You should be aware that not all homeowner’s insurance policies are exactly identical. 

You might think you are getting a great price on your homeowners insurance, when in fact some critical coverage might be missing that could leave you in a deep hole financially.

Call 513-662-7000 to learn how you can receive a homeowner’s insurance audit.  You can also receive an online homeowners insurance quote in all 50 states by clicking here.

Many Ignore Exclusions on Homeowners Insurance Policies to Their Detriment!

A homeowner’s insurance exclusion written in the personal homeowner’s insurance policy describes activities or occurrences that may be excluded from coverage. Essentially, if an excluded activity occurs and your home is damaged, the insurance company is not going to pay the claim!

There are hundreds of scenarios in which claims can be denied or limited by your homeowner’s insurance company!

Listed below you will find exclusions with one particular insurance carrier.  Please note that exclusions are not universal among insurance companies.  In other words what is excluded with one company may be covered by another insurance company so read your policies very carefully!

Common Homeowners Insurance Exclusions (Not all are listed.) 

1) Ordinance or Law, meaning any ordinance or law:

a. Requiring or regulating the construction, demolition, remodeling, renovation or repair of property, including removal of any resulting debris. This exclusion A.1.a. does not apply to the amount of coverage that may be provided for under Additional Coverage 12. Ordinance or Law;

2) Earth Movement, meaning:

a. Earthquake including land shock waves or tremors before, during or after a volcanic eruption;

b. Landslide; mudslide, or mudflow;

c. Subsidence or sinkhole; or

d. Any other earth movement including earth sinking, rising or shifting; caused by or resulting from human or animal forces or any act of nature, unless direct loss by fire or explosion ensues and then we will pay only for the ensuing loss.

3) Water Damage, meaning:

a. Flood, surface water, waves, tidal water, overflow of a body of water, or spray from any of these, whether or not driven by wind;

b. Water or water-borne material which backs up through sewers or drains or which overflows or is discharged from a sump, sump pump or related equipment; or

c. Water or water-borne material below the surface of the ground, including water which exerts pressure on or seeps or leaks through a building, sidewalk, driveway, foundation, swimming pool or other structure; caused by or resulting from human or animal forces or any act of nature.

4) Power Failure, meaning the failure of power or other utility service if the failure takes place off the “residence premises”. But, if the failure results in a loss from a Peril Insured Against, on the “residence premises”, we will pay for the loss caused by that peril.

5)  Neglect, meaning neglect of an “insured” to use all reasonable means to save and preserve property at and after the time of a loss.

6)  War. War includes the following and any consequence of any of the following:

a. Undeclared war, civil war, insurrection, rebellion or revolution;

b. Warlike act by a military force or military personnel; or

c. Destruction, seizure or use for a military purpose. Discharge of a nuclear weapon will be deemed a warlike act even if accidental.

7)  Nuclear Hazard, to the extent set forth in the Nuclear Hazard Clause of Section I – Conditions.

8) Intentional Loss, meaning any loss arising out of any act an “insured” commits or conspires to commit with the intent to cause a loss. In the event of such loss, no “insured” is entitled to coverage, even “insured’s” who did not commit or conspire to commit the act causing the loss.

9) Governmental Action, meaning the destruction, confiscation or seizure of property described in Coverage A, B or C by order of any governmental or public authority. This exclusion does not apply to such acts ordered by any governmental or public authority that are taken at the time of a fire to prevent its spread, if the loss caused by fire would be covered under this policy.

10) “Fungi”, Other Microbes or Rot, meaning any loss or cost resulting from, arising out of, caused by, consisting of, or related to, “fungi”, other microbes or rot. This exclusion does not apply to:

a. “Fungi”, other microbes or rot remediation coverage that may be afforded under Additional Coverage 16. Limited “Fungi”, Other Microbes Or Rot Remediation; or b. “Fungi”, other microbes or rot that results from fire or lightning.

11) Freezing of a plumbing, heating, air conditioning or automatic fire protection sprinkler system, waterbed, water heater, aquarium, or household appliance, or by discharge, leakage or overflow from the system, waterbed, water heater, aquarium, or household appliance caused by freezing while the dwelling is vacant, unoccupied or being constructed, unless you have used reasonable care to:

a. maintain heat in the building; or

b. shut off the water supply and drain the systems, waterbed, water heater, aquarium and household appliances of water.

12)  Any actual or alleged failure, malfunction or inadequacy of:

(1) any of the following, whether belonging to any insured person or to others;

(a) computer hardware, including microprocessors;

(b) computer application software;

(c) computer operating systems and related software;

(d) computer networks;

(e) microprocessors (computer chips) not part of any computer system;

(f) any other computerized or electronic equipment or components;

13) Volcanic eruption.  Damage to or loss of use of property resulting from the entire process of a volcanic eruption. This includes, but is not limited to, eruption of a volcano, earth movement resulting from the eruption process, or discharge, dispersal or accumulation of lava, rock, soot, ash or any other material from a volcano. We do cover direct loss that follows caused by fire, explosion or breakage of glass.

 14) Wear and tear, marring, or scratching, deterioration;

15) Inherent vice, latent defect, mechanical breakdown;

16) Smog, rust or other corrosion;

17) Smoke from agricultural smudging or industrial operations;

18) Discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape of pollutants unless the discharge, dispersal, seepage, migration, release or escape is itself caused by a Peril We Insure Against under Coverage C -Personal Property of this policy. Pollutants means any solid, liquid, gaseous or thermal irritant or contaminant, including smoke, vapor, soot, fumes, acids, alkalis, chemicals and waste. Waste includes materials to be recycled, reconditioned or reclaimed;

19)  Settling, shrinkage, bulging or expansion, including resultant cracking, of pavements, patios, foundations, walls, floors, roofs or ceilings;

20)  Birds, vermin, rodents or insects;

21) Animals owned or kept by an insured person; or

22) Continuous or repeated seepage or leakage of water, steam or moisture, which occurs over a period of weeks, months or years from within a plumbing, heating, air conditioning or automatic fire protection sprinkler system, waterbed, water heater, aquarium, or household appliance, and results in deterioration, corrosion, rust, or fungi.

Read Your Homeowners Insurance Policy Carefully! (Exclusions, and terms and conditions will differ from company to company. This is an not an all inclusive example of all homeowners insurance exclusions. Many exclusions have not been listed.)