Earthquake insurance for homeowners

From California and the Pacific Northwest to states like Missouri, Tennessee, Utah, and even South Carolina, earthquakes pose a serious yet often overlooked threat to many homeowners. While the risk varies by region, the potential financial consequences of an earthquake can be devastating, especially for those without insurance.

Standard home insurance, condominium insurance, and mobile home insurance policies typically don’t cover earthquake damage, leaving many at risk of paying out of pocket for costly repairs or even total losses. 

As you evaluate your coverage needs, assess your risks and understand what earthquake insurance covers to determine whether adding this protection makes sense.

What is earthquake insurance?

Earthquake insurance is a special type of coverage that covers damage caused by seismic activity. An earthquake policy usually covers damage to your home, attached structures, personal belongings, and additional living expenses. However, earthquake coverage typically excludes:

• Flooding

• Sinkholes

• Fire damage

• Vehicle damage

• Masonry veneer on your home’s exterior

Earthquake insurance policies can vary by provider and state. Always discuss coverage details, with a licensed insurer to fully understand what is (and isn’t) covered. 

Who needs earthquake insurance?

Whether you need earthquake insurance depends on where you live, what kind of home you own, and your financial ability to cover potential losses. According to the USGS seismic hazard maps, areas near fault lines are the most at risk, including:

• California

• The Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington)

• Texas

• New York

• Florida

• Utah

• Nevada 

• Hawaii

• The New Madrid seismic zone (Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Oklahoma, Mississippi)

• North Carolina

Older homes, those made of brick or wood frames with crawl spaces, houses that are multiple stories, built on soft soil or without a proper foundation, are more likely to suffer a great deal of damage if an earthquake occurs.

You should also consider your financial ability to pay to repair or rebuild your home. Could you afford to continue paying your mortgage while financing a rebuild? What about the cost of living elsewhere during the repair or rebuilding process? When available, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) assistance payouts after a natural disaster are not always enough to cover the costs. In that case, earthquake insurance might be worth it.

What does earthquake insurance cover?

Earthquake insurance usually covers:

• Dwelling coverage: Covers structural damage to your home and attached structures, such as a porch, garage, or sunroom.

• Personal property coverage: Covers damage to personal belongings like your clothes, appliances, and furniture.

• Additional living expenses coverage: Pays for expenses to live somewhere else temporarily while your house is uninhabitable and being repaired or rebuilt.

Some earthquake insurance policies also include coverage for debris removal and emergency repairs needed to prevent further damage to your home. Condo unit owners may want to consider loss assessment coverage, which helps pay for assessments you may receive to cover losses to common areas and shared structures like the roof of your condo building.

What isn’t covered?

A residential earthquake insurance policy typically won’t cover:

• Flood, tsunami, or tidal wave damage

• Fire damage

• Landscaping, fences, pools

• Pre-existing damage

• Vehicle damage

How much does earthquake insurance cost?

The price of earthquake insurance depends on multiple factors:

• Home value and age: Older and more expensive homes usually cost more to insure than newer, cheaper homes.

• Construction materials: Frame homes can usually withstand earthquakes better than brick homes, so they are generally cheaper to insure.

• Coverage amount: The more coverage you need, the more you’ll pay for earthquake insurance.

• Deductible amount: Deductibles typically range from 2% to 20%, with higher deductibles resulting in lower premiums.

• Location/seismic risk: Homes in high-risk areas pay more for earthquake coverage. For example, a brick home that costs between $0.60 and $0.90 per $1,000 of coverage on the East Coast to insure may cost between $3 and $15 in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). Frame homes typically cost less than $0.50 per $1,000 on the East Coast and between $1 and $3 in the PNW (Triple-I).

• Insurance company: Like other insurance policy types, rates can vary widely depending on the earthquake insurer.
  

How to reduce your premium

There are several ways you can lower your earthquake insurance premium, including:

• Seismic retrofitting: Retrofitting your home with holdown brackets, cripple wall bracing, or foundation bolting can help your house withstand the impact of earthquakes and lessen the damage.

• Higher deductibles: Taking on more financial responsibility with a higher deductible means you have to pay more out of pocket, but it will save you money on your premium.

• Policy bundling with homeowners insurance: Insurers offering earthquake insurance may also provide a multi-policy discount if you also insure your home with them.

• Shopping around: Comparing quotes from multiple companies is one of the only ways to ensure you get the best price for the coverage you need.
  

How to decide if it’s worth it

To decide if earthquake insurance is worth it, start by assessing your risk using tools like USGS hazard maps and insurance calculators. Consider your home’s location, construction type, and the cost to rebuild. 

If you have significant home equity or substantial cash reserves, you could take out a loan or pay out of pocket to rebuild. But if you have limited savings or little equity, insurance may be the right move.

While premiums and deductibles require additional costs on top of your home insurance payment, the peace of mind knowing you’re covered in a worst-case scenario may outweigh the cost, especially if a major earthquake would financially strain or displace you. 

How to get earthquake insurance

You have three options to get earthquake insurance:

• A homeowners insurance provider: Many home insurance companies also offer an earthquake endorsement or separate insurance policy. Coverage availability, limits, and premiums vary by company and state.

• State programs: The California Earthquake Authority (CEA) works with home insurance companies to offer California residents earthquake insurance. Check with your state to see if a similar program is available.

• Private insurers specializing in catastrophe coverage: Some private insurers offer standalone earthquake and other catastrophe policies that may be more customizable than those available through traditional insurers.