Home services
Home insurance, without the policy fog.
Understand the coverage, exclusions, deductibles, and price questions that matter before you choose a policy.
Browse insurance notesThe parts of a policy that deserve your attention
Home insurance usually combines protection for the dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, and personal liability. The limits and exclusions matter more than the policy’s headline price. Coverage is not the same as a promise that every loss will be paid.
Deductible, replacement cost, and actual cash value
A deductible is the amount you pay on a covered claim before the insurer contributes. A higher deductible can reduce the premium, but only choose one you could afford after a loss. Replacement-cost coverage and actual-cash-value coverage can produce very different claim payments because depreciation may be included in the latter.
A useful pre-purchase checklist
Ask how the home is valued, whether water backup or certain storms require separate coverage, what happens if rebuilding costs rise, and whether your belongings are covered at replacement cost. Keep a home inventory with photos, serial numbers, and receipts. Compare the same limits and deductibles across quotes.
Make the deductible tradeoff visible
What would a different deductible change?
Estimate the out-of-pocket amount and compare it with the annual premium you pay today.
Educational estimate only. Actual rates, approval, coverage, and savings depend on the offer or service available to you.
The Ledger
Read up before you decide
These insurance notes help explain what you are comparing in a policy.
Your questions, answered
Coverage and deductibles
The decision
What should I compare between policies?
Compare the same dwelling limit, personal-property limit, deductible, exclusions, and replacement-cost terms.
Costs and tradeoffs
Is the cheapest policy automatically best?
No. A lower premium can come with a higher deductible or narrower coverage.
Before your next step
Compare the coverage before the premium
Keep your policy and the new quote side by side.
Browse insurance notesA few details to keep beside you.
- Match dwelling and personal-property coverage limits.
- Check deductibles, exclusions and replacement-cost terms.
- Ask which losses would leave you paying out of pocket.
