What exclusions are listed in your homeowner’s policy? The exclusions section of your insurance policy lists the situations that the insurance company will not pay for in the event of a loss.
This section is discreetly placed in your policy pages and is not on your declarations page, but this section is one of the most important. All basic homeowners’ policies exclude events such as earthquakes, sewage backups, nuclear explosions, war, mud slides, and sink holes just to name a few.
Your policy will not cover flooding. Flood coverage can be purchased through your agent, but is not part of your homeowners’ policy. It is underwritten through The National Flood Insurance Program, governed by FEMA.
You may live outside of the flood plane, but the fact is, if you live within five miles of ANY water source, then you need flood insurance. The good news is, the further away from the flood plane you are, the cheaper the insurance.
There are also ancillary exclusions that are not covered except with the proper endorsements. are additions to your homeowner’s policy that may be added on to your basic policy much like luxury options on a new car. And just like the new car they will add to the bottom line price, but have a relatively small impact on the monthly payment.
These additions are things that most people assume are already covered in their policy. These include, but are not limited to sewage backups, broken windows/glass, fallen trees, wind driven rain, and building-code required upgrades. Make certain that you carefully read all of your policy’s exclusions and endorsements.