The Golden State is a beautiful place with year-round sunshine. But being located on the Pacific coast also makes it one of the riskiest places to live in the country. From earthquakes to wildfires, hurricanes and floods, California is prone to all kinds of natural disasters that can wreak havoc on home and property owners. Since you probably can’t build an ark for your house and move somewhere else, home insurance becomes essential if you want to stay in California post-disaster. A good home insurance policy will cover you against property damage from natural perils and pay for your losses if something unfortunate does happen to your house and its contents. In this blog post, we detail the 5 best home insurance companies in California as well as a brief overview of their home insurance policies so that you can decide whether they are right for you.
California Earthquakes: Protecting Your Home
California gets hit with a major earthquake every decade or so. If you live in an area at risk for seismic activity, you need to make sure your home is prepared. You can increase the strength of your home’s foundation by installing support beams, improving your soil and reinforcing any weak areas. You can also protect your belongings by storing them on high shelves. This way they won’t fall off the table and break if an earthquake happens. You should also get earthquake insurance because earthquakes are not covered by most home insurance policies. Earthquake insurance covers damage caused by earthquakes, landslides and volcanic eruptions. It also covers damage from seismic activity, such as soil expansion, that is caused by an earthquake that is too far away to cause damage directly. An earthquake insurance policy will help pay for repairs to your home if it is damaged in an earthquake, even if you don’t have other insurance.
California Wildfires: Protecting Your Home and Property
Like earthquakes, wildfires are a yearly threat to Californians. But while earthquakes are a one-time threat, wildfires can happen every season. Fire is the leading cause of homeowner insurance claims in California, so if you don’t have fire coverage on your home insurance policy, you may be paying for other people’s property damage out of your own pocket. Fire coverage protects your house, the stuff inside it, and any other structures on your property from damage caused by fire. Without fire coverage, you’d be responsible for the full cost of repairs and replacement. Even if you don’t live in a high-risk area, most fire coverage policies have a low-dollar trigger. Most fire coverage policies will kick in when the total damage caused by a fire exceeds $1,000.
Floods in California: Protecting your home and belongings
California is also in the path of many floods, both from rivers overflowing their banks and from flash floods that come out of nowhere. Flood coverage protects your belongings against damage caused by water, including sewage. It also covers the cost to rebuild your home if it is damaged by a flood. You can also add additional coverage that protects you against rising water levels, called flood-related subsidence. Subsidence coverage covers repairs to your home if it sinks or is otherwise compromised due to flooding.
Hurricanes in California: Protecting your property
While hurricanes are a threat to both coasts, they are less common in California than in states in the southeast. But that doesn’t mean Californians don’t need hurricane insurance. Like wildfire coverage, the dollar amount covered by a hurricane policy is relatively low. Most companies require a hurricane policy to kick in when the damage exceeds $3,000. A hurricane policy covers damage caused by wind, including property damage and repair costs related to your roof, fence, garage door and windows. It also covers the cost to remove tree branches and other debris from your property, as well as the cost to board up windows
Summary
The Golden State is a beautiful place with year-round sunshine. But being located on the Pacific coast also makes it one of the riskiest places to live in the country. From earthquakes to wildfires, hurricanes and floods, California is prone to all kinds of natural disasters that can wreak havoc on home and property owners. Since you probably can’t build an ark for your house and move somewhere else, home insurance becomes essential if you want to stay in California post-disaster. A good home insurance policy will cover you against property damage from natural perils and pay for your losses if something unfortunate does happen to your house and its contents.
Conclusion
If you live in California, you need home insurance to protect your assets from natural disasters like earthquakes, wildfires, floods and hurricanes. While each company has its strengths, the 5 best home insurance companies in California are Farmers, State Farm, Allstate, GEICO, and American Family.
