What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?

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What Is Covered by Home Insurance?

What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?With a homeowners insurance policy, you may receive financial assistance if your home or its contents are destroyed or damaged. A homeowners insurance policy can also help if someone is injured on your property.
 
Homeowners insurance provides a variety of coverages such as dwelling coverage, personal property coverage, other structures coverage and personal liability coverage.
 
Each coverage has a specific purpose. For instance, homeowners insurance may cover an ac unit in certain situations as part of your dwelling coverage, which helps protect your home and the structures attached directly to it. Other structures coverage is for buildings on your property that are not attached to your house, like sheds. For all your belongings inside the house, like furniture, clothing and appliances, personal property coverage is there to protect them. And if you’re sued after someone gets hurt on or off your property, liability coverage can help cover your legal defense and help pay for court judgments, up to the policy limit.
 

What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?

Situation Usually Covered Not Usually Covered
Fire ✓
Theft ✓
Vandalism ✓
Earthquake ✓
Plumbing issues ✓
Smoke damage ✓
Normal wear and tear ✓
Flood ✓
Pest damage (vermin, rodents, etc.) ✓
Freezing of pipes ✓
Weight from snow, sleet or ice ✓

What Homeowners Insurance Coverage Protects Against

The unexpected can strike at any moment. That’s why having homeowners insurance is so important. It can help keep your most valued assets covered in an emergency. So, if a strong storm knocks a tree onto your house and causes extensive damage, your homeowners insurance coverage can help cover the cost of repairs. Or, if a large fire breaks out and you lose your house, your homeowners insurance can help rebuild your home. Our homeowners insurance coverage also offers:
 
  • Additional Limits Coverage, which pays the full cost to rebuild your home up to 125% of your coverage limits if it is a total loss. Depending on where you live, an option providing up to 150% of coverage limits may be available.
  • ProtectorPLUS Zero Deductible Benefit, which waives your homeowners insurance deductible (up to $5,000) if your home has $27,500 or more in damage. For example, if your hot water heater leaks and causes over $27,500 in damage to your home, the ProtectorPLUS Zero Deductible Benefit would waive your deductible.

What Does Homeowners Insurance Not Cover?

what does homeowners insurance not coverAlthough homeowners insurance protects your home and personal belongings, there are a few areas not protected by most homeowners insurance. Types of loss that are excluded from homeowners insurance coverage include damage caused by:
 
  • Normal wear and tear
  • Poor workmanship or defective materials
  • Birds, vermin, rodents and insects

Types of Homeowners Insurance Coverages Offered by The Hartford

For more protection, we offer many popular coverages to bundle on top of your base homeowners insurance policy.
 
  • “New for Old” Protection:‡‡ If your possessions are destroyed by a covered loss, we’ll help provide the actual cost to replace them with brand new ones of the same kind and quality with Personal Property Replacement Cost. Even if your items are old or not in the best condition at the time of the damage, we’ll help cover the cost to get them replaced.
  • Personal Injury Liability coverage: If someone sues you for libel or slander, this coverage helps pay for the potential damages.
  • Reimbursement for replacing locks: If your key is lost or stolen, we’ll pay up to $500 to replace your locks, with a $100 deductible.
  • Identity Fraud Expense coverage: This coverage helps cover lost income, legal fees and out-of-pocket costs up to certain limits after fraud or identify theft (see your policy for details).
  • Disappearing Property Deductible:‡‡ If you’re a home or condo owner, we’ll reduce your deductible by $50 every year once you go three years without having an insurance loss.
  • Equipment Breakdown coverage: This helps cover the cost of repairing or replacing appliances and electronics that have a mechanical or electrical breakdown. However, it does not cover normal wear and tear. This benefit also provides coverage if you want to make “green” upgrades. It pays up to 125% of your cost to replace any covered equipment with items that are similar, but more energy efficient or environmentally friendly.
  • Green Rebuilding: Increase your policy limits up to 10% when you use environmentally friendly materials or processes for repairs after a covered loss.
  • Water Backup and Sump Pump Overflow: If your property is damaged by backed up water or overflow from a sump pump, this can help pay for the repairs. This coverage does not pay for damage from flood or surface water. It also does not cover normal wear and tear.
  • Scheduled Personal Property: This covers damages at 100% of the insured value of selected items if they’re damaged or destroyed in a covered loss. Theft and mysterious disappearances are also covered.
  • Rental Property Protection Plus: If you’re a landlord, rental property insurance coverage helps insure up to four rental units. Coverages include replacement cost of the rental unit, optional coverage for detached structures, fair rental value, property damage by vandalism or burglars, and damage to lawns, plants and shrubs.
  • Valuable Items Blanket coverage ensures you have the coverage you need for lost, damaged or stolen valuables, including jewelry, fine art, golf equipment and many other items.
  • Hazard Insurance vs. Home Insurance: Hazard insurance generally refers to coverage for the structure of your home only. Other coverages within your homeowners insurance policy will help pay for different kinds of damage.

What Type of Homeowners Insurance Is Best for Me?

Your home is a valuable investment. That’s why it’s important to get the right coverage from an insurance company that fits your needs. According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), it’s important to have enough home insurance coverage to help:2
 
  • Rebuild your home’s structure
  • Protect and replace your belongings
  • Cover additional living expenses if you can’t live in your home temporarily
  • Protect against personal liability damages
When you have an idea of how much coverage you may need for your specific policy, get a homeowners insurance quote online fast and easy. Or if you’d like to speak to a homeowners insurance agent, call us at 888-413-8970 and we’d be happy to help.
 
If you already have a homeowners insurance policy and want to check the details of your policy, you can view or request your homeowners insurance declaration page, which details your coverages, premium, deductibles, discounts, and more.
 
 
Last Updated: June 26, 2023
‡‡ Terms and conditions apply.
 
Additional disclosures below.
Summaries of coverages and policy features are for informational purposes only. In the event of loss, the actual terms and conditions set forth in your policy will determine your coverage.
 
AARP and its affiliates are not insurers. Paid endorsement. The Hartford pays royalty fees to AARP for the use of its intellectual property. These fees are used for the general purposes of AARP. AARP membership is required for Program eligibility in most states.
 
The AARP Auto Insurance Program from The Hartford is underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affiliates, One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. It is underwritten in AZ, MI and MN by Hartford Insurance Company of the Southeast; in CA, by Hartford Underwriters Insurance Company; in WA, by Hartford Casualty Insurance Company; in MA, by Trumbull Insurance Company; and in PA, by Nutmeg Insurance Company and Twin City Fire Insurance Company. The AARP Home Insurance Program from The Hartford is underwritten by Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affiliates, One Hartford Plaza, Hartford, CT 06155. It is underwritten in AZ, MI and MN by Hartford Insurance Company of the Southeast; in CA by Property and Casualty Insurance Company of Hartford; in WA, by Trumbull Insurance Company; in MA, by Trumbull Insurance Company, Sentinel Insurance Company, Hartford Insurance Company of the Midwest, and Hartford Accident and Indemnity Company; and in PA, by Nutmeg Insurance Company. Home product is not available in all areas, including the state of FL. Savings, benefits and coverages may vary and some applicants may not qualify. The Program is currently unavailable in Canada and U.S. Territories or possessions.
 
1 In Texas, the Auto Program is underwritten by Redpoint County Mutual Insurance Company through Hartford of the Southeast General Agency, Inc. Hartford Fire Insurance Company and its affiliates are not financially responsible for insurance products underwritten and issued by Redpoint County Mutual Insurance Company. The Home Program is underwritten by Hartford Insurance Company of the Southeast.
 
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