Homeowners Guide

California FAIR plans are meant for homeowners who live in high-risk areas and have trouble getting homeowners insurance from insurance companies directly.

If you got locked out from your home, your standard homeowners insurance will not cover the costs of locksmiths, unless you have locksmiths endorsement included in your policy.

Many insurance companies consider the type of construction used to build your home as a factor to determine your homeowners insurance rates. Learn how materials used to construct your home's structure can affect your premiums.

No, catalytic converter theft would be covered by the comprehensive coverage of the auto insurance policy. Your homeowners insurance will only cover any personal belongings stolen from the interior or trunk of your vehicle.

No, in most cases homeowners insurance coverage is not based on property value. Dwelling coverage is usually based on the replacement cost of the home which can differ greatly from the property value.

Home insurance for a duplex home is typically no different from homeowners policies for standard single-family homes. If you are renting out both halves of the duplex, you may need to obtain a dwelling fire landlord insurance policy instead of a regular homeowners plan.

Homeowners insurance covers porch damage caused by many perils. The damage excluded from coverage depends on your policy. The list of excluded causes of damage can differ by location and from company to company.

Standard homeowners insurance typically covers your guest house as long as you do not rent it out. Other structures coverage B covers the structure of your guest house. Read the whole article to learn what else is covered, what is not covered, and what insurance you might need to get if you are renting your guest house out.

Kitchen cabinets are considered to be part of your home, so dwelling coverage A of your homeowners policy will cover kitchen cabinet damage as long as it is caused by a covered peril. A standard HO-3 policy will cover kitchen cabinets on open-peril basis.

The floor of your house is considered to be part of your dwelling and is covered by homeowners insurance policies in many cases. As long as floor damage is sudden and accidental and is not caused by one of the excluded perils it will be covered by most standard HO-3 policies.

In most instances, homeowners insurance companies cover smoke damage from a fire that was sudden or unexpected.

Rural home insurance is similar to standard homeowners insurance in many ways. In some cases, rural properties require higher coverage limits to properly insure all the structures and personal belongings located on site.