Does All-Risk Home Insurance Cover Everything?
October, 26 2021
Protecting your biggest investment – your home – with the right insurance coverage is important. After all, your home is not just where you lay your head at night. It is a safe place where your family makes their memories, celebrates the best times in life, and feels most secure.
You already know you need to have home insurance to protect your investment, and if you have a mortgage your lender probably required you to buy insurance to protect their interest, too. But when you consider your home insurance options, you may be wondering what all-risk home insurance is and if it is really necessary for you.
Read on to learn what all-risk home insurance is and what it covers, then call us at Duliban Insurance to talk through your options. All-risk home insurance is right for many people, and if you need the coverage, we will help you compare policies to find the right policy at the best price.
All-Risk Home Insurance Is Broad Coverage
As the name implies, all-risk coverage is broad and covers many types of risks.
What Does All-Risk Home Insurance Cover?
All-risk coverage means your policy protects you from damages caused by any peril or hazard unless it is specifically excluded in the policy. All-risk policies are sometimes also referred to as open peril or comprehensive policies. Many different insurance companies in Canada sell all-risk home insurance policies so you can compare rates and options. Since each policy differs, be sure to look closely at your options when shopping around.
On the other hand, basic or named-perils policies cover damages caused only by perils or hazards specifically named in the policy. This limits the coverage by removing potential loss causes, which potentially leaves the homeowner with a coverage gap. Nonetheless, this coverage gap may not be a problem if the homeowner has other solutions in mind to cover losses resulting from unnamed perils.
Covered Perils
Some examples of perils usually covered by an all-risk home insurance policy include:
- Explosion
- Wind
- Hail
- Fire
- Smoke
- Electrical current
- Lightning
- Falling objects
- Riot
- Theft
- Aircraft or vehicle collision
- Vandalism
- Water damage (not including flooding)
While every all-risk policy can differ, some commonly excluded perils include:
- Acts of war
- Terrorism
- Earthquakes or earth shifting
- Pollution
- Wear and tear
- Pest damage
- Mechanical breakdown
- Overland water (flooding)
- Employee theft
It is important to read your policy thoroughly. You do not want to be surprised to find an unexpected exclusion when you need your coverage.
If you need coverage for an excluded peril, talk with your agent. You may be able to purchase a rider or floater with the additional coverage you need.
What Are the Benefits of All-Risk Home Insurance?
Having broad coverage provides some significant benefits to you as a homeowner, although they come at a higher price than a basic policy.
Greater coverage: An all-risk home policy covers more perils than a named-perils policy does. Thus, if something unexpected does happen to your home and you need to use your insurance, you will have a greater chance of your claim being covered. Be sure to review the conditions and exclusions in your all-risk policy to determine what perils are excluded. It is likely your policy will list some excluded perils, even though your coverage is broad. Ask us for help with a policy review.
Peace of mind: A broad form policy like all-risk means you have less to worry about when it comes to your coverage. More perils are covered with an all-risk policy compared with a named-perils policy. This means fewer denials if you need to submit a claim. Knowing many causes of loss will be covered can help you sleep better at night. You are paying for your insurance coverage so it is a benefit to know it will likely cover most things that could happen to your home. Broader coverage like an all-risk policy can lead to less stress.
Do I Need All-Risk Home Insurance?
At the end of the day, it is a personal decision for you and your family if you will need all-risk home insurance – unless your mortgage lender requires you to carry it. In general, the more coverage you purchase, the greater the cost will be. You will have to weigh the benefits of a more comprehensive insurance policy against its higher cost. But remember, if you do suffer a loss and make a claim, those higher premiums will pay off.
Storms have been getting more unpredictable and more severe, so regardless of where your home is located, you could be at risk of storm damage. Consider if you live in a wildfire zone – fire and smoke damage are usually covered perils. Is your home surrounded by mature trees that could fall in a storm or overhanging branches that hang low with ice? Look to the natural region to help you decide if an all-risk policy is right for you.
Some homeowners are more risk-averse and would prefer to have more insurance coverage to cover the possibility of a loss, while others are willing to retain more risk. Consider your own risk appetite when weighing your options. Also, consider how much you could afford to pay out of pocket if a loss suddenly happened.
For example, consider the costs if your child’s friend throws a baseball through your front window or a neighbor hits your garage with his car when visiting. If you can afford to pay for losses as they arise, you may not need an all-risk policy. But if you would rather your insurance company be on the hook instead of you, you might consider the added expense of an all-risk home insurance policy.
Final Thoughts
Choosing the right type of home insurance policy is an important choice to protect your largest investment. We can help you review your coverage and any gaps you may have with your current policy. After all, it may be time for a new home insurance policy to better protect your home and family.
How Do I Learn More?
To learn more about all-risk home insurance, contact the experts at Duliban Insurance. Our licensed experts will be happy to answer any questions you have.
External Links:
- http://www.ibc.ca/ns/home/types-of-coverage
- http://assets.ibc.ca/Documents/Brochures/All-about-https://www.collinsdictionary.com/us/dictionary/english/all-risk-policy/Home-Insurance.pdf
- https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/hailstorm-damage-in-calgary-tops-1-2b-making-it-4th-costliest-natural-disaster-ever-in-canada-1.5016161
