Homeowners Insurance and Earthquakes

How to get earthquake insurance

Since earthquakes are not covered by homeowners or renters insurance policies, you need to seek out an endorsement or a separate earthquake policy. Start by contacting your current homeowners insurance company to see if they offer earthquake endorsements, which is unlikely unless you live in California—all home insurance companies there are required by law to offer earthquake insurance to policyholders every other year.

Cost depends on several factors, but earthquake insurance comes with rather high deductibles that often significantly reduce claim payouts. Instead of a flat rate deductible like most insurance policies, earthquake insurance deductibles are a percentage of your coverage limits. We'll talk more about this later. 

What does earthquake insurance cover?

Earthquake insurance policies cover damage occurring to your home as a direct result of the seismic event. Earthquake coverage often extends to aftershocks occurring within a certain amount of time after the primary earthquake. This extended time period is determined by your insurer but usually falls somewhere between 24 and 36 hours.

The following losses are typically covered by an earthquake policy:

• Structural damage: If the structure of your home is damaged, this policy will pay for repairs.
• Personal property: Any belongings damaged by the quake will be covered up to your policy limits.
• Replacing your house: If your home is destroyed by an earthquake, this policy will pay to have it rebuilt to the previous standard.
• Temporary housing: Often referred to as additional living expenses, this coverage will pay for a place to stay while your home is being repaired.

Associated perils such as floods, sinkholes, fires and vehicle-related damage are not covered by your earthquake insurance policy. You will need to consult with your insurance company to see about adding appropriate coverage to protect against them.

As an example, if your dwelling limit is $200,000 and you have a 5% deductible, you can expect to have $10,000 deducted from your home insurance payout. Additionally, some earthquake insurance companies use separate deductibles for dwelling and personal property—this could easily end up being tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket if you were to file a claim. With this in mind, it's important to weigh the cost of your premiums against the amount you could afford to pay if an earthquake struck. 

How are earthquake insurance rates determined?

Earthquake insurance rates are determined by a number of different factors. Your home’s dwelling coverage limit is one such factor. This limit should be set to the amount of money that it takes to rebuild your home to its previous standard. Bear in mind that this is not equal to the home’s market value.

Other factors that determine your earthquake insurance rates could include the following:

• ZIP code: If your home is in close proximity to high-risk earthquake zones, you can expect higher rates.
• Building materials used in your home: Certain materials stand up better than others. For instance, if you have a brick home, you’ll likely have to pay less for insurance coverage because it's a more resistant and hardier material than something like wood.
• Age of your home: Older homes are less likely to have been built with earthquake-resistant materials.
• Foundation type: The type of foundation your home has could affect its ability to withstand an earthquake.

Is earthquake insurance worth it? 

Whether or not you need earthquake insurance is largely determined by where you live. If you live in an area prone to seismic activity — like the West Coast or Oklahoma — it’s likely that you already know the importance of earthquake coverage. However, some residents of areas like South Carolina and Missouri may be less accustomed to such events, though they are still considered at risk. As such, if you live in a state where earthquakes can occur, it’s definitely worth the consideration.

The cost of earthquake insurance could also be a factor for some, especially when you think about having to add a separate policy in many cases. Finding a cheaper base policy could be a good way to help with the overall cost. Regularly shopping around to get a better rate on your standard homeowners coverage is a good way to do this. Enter your ZIP code below to see home insurance quotes from some of the nation’s top providers. 

Frequently asked questions