• To help ensure that you are getting the best rate for your homeowner’s coverage it’s important to periodically review your policy with your carrier or agent. At a minimum, you should review the Declarations page of your policy which provides a comprehensive summary of coverage and important disclosures. Discuss any improvements, changes or updates you may have made to your home, as well as any policy changes you would like to consider such as increasing your deductible. Some changes may result in a better rate or premium discounts, such as installing an alarm system, trimming or removing tree(s) that may be near the home, removing excess yard debris from the property, upgrading your plumbing, or wiring or replacing your roof. Confirm with your agent that you are receiving all the applicable discounts for the best possible rate.
  
  
• You always have the option of exploring coverage with other insurers. Talk to your agent about what works best for you. In some cases, that might mean staying with your long-time insurer.
  
  
• Use the Homeowners Insurance shopping tool available on our Consumer Information Center.

• An estimate refers to the insurer’s calculated cost of repairing damaged property that is covered under the policy. This calculation typically includes both material and labor expenses necessary to complete the repairs. It's important to note that the insurance company’s estimate serves as a reference point, not the final claim payout.
  
  
• A request for appraisal is a voluntary process in the insurance policy that either the insurer or the policyholder can initiate when there’s a disagreement—specifically when both parties agree on the scope of damage but dispute the cost to repair or replace the damaged property. The appraisal clause allows either side to submit a written request to begin the process. It's important to understand that appraisal is not designed to address coverage disputes; its sole purpose is to determine the amount of loss. Costs associated with the appraisal process, such as the umpire’s expenses, are split between the insurer and policyholder. However, each party pays its own appraiser’s costs.

The insurance company is required to pay to replace or repair the damaged portion as a result of a covered loss to your property to conform to a reasonably uniform appearance to the adjacent items. This would also apply to covered losses inside your home such as a portion of carpeting. If the materials do not exactly match in quality, color or size, the insurer will replace the adjacent items with like kind and quality materials to help achieve a reasonably uniform appearance. If you do not agree with your insurance company, you may be able to use the appraisal clause in your policy to settle the dispute.

• Your homeowner’s policy excludes losses caused by a flood. In general terms, a flood is an excess of water on land that is normally dry. For example, water damage to your home from a river that overflowed into nearby streets and yards would be a direct result of flooding.
  
  
• Historically, insurers used to offer flood coverage but stopped after a series of expensive flood disasters in the 1960s put many companies at risk of going bankrupt. In response, the U.S. Congress created the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in 1968 to ensure that flood-prone communities could still get coverage.
  
  
• Today, flood insurance is available from private flood insurers as well as through the NFIP. For more information about purchasing flood insurance, please visit our Flood Insurance Information Center or contact your carrier or agent.

An accurate home inventory gives your insurance company the information they need to help settle your claims. To get started, you can easily list your items with:

• CID’s Listing Tool
  
  
• NAIC Inventory App