In today’s post from Charles D. Talley Insurance Agency, Inc, our resident Insurance expert, Adam Talley, is going to walk you through the different coverages included in a home insurance quote that you would receive from an independent insurance agency like ourselves. For any homeowner who has had questions about their home insurance in the past, this is information they don’t want to miss!
Be sure to take careful note of everything that was covered in this video. If you feel like you have more questions about your home insurance policy or you’re looking to save money on a better policy in Florida, then please give us a call today at (813) 685-9393. Adam would be happy to help you and your family.
Dwelling Coverage
When you receive a home insurance quote, the first thing you should see is your dwelling coverage. So what does this actually cover? Dwelling coverage is the limit that your insurance carrier has set for rebuilding a damaged home. For instance, say a home was severely damaged in a massive storm in Tampa. We’ll assume that the homeowner had the appropriate home insurance in this scenario. Their dwelling coverage will cover the costs to repair or rebuild their home.
Other Structures Coverage
The next item you should see in your home insurance quote is other structures coverage. If you’re wondering about what this actually covers, we understand because the name is a little vague. Other structures coverage is for other structures that are on your property, but are not part of the house.
Covered other structures can include:
- Detached garages
- Fences
- Sheds
- Bird baths
- And more…
Personal Property Coverage
The next item in your home insurance quote is personal property coverage. What’s included as covered personal property on a home insurance policy in Florida? Imagine that you are holding your house in your hand. Now imagine that you can take the roof off the house with your other hand and turn this mini version of your house upside down. Then you start to shake it like you would a shoe you’re trying to empty of sand. Think of all the items in your home that would fall out in this hypothetical scenario. To your home insurance carrier, all these items are considered personal property.
With a home insurance policy in Florida, there are two ways to cover your personal property.
- Actual cash value – This would be the depreciated value of your personal property.
- Replacement cost – This would be the cost to replace the item for a brand new version.
(Insurance Insider Tip: Make sure you ask your insurance agent about scheduled personal property.)
The Flat Screen TV Scenario
If you’re still a little confused about personal property, here’s another good example. A homeowner has a big flat-screen TV that is about 10 years old. During a serious thunderstorm in Tampa, lightning strikes the home and destroys the TV. If this homeowner was using actual cash value to cover their personal property, then they’re probably not going to get more than $100 from their insurance carrier for the TV. That’s because this is what the actual cash value of a 10 year old TV would be (if it was in relatively good condition). However, a homeowner that was using replacement cost could get $800 to $1,000 to replace that destroyed flat screen TV. This would be equivalent to the price for a new TV at a electronic store or online in Tampa .
Loss of Use Coverage
The next item in your home insurance quote is loss of use coverage. This is an important item to note for homeowners living in Tampa or other places that are at risk from massive storms like hurricanes. This is coverage for homeowners that can’t live in their house due to a covered claim.
Let’s say that a hurricane ends up causing significant water damage to a home in Hillsborough. The residents of the home must vacate the property while repairs are being made. The cost of having to stay in a hotel and purchasing meals over an extended period of time can be significant. Fortunately, loss of use coverage will cover those extra costs.
Liability and Medical Payment Coverage
The next items in your home insurance quote are going to be personal liability and medical payment coverage. These two types of coverages are tied pretty closely together when it comes to home insurance in Florida.
Personal Liability Coverage
Let’s say a homeowner decides to throw a party for their neighbors at their home in St Petersburg. Everyone’s having a great time, but then something very unfortunate happens. One of the guests ends up tripping as they are walking around the pool in the backyard. Even more unfortunate is that this person decides to sue the homeowner who threw the party. Personal liability coverage will protect that homeowner in this scenario.
Medical Payment Coverage
As we mentioned before, this form of coverage is closely tied to personal liability and here’s why. Let’s imagine the same scenario that we did before — a homeowner in St. Petersburg throws a party for their neighbors and some of their close friends. However, this time it’s a good friend of theirs that trips and falls during the party. While we’ll assume that they aren’t going to sue their friend, they may need some help paying for their medical bills. This is where medical payment coverage comes in.
Conclusion
In this post and video, Adam Talley wanted to cover some of the essential coverages included in your home insurance policy. But there could be other coverages and endorsements included in a home insurance quote in Florida. If you have any questions about items on your quote that weren’t covered in this post, then please don’t hesitate to contact us at (813) 685-9393.
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