Does Your Homeowner’s Insurance Offer Hidden Coverage?

How many of you have actually read California homeowner’s insurance policy We guess not too many. We do recommend that you read your policy to help you understand what coverage you have. Most homeowners are familiar with the basic coverage found their homeowner’s insurance policy; including coverage for the home itself, personal property and liability associated with owning a home.

Are There Other Coverages?

There is often other coverage found in your homeowner’s insurance policy that you may not know you have. Remember, each policy is different, so these coverage examples are general in nature. This “hidden” coverage may have specific limits and terms of which you need to be aware, but here are some examples of coverage found in most homeowner’s insurance policies.

• Liability coverage away from your home - You have coverage if you cause injury to a third party away from your premises.
• Damage to your neighbor’s property - If you are at a party and cause damage to your neighbor’s property, chances are it would be covered.
• Legal expenses - Should you be sued for an accident that occurred in your home, chances are legal costs would be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy.
• Additional living expenses - Your policy can pay the additional costs of living away from home if you cannot live there due to damage from an insured loss. It covers hotel bills, restaurant meals and other costs, over and above your usual living expenses, incurred while your home is being rebuilt.
• Stolen Money - Many homeowners’ policies provide a small amount of coverage for stolen money.
• Property of your college student - If your dependent child is a full-time college student living on campus, their property is covered by your homeowner’s insurance policy

It is important to note that not all homeowner’s policies are created equal, and what one company offers may not be the same as another company. Also keep in mind, if you bought your policy online, who really knows what coverage you have?

At Leap / Carpenter / Kemps, Merced County’s largest locally owned agency, we have an experienced staff of professionals who understand that each family has unique insurance needs and that the one-size-fits-all approach just doesn’t work. Our agents have access to more carriers and more plans, and that means that they have more options, including multiple policy discounts and preferred premium pricing to create the best possible combination of coverage to protect your family while lowering your costs.