What your policy actually covers, in plain words.
A homeowners policy is five promises bundled into one document. Here is what each one does, so your quote reads like a choice instead of a wall of terms.
The five parts
Every quote from casa itemizes all five for your home, with a plain label saying it is an estimate until the insurer finalizes it.
Your home. Repairing or rebuilding the house itself. The biggest number on the policy, based on what it would cost to rebuild, not on what the house would sell for.
Other structures. The detached things: a garage, a fence, a shed, a pool house.
Your belongings. What is inside the house, down to the contents of the garage.
Liability. If someone is hurt on your property, or you damage someone else's.
A place to stay. Somewhere to live while a covered loss is repaired. Policies call it loss of use, or additional living expense.
Your deductible, and the one choice we ask you to make
The deductible is the part of a claim you cover yourself before the insurer pays. A higher deductible lowers your yearly price and costs you more if something happens; a lower one does the reverse.
The form asks how you want that balance set, in three plain options: lower price, higher deductible; balanced, our recommendation; or lowest out-of-pocket after a claim. We quote the other coverages at standard choices and itemize them. Nothing is locked in: ask on the quote page and a licensed agent re-presents your numbers with a different deductible or limit.
What a fire-only policy leaves out
Some California homes end up on a dwelling fire policy rather than a homeowners policy. The most common one is the FAIR Plan's, which covers fire and smoke, plus wind and hail if you add them, and was never built to do the rest: a burst pipe, theft, personal liability, and a place to stay are not part of it.
A companion policy fills those back in. Insurers call it a DIC policy; most homeowners call it the wrap. To see which of the five parts you hold now, read your declarations page and look for four line items: personal liability, personal property or contents, loss of use, and water damage. Blank, zero, or absent means you do not have it.
Questions people ask us
How much coverage do I need on the house itself?
Does a homeowners policy cover earthquake or flood?
Is the coverage different from a specialty insurer?
Can I change my coverage later?
See these five parts priced for your home.
One short form, about 3 minutes, and quotes come back within 24 hours, itemized.