What other additional coverage can be included in your homeowner’s insurance policy?

coverage for damages from perils such as:

� fire and smoke
� tornado or windstorm
� hail and lightning
� falling objects, collapse and aircraft
� explosion
� water damage
� glass breakage and vandalism
� worker’s compensation for occasional residence employees

damage to your home caused by the following:

� riot or civil commotion
� weight of ice or snow and freezing damage
� cost of debris removal after loss
� sudden and accidental electrical damage to appliance

These are included in most websites for home insurance companies.

What types of homeowners insurance are available?

Traditional Homeowners Policy: A traditional�or standard�homeowners policy includes four types of coverage:
coverage for the structure of your home
coverage for your personal belongings
additional living expenses in the event of disaster
liability protection

Standard homeowners insurance usually covers fire or lightning; windstorm or hail; explosions; riot or civil commotion; aircraft; vehicles; smoke; theft or vandalism; falling objects; weight of ice, snow, or sleet; and freezing of a plumbing, heating, air conditioning, or other system.

Renters policy: Renters insurance provides the same kind of general personal property coverage and liability protection as a homeowners policy. Unless you can afford to replace all of your personal belongings in the event of a disaster, you should purchase a renters policy. A renters policy will also protect you in the event you damage or destroy the landlord’s building. Without renters insurance, you could be held liable for the total loss. Renters insurance is reasonably priced and should not be overlooked by anyone who is serious about protecting their assets.

Condominium owners policy: A condominium owners policy protects the inside of the condominium unit as well as what is inside the unit. The condominium association should provide structural insurance to protect the actual building, which is considered common property.

Disaster insurance (flood, earthquake, etc.): Standard homeowners insurance does not cover floods, earthquakes, and some other natural disasters. If you live in a designated flood zone, you will be required to purchase flood insurance. There may be other reasons you need flood insurance-for example, to protect you from unexpected overflow water from streams. You can purchase flood insurance directly from your insurance agent, but the policy is actually provided by the Federal Flood Insurance Program. You can purchase earthquake insurance either as a separate policy or as an endorsement to your standard homeowners or renters policy.

Source: militaryfinance.umuc.edu

Read your policy to learn what procedures you must follow to file a claim on your homeowners

If a crime has been committed, report it directly to the police immediately. Request a copy of the police report and make your own written notes, including the name of the police officer and date of the incident.

Call your insurance company or agent immediately. Many policies have rules on how quickly you must call. When you call, be sure you determine whether you are covered, whether your claim would exceed the deductible, how long it will take to process the claim, and whether you must obtain estimates for repairs. File only claims of significant value.

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