Earthquakes strike suddenly, violently, and without warning at any time of the day or night. The shaking earthquakes cause can knock over buildings and bridges, disrupt utility services, and even trigger landslides, avalanches, flash floods, fires, and tsunamis.
What’s more, nearly 75% of the US are at risk of experiencing potentially damaging earthquakes.
Unfortunately, the damage an earthquake may cause is not covered by standard homeowners insurance, condo insurance, and landlord insurance policies. If you want coverage for earthquake damage, you'll need to purchase earthquake insurance.
What is earthquake insurance?
Earthquake insurance is a type of catastrophic coverage that protects your home and belongings if they’re damaged or destroyed in an earthquake. It’s typically available as an endorsement you can add to your home or condo policy, or as a standalone policy.
What is covered by earthquake insurance?
Depending on your insurance company, earthquake coverage helps pay for damages caused by an earthquake and other forms of earth movement, such as aftershocks, tremors, and soil liquefaction.
More specifically,most earthquake insurance covers your:
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Dwelling and other structures. Your coverage will likely help pay for repairs to the structure of your home as well as other structures on your property, such as driveways, walkways, retaining walls, and swimming pools.
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Personal property coverage. Most policies and endorsements also cover repairing or replacing personal belongings, like clothing and furniture.
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Loss of use coverage. If an earthquake makes your home unsafe to live in, your earthquake insurance may cover certain additional living expenses in excess of your normal bills.
Some earthquake insurance policies also offer coverage for things like debris removal and emergency repairs to save your home from further damage. Condo unit owners may be able to find loss assessment coverage to help pay their portion of repair costs to shared living spaces damaged by an earthquake.
What is not covered by earthquake insurance?
Although earthquake insurance can offer expansive coverage, it doesn’t cover all types of damage. For example, you may not have coverage for:
- Vehicle damage.
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Floods that occur as a result of an earthquake.
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Damage to your fence, pool, or high-value collectibles.
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Sinkholes.
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Damage to your fence, pool, or high-value collectibles.
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Damage to your landscaping. (Some plans include engineering coverage that can help pay the cost of stabilizing the land that supports your home.)
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Cosmetic damage caused by an earthquake.
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Sewer backup.
Coverage details vary by insurance company, so you may be able to buy a policy that covers some of the commonly excluded items. Another option is to add endorsements to get the coverage you need, like a water backup and sump overflow endorsement.
Both of these options add to your overall premiums. That’s why it’s a good idea to shop around before you buy a policy. It takes time, but you’ll have a better chance of finding a policy that offers the best coverage for your needs.
How much earthquake insurance do you need?
You want to have enough earthquake insurance so that you can rebuild your home and replace your property even after a total loss.This means matching the limits of your dwelling, other structures, and personal property coverage on your earthquake insurance with those same limits on your home or condo policy.
Earthquake insurance deductibles
A deductible is the amount you cover out-of-pocket if you need to file an insurance claim. For earthquake insurance, deductibles are typically set at 10% to 20% of the coverage limit for your policy.
For example, say you have a $200,000 earthquake insurance coverage limit with a 15% deductible. You’d be responsible for paying $30,000 in repairs before your coverage would kick in.
There are a couple of other quirks for earthquake insurance deductibles. One is that some insurers have separate deductibles for your dwelling and contents coverage. So if your earthquake policy has $100,000 in personal property coverage and a 15% deductible, you’d have to cover $15,000 for damage to items like furniture and electronics.
What’s more, earthquakes occurring more than 72 hours apart are considered to be separate events. If your home sustains earthquake damage in one event and then again in another three days later, you may have to make a second claim and pay a second deductible.
How much does earthquake insurance cost?
The cost of earthquake insurance can vary widely depending on where your home is located, your insurance carrier, and the type and age of the structure that you are covering.
For example, older buildings tend to cost more to insure than new ones, while wood frame structures are generally less costly to insure than brick buildings because they tend to withstand quake stresses better. (Unless your brick home is reinforced with steel rebar – that’s a different story!)
Choosing a higher deductible can help you save on your earthquake insurance premiums, but remember most earthquake insurance policies have percentage deductibles. These deductibles have caused serious sticker shock to homeowners when they file a claim, so you want to think carefully about what you can afford should the worst happen.
What to do after an earthquake?
The first thing to do after an earthquake is to make sure that you and all of your family members are safe. After tending to any injuries or immediate dangers, you need to assess your home for damage and get ready to file an earthquake insurance claim.
Below are some initial steps for after an earthquake. Only take them if you can do so safely:
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Check utility lines and appliances for damage.
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If you smell gas, open the windows and turn off the main gas valve.
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If you're having frequent electrical power disturbances, turn off your home’s circuit breaker to prevent a power surge.
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Check your chimney for cracks or other damage. (Please do this from the ground.)
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Take any steps you can to shore up any damage you find and prevent additional damage (e.g., board up windows to prevent theft).
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If you've made a home inventory of your belongings, find it so you can start adding up your personal property losses.
How to file an earthquake claim
Filing an earthquake claim isn't much different than filing any other type of home or condo insurance claim, except that your insurance company will likely be inundated with hundreds of claims at the same time.
Your best bet is to be prepared. Make sure you have all of the information you need at your fingertips, and do your best to be patient.
The steps to filing an earthquake claim are:
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Mitigate your damages. You have a responsibility to keep damage from getting worse if you are able to do so. Some examples for after an earthquake include shutting off water if you've got a burst pipe, boarding up windows, and turning off the gas. Whatever you do, remember to keep receipts for your insurer.
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Avoid making repairs. While you want to stop more problems from happening, you also need the claims adjuster to see the damage the earthquake caused. Once the adjuster has fully investigated your claim, you can get started on repairs.
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Call your insurance agent or company as soon as possible. Most companies offer phone and online claim reporting options. Have your policy number and a basic description of the loss handy.
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Work with the adjuster. Your claims adjuster will gather facts about the cause and extent of the damage. You should photograph or video record and list the damage to your home and belongings, including the cause. If you have a home inventory, it will be an important resource during this process.
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Get repair estimates. In some cases, you'll be able to hire your own contractor and submit receipts to the insurance company for payment, but sometimes your insurer evokes the option to repair provision in your coverage.
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Start repairs. Your insurance company will issue a partial payment once your claims adjuster determines coverage for your loss. Use this money to hire contractors to get repairs underway – and remember to keep contracts and receipts.
Did you notice the couple of times we mentioned receipts in that list? Keeping evidence that you paid to replace or repair property is essential in a claim. Your insurance company will need to see proof of payments before it will compensate you for your loss.
That goes for additional living expenses, too. You may be able to get reimbursement for lodging, meals, and other costs that go beyond your normal bills – but only if your policy covers them and you keep your receipts.
How to get earthquake insurance
Take these steps to find an earthquake insurance policy that's right for you:
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Contact your insurance agent if your current provider offers either a standalone policy or an earthquake endorsement.
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If neither is available, go online to find insurers and brokers who offer the coverage in your area.
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Fill out applications for coverage – we usually recommend having at least three quotes to compare.
If you can't find adequate coverage, you may have to find an excess and surplus lines insurer. These companies may have the ability to sell policies in high-risk areas. Your best bet may be to search the internet for insurance companies that sell earthquake insurance.
Do I need earthquake insurance?
Earthquake insurance isn’t a required coverage, but there are many reasons that you might want to consider getting a policy.
Anyone who lives near a fault line or an area known for earthquakes should look into this coverage because they’re more likely to experience catastrophic damage. An earthquake might cause serious foundation issues or cause walls to collapse. Even mild tremors can destroy belongings as they're sent crashing to the floor. Earthquake insurance covers these losses.
But earthquakes can occur anywhere, so homeowners outside of fault lines may also want to consider getting covered. To evaluate whether or not you need earthquake insurance, ask yourself the following questions:
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Can I afford the cost of rebuilding or repairing my home if it were destroyed by an earthquake?
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Could I replace my personal belongings if they were damaged by an earthquake?
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Can I afford temporary housing and other expenses if structural damage from an earthquake made my home uninhabitable?
Weighing the answers to these questions against your risk of experiencing earthquake damage can help you decide if getting coverage makes sense for you.
Whether or not you choose to get earthquake insurance, you need to remember that tremors are more common than people realize. Get tips for protecting your home and family in our article How to prepare for an earthquake.
