insurance liability coverage protects you if you are legally responsible for

damage to another person’s property or for injuries to another person.

• To satisfy your mortgage lender.



Most mortgage lenders require you to have insurance as long as you have a mortgage and

to list them as the mortgagee on the policy. If you let your insurance lapse, your mortgage

lender will likely obtain its own insurance. You may be required to pay for this insurance

until you get your own homeowners policy again, and the cost could be added to your loan.

Such coverage is often quite costly, generally is limited to damage to the structure of your

home, and protects only the lender.

Coverages in a Homeowners Policy

Most homeowners insurance policies provide a package of coverages. The main types of coverage are

described below.

• Dwelling. Pays for damage to your house and to structures attached to your house, such as

an attached garage or attached barn. This includes damage to fixtures, such as plumbing,

electrical wiring, heating and permanently installed air-conditioning systems.

• Other Structures. Pays for damage to fences, tool sheds, freestanding garages, guest cottages

and other structures that are not attached to your house, if the structure is not used for business

or rented to others.

• Personal Property. Reimburses you for the value of your possessions, including furniture,

electronics, appliances and clothing that become damaged or lost even when they aren’t on

your property, such as those at an off-site storage locker or with your child at college.

• Loss of Use. Pays some of your additional living expenses if your home is uninhabitable while

it is being repaired.

• Personal Liability. Covers your financial loss if you are sued and found legally responsible for

injuries to someone else or for damage to another person’s property.

• Medical Payments. Pays medical bills for people injured while on your property or by your

pets.

Keep in mind that you’re covered only if the loss is caused by a peril your policy covers. For example, if

your home becomes unlivable due to an earthquake and your homeowners policy does not cover

earthquakes, your policy won’t pay for loss of use of your home. Review your policy for the limits of

your coverage.

Special Policies

Some companies have specific mobile home policies, while other companies may use one of the

homeowners or dwelling policies to provide coverage for this type of home.

If your home is on land used for farming or raising livestock, ask about a farmowners policy which

has specialized coverage for those exposures.

Flood Insurance

Homeowners policies DO NOT cover flood damage. Depending on where your home is, you may qualify

for flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program or through a private insurer. Contact

an insurance agent for more information. If your home is in a flood plain, your mortgage lender will

usually require you to buy flood insurance.

Types of Homeowners Policies

To be reimbursed for damage to your property, a covered peril (such as fire, theft or windstorm) must

have caused your loss. Which perils your policy covers depends on the type of policy you buy. The most

common types of homeowners (HO) policies are listed below. All of the policy types cover your dwelling

and its contents, as well as personal liability and medical payments.

Another type of policy available is a dwelling property (DP or DF) policy. It can be written to cover an

owner-occupied residence or seasonal home, or a tenant-occupied property, and covers the dwelling

and contents. A separate dwelling liability form is available to add coverage for liability and medical

payments.

• The Basic Form insures your property against only a short list of perils named in the policy. (HO

1 and DP 1 forms.) It covers damage from fire and lightning. For an additional premium, the

Extended Perils Coverage includes coverage for damage caused by windstorm/hail, explosion,

riot and civil commotion, aircraft, vehicles, smoke, and volcanic interruption. Coverage for

vandalism/malicious mischief can also be added for an additional premium.

• The Broad Form insures your property against those in the basic form (including the extended

perils and vandalism, plus several additional named perils, including falling objects, weight of

ice/snow, and freezing. (HO 2 and DP 2.) The most notable difference between the HO and DP

is that HO 2 and HO 3 forms include coverage for theft of personal property. That coverage must

be purchased separately by endorsement to a DP 2 or DP 3.

• The Special Form is the most popular form. (HO 3 and DP3). This form insures your property

against all perils, except those the policy specifically named as not covered. Perils commonly

excluded are flood and earthquake.

• The Tenants Form, or HO 4, is for renters. It insures your personal property against all of the

perils named in the Broad Form and also provides liability and medical payments coverages.

• The Condominium Unit Owners Form is for owner-occupants of condominium units. It insures

your personal property and your walls, floors and ceiling against all of the perils in the Broad

Form, and also provides liability and medical payments coverages.

Although the dwelling policy follows the same Basic, Broad and Special Form categories, overall it

provides less coverage than the homeowners forms, and at a higher cost.

Limits of Coverage

Your insurance agent usually will help you decide how much dwelling coverage to buy when you get

homeowners insurance. Your coverage should equal the full replacement cost of your home. Note

that replacement cost and market value are not the same. The market value, which includes the value

of your land, depends on the real estate market. Replacement cost is also different from the assessed

Replacement Cost and Actual Cash Value

You can choose to insure your home and its contents for either replacement cost or actual cash value.

Replacement cost is the cost to rebuild your home or repair damages using materials of similar kind and

quality, or to replace damaged belongings with new ones of similar quality. Actual cash value (ACV) is the

replacement cost of the property less depreciation, which considers its age and wear and tear. Actual cash

value coverage pays you for the value of the damaged property at the time of the loss, and may not be

enough to fully repair or replace the damaged property.

value used to determine property taxes. Replacement cost is the amount it would cost to rebuild your

home (same size and features) in the event of a total loss. Replacement cost should be the basis of

your dwelling coverage.

The limits of your coverage for other structures, for personal property and for loss of use of your home

are expressed as percentages of your dwelling coverage (see Table 1). For example, if your dwelling

coverage limit is $150,000 and your coverage for personal property is limited to 50% of your dwelling

coverage, your coverage for personal property would be $75,000. Check your policy, as coverage limits

might be based on percentages different from those in Table 1. Many companies have options to increase

these limits, generally in increments of 10%, for an additional premium. You select your coverage limits

for your personal liability and for medical payments.

Table 1. Policy Limits

Coverage Component

Typical Limit of Coverage

Dwelling

You Choose

Other Structures

10% of Dwelling Coverage Limit

Personal Property

50% of Dwelling Coverage Limit

Loss of Use

20% of Dwelling Coverage Limit

Personal Liability

You Choose

Medical Payments

You Choose

You should review your dwelling coverage from time to time to be sure it doesn’t drop below the cost

to replace your home (see Replacement Cost/ACV box above). Many insurers require homeowners to

insure their homes for at least 80% of the replacement cost, and some require 100%. If the homeowner

fails to insure for the percentage of replacement cost required by the policy, a penalty is applied to

partial losses as well as total losses.

For example, if it would cost $100,000 to replace your home and it is insured for $80,000 (80% of its

replacement value), and a fire causes $25,000 worth of damage, then your insurance will cover the full

$25,000, if 80% of the cost to replace the home is the required minimum limit. However, if the same

home is insured for $60,000 (which is less than 80% of its replacement value), and there is a $25,000

loss, your insurance would pay for only part of the loss. You would have to pay the balance yourself.

Your company would pay for damages to your property based on the following formula:

Amount of Insurance on Your Policy $60,000 = 75%

Amount of Insurance Required $80,000

by Policy (80% of $100,000)

Using these figures, your company will only pay for 75% of your $25,000 loss: 75% x $25,000 loss =

$18,750 paid by the company. You will have to pay the remaining $6,250.

Insuring your home for the appropriate percentage of its replacement cost is very important. Check with

your insurance agent or company to see what is required. Most homeowners insurance policies cover

the contents of a home on an ACV basis. Many insurers offer an option to insure contents at replacement

cost. The premium will be somewhat higher for this coverage; however, you may want to consider this

option.

Whether your home is insured for replacement cost or ACV, it is important to keep track of its value.

For instance, improvements such as adding a new room or new insulation or upgrading your kitchen

increase the replacement cost of your home, as does inflation in the cost of building materials. This can

occur even while the market value of the home may decreases in a bad economy.

Check with your insurance agent or company at least once a year to make sure your policy gives you

adequate coverage.

Deductibles

A deductible is the amount you have to pay out-of-pocket on a claim before the policy pays

the loss. The deductible applies to coverage for your home and personal property and applies to each

claim. Higher policy deductibles help reduce your policy premium but put more of the loss on you. A

policy with a $1,000 deductible will have a lower premium than the same policy with a $500 deductible.

Some policies have special deductibles for certain perils, such as windstorm, that may be expressed as

a percentage of your coverage limit. For example, if your dwelling limit is $150,000 with a 1% windstorm

deductible, your deductible for that type of loss would be $1,500.

Having a higher deductible can be a good way to save money on your homeowners insurance premium

and to submit fewer claims. However, be sure you can afford the deductible in case you have a loss.

Optional Coverages

You can select other coverages to add to your protection. Sometimes, you can add coverage by buying

an endorsement to a policy that you already have; other times, you must buy another policy to

cover a specific peril or a specific item of property. (An endorsement is a document that makes a

change to an insurance policy to add coverage, policy terms or exclusions to a policy without having to

create and issue a new policy.)

Some reasons you might want to add coverage are:

• To cover perils most homeowners policies don’t cover. The National Flood Insurance Program

writes most flood insurance policies, although some insurance companies also sell it. Many insurance

companies sell earthquake coverage as an endorsement to your homeowners policy. While

homeowners policies cover damage caused by windstorm and hail, policies in coastal areas may

limit this coverage by requiring a percentage deductible. You might be able to buy endorsements to

cover damage caused by mold or by sewer or drain backups and sump pump overflow because most

homeowners policies offer limited or no coverage for these types of events.

• To increase your current coverage. Extended replacement cost coverage may be available. This

generally will pay up to 25% over your policy limit if rebuilding your home is more costly than

expected. Endorsements are also available to amend coverage on your personal property to a

replacement cost basis, and/or to increase the perils covered. An inflation guard endorsement raises

your dwelling coverage limit annually in line with inflation. Personal umbrella liability insurance

increases your liability coverage above the level available in a homeowners policy. A scheduled

personal property endorsement (or “personal articles floater”) covers jewelry, furs, stamps, coins,

guns, computers, antiques and other items whose value might be greater than the limits available

in your homeowners policy. An ordinance or law endorsement pays for the extra expense to rebuild

your home in compliance with building codes and other ordinances or laws that didn’t exist when

your home was originally built.

Business Use of Your Home

While homeowners insurance is not designed to cover most business uses of your home, some business

uses may be covered, at least partially. For example:

• Computers and laptops. If you use your home computer or laptop for business purposes, it’s often

covered, but you should check your policy limits. Off-premises coverage is generally a lower limit

than if the loss occurred on premises.

• Daycare coverage. Most homeowners policies provide a limited amount of liability coverage if you

care for a friend’s children and aren’t paid. But if you are paid to provide daycare in your home, you

must buy a daycare liability policy to cover exposures related to this business risk.

If you have a separate structure on your property that is used even partially for business, such as an

apartment over your garage that is rented to a tenant, or you rent your residence out part-time through

a home sharing company such as Airbnb or Homeaway, you need to purchase other coverage. In

many cases, an endorsement can be added to the policy.

How Insurers Determine Your Premium

Many factors affect the premium you pay, including which insurance company you choose. Different

insurance companies charge different premiums for similar coverage. How much insurance coverage

you decide to buy will also affect your premium. Some of the other things that are likely to affect your

premium are:

The characteristics of your home

• The cost to rebuild your home. This is not the same as the purchase price or tax-assessed value. Your

insurance agent might help you estimate replacement cost using information about your home and

its contents. Most insurers use software programs with regional expense data to calculate a

replacement cost based on the size and features of your home.

• Whether your home is made of brick or wood. Premiums are usually lower for homes made primarily

of masonry or brick (i.e. fire resistant) than for wood frame homes.

• The distance to your home from the fire department or a water source and the quality of your

community’s fire protection services.

• The age and condition of your home. The premium often is higher for older homes and homes in poor

condition than for newer homes and homes in good condition.

Your choices and characteristics

• The coverages you choose, including optional endorsements.

• The deductible you choose.

• Insuring your home and autos with the same insurance company.

• The length of time you have been with your current insurer.

• Your credit history. To access your credit report, the insurance agent might ask you for your Social

Security number. In many states, insurers use your credit history as a factor in your risk assessment.

In Maine, insurers may not deny you insurance solely due to your credit history.

• Your history of filing claims for water damage, fire, theft or liability on homes you’ve owned.

Other household characteristics

• Having protection devices in your home, such as smoke detectors, a burglar alarm, sprinkler system,

and deadbolts on doors or security devices for windows. Many insurers offer a discount if you have

any of these.

• Having a wood-burning appliance or using space heaters.

• Having a swimming pool, trampoline or playscape that could cause injuries.

• The types of pets you have. Most insurers won’t insure you if you own certain breeds of dogs, or dogs

with a history of aggressive behavior.

• Operating a business from your home.

Smart Shopping

Different insurance companies charge different rates for the same coverage. Also, not all insurance

companies provide the same level of claims service. Therefore, it makes sense to shop around for the

best insurance company for your needs.

Insurance companies use these methods to sell their products:

• Independent agents represent several companies and can give you several quotes.

• Exclusive agents only sell the products of one insurance company.

• Direct market sales are over the Internet or by mail or telephone.

You can find insurance companies and agents through the phone book, on the Internet and television,

and by asking friends and neighbors.

Use the Bureau’s complaint index

Customer service is important to most consumers, particularly when they have a claim. You can get a

sense of how well an insurer serves its customers from its complaint index. The Maine Bureau of

Insurance publishes a homeowners complaint index comparison on its website at

https://www.maine.gov/pfr/insurance/consumers/consumer-guides The index measures how many

complaints the Bureau received relative to how much business the company does in the state. You can

use this to compare the prior year’s complaints against insurers.

Know your agent

It is illegal for unlicensed agents or companies to sell insurance. Business cards aren’t proof that an

agent is licensed. The best way to make sure you are dealing with a legitimate business is to call the

Bureau of Insurance or check our licensee database yourself. It is available online at

https://www.maine.gov/pfr/insurance/licensee-search. If you buy insurance from an unlicensed agent

or company, you might not have coverage in the event of a loss. If you suspect or determine that you

have been contacted by an unlicensed agent or insurer, notify the Bureau of Insurance immediately so it

can investigate. Your actions may protect someone else from being victimized.

Know your company’s financial stability

You also want to buy insurance from a company that is financially sound. You can check the financial

health of an insurance company by using ratings from independent ratings agencies such as Standard

and Poor’s, A.M. Best and Moody’s.

Getting Premium Quotes

Getting premium quotes is a good way to compare different companies’ prices. You should first decide

what coverages and policy limits you need. It’s important that you know how much it would cost to

rebuild your home. An insurance agent or a contractor might be able to help you estimate the cost to

rebuild your home.

When you get quotes, give the same information to each agent or company. Ask for the same

coverages and limits so that you know you are comparing apples to apples. To give you an accurate

quote, the insurance agent or company will usually ask for a description of your house (such as where

it’s located, its square footage, when it was built and the type of construction). He or she also might

ask about items that increase your insurance needs (such as owning pets and certain possessions). An

agent or company inspector might visit your home to take photographs or ask you to provide

photographs. The agent or inspector may also ask for other information (such as the distance from

the nearest fire department, when the roof and furnace were last replaced, and the general condition

of your home). Be sure to get rate quotes and key information in writing.

Ask if you qualify for any discounts. Some insurers offer a discount if you also buy your auto insurance

from them, update the home’s electrical or plumbing systems, get a new roof or add home security

devices (for example, a burglar alarm).

Also, be sure to find out how much your premium will change if you choose different deductibles.

While you’re getting quotes, you should also ask some of these questions:

•

Are the agent and the insurance company licensed by my state? (The Bureau of Insurance can

confirm the answers to these questions.)

•

If I submit a claim, how will it affect my premium when I renew the policy?

•

How will my credit history affect my premium?

•

What does the policy cover? What doesn’t it cover? What are the limits to the coverages?

•

How much coverage do I need for my personal property?

•

How much liability coverage should I buy?

•

Should I buy flood insurance or earthquake coverage? Your homeowners insurance policy doesn’t

cover either.

• What types of water damage are not covered? Is mold damage covered?

Your Responsibilities

A homeowners insurance policy is a legal contract. It states your rights and responsibilities and those

of the insurance company. You should read your policy and be sure you understand it.

If you have questions about your insurance policy, contact your insurance agent or company.

When you first buy homeowners insurance, you will receive a policy—not a photocopy. If you don’t

receive a policy within 30 days, contact the insurance company, even if you bought the policy through

an agent. (At renewal, often only forms that are new or have changed will be provided.) Keep your

policy in a safe place and know the name of your insurer. If you still have questions, contact the

Bureau of Insurance.

Other Helpful Tips

Pay the premium on time. Most insurers don’t offer a grace period for paying the premium; the due

date is the due date, and Maine law allows an insurer to cancel if your premium is not paid when it is

due.

Keep a file of all paperwork you completed online or received in the mail and signed—as well as any

other documents related to your insurance, including the policy, correspondence, copies of

advertisements, premium payment receipts, notes of conversations and any claims submitted.

Make a household inventory.

• Go through each room; write down and take pictures or videos of everything in the room.

• Inventory everything, including valuable items such as antiques, electronics, jewelry, collectibles and

guns.

• Store your home inventory list in a secure place at another location, such as your workplace, a safe

deposit box, a relative’s house or online.

• Annually review and update your home inventory, including your pictures/videos. Also update your

inventory when you buy new items.

• Keep receipts with your home inventory for all repairs and new items you buy, for proof if you file a

claim.

Maintain your home. A homeowners policy isn’t a maintenance contract; it insures against damage

from perils such as fire, wind and hail. It doesn’t pay to repair items that simply wear out, like rotted

porch railings or aging roof shingles. You are responsible for the upkeep of your home, such as repairing

your roof when it begins to leak or cleaning your chimney flue so it doesn’t catch fire.

Filing a Claim

Read your policy. Your policy is your guide to the types of losses that may or may not be covered. How

often you file a claim and the types of claims you file often affect your premium and whether your

insurer will renew your policy.

If the cost to repair the damage is not much more than your deductible, you might want to pay for the

repairs without filing a claim.

To file a claim, contact your insurance agent or company as soon as possible. Ask about forms or

documents you’ll need to support your claim. You are also required to protect your home from further

damage. For example, you might need to board it up or clean up water from a backed-up drain.

The insurance company will assign a claims adjuster to assess the damage and determine the payment.

These adjusters may be employees of the company or independent contractors. You should cooperate

with the adjuster’s investigation of your claim.

The adjuster will probably want to meet with you at your house to inspect the damage. Jot down notes

and keep track of the dates of any conversations you have with your insurance agent or adjuster.

If there are disagreements between you, the insurer and the claims adjuster, first try to resolve them

with your insurer. Don’t feel rushed or pushed to agree with something you aren’t comfortable with. It

might help to have your contractor meet with you and the insurance adjuster.

If you and the insurer still disagree about the value of the claim, review the appraisal provision in your

policy. It is a simplified procedure to resolve disagreements about the value of a property damage claim.

If you have trouble with or questions about your claim, you also may contact the Bureau of Insurance

for help. The Bureau of Insurance has consumer services personnel who can help you work with your

insurer to resolve disagreements.

Losing Your Insurance

There’s a difference between an insurance company cancelling your policy and not renewing it.

Cancellation means either you or your insurance company stop the coverage before the policy’s normal

expiration date (a homeowners policy term is normally one year). You can always cancel your policy for

any reason. When you’re a new policyholder, there’s a limited period of time (90 days for your primary

residence/120 days for a seasonal home) in which your insurance company can cancel your policy for

any reason. After that, it can only cancel you for specific reasons permitted by law, such as nonpayment

of premium, failure to comply with loss control recommendations, and the property being vacant without

custodial care. The cancellation reasons must be stated in your policy.

Your insurance company must give you at least 10 days’ notice before cancellation due to nonpayment

of premium, and at least 20 days’ notice for other reasons. If you request to cancel your policy, the

insurer may refund less than the total unearned premium amount. If the insurer cancels, the total

unearned premium should be refunded.

Non-renewal means the company refuses to renew your policy when it expires. In Maine, the insurance

company has the right to not renew your policy if its reason is an allowed cancellation reason or another

reason that must be in good faith and related to the insurability of your property. For example, the

home is no longer owner-occupied or the roof is in poor condition. If your company chooses not to

renew your policy, it must give you at least 30 days’ notice before the expiration date and clearly state

the reason for the nonrenewal in the notice.

If your policy is canceled after the initial 90-day underwriting period has ended, or if your policy is not

renewed, you can appeal that action by contacting the Bureau of Insurance and requesting a hearing.

Your request must be made within 30 days of receiving the cancellation or nonrenewal notice. Even if

you think the company may change its mind and continue your coverage, request the hearing to

preserve your rights. The hearing can always be cancelled.

If you choose to cancel or not to renew your policy, you should notify your agent or insurer. You will

need to sign a special form requesting cancellation if you wish to cancel your policy before its expiration.

You should also notify them if you do not want a renewal, as the company is obligated to renew you

unless it has sent a nonrenewal notice. Failure to notify the company that you no longer want the policy

can result in an earned premium being charged to you up until the date the insurer cancels the policy

for nonpayment.

For More Information

Visit the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Web sites for consumers:

www.InsureUonline.org or www.naic.org.

Visit the National Flood Insurance Program website: www.floodsmart.gov/floodsmart

Visit www.annualcreditreport.com or call 877-322-8228 to access your free annual credit report.