California Earthquake Insurance

You can’t prevent an earthquake, but you can prepare for it…

You’re the type who prepares for almost anything —  that’s why you have plans and goals, buy extra insurance, pay for warranties, and work hard to take care of your family and home. Earthquakes don’t always feel like something you can prepare for. They strike at all times of the day or night. They may be unpredictable, but with the right insurance policy, you can prepare for them.

In California, earthquake insurance can help you protect your home and family in the aftermath of a major quake. Even if your home suffers catastrophic damage, you’ll be able to pick up the pieces and rebuild.

Buying Earthquake Insurance in California

Your homeowner’s insurance company is required to offer to sell you an earthquake policy at least every other year. You can also choose to buy a policy backed by the California Earthquake Authority (CEA). CEA provides most of the earthquake insurance coverage in California. They’re the provider, but you purchase it from insurance agencies like IBW. Nearly all property owners and renters are eligible to buy coverage.

• Single family homes
• Mobile homes
• Condo units
• Renters

You must have a residential property insurance policy in place in order to purchase CEA-provided earthquake insurance.

What Does California Earthquake Authority Insurance Cover?

In California, earthquake insurance is similar to homeowners insurance in that it covers your dwelling and personal property but there are key differences.

Dwelling: The limit on your earthquake policy matches the limit on your homeowners policy. It does not cover landscaping, pools, fencing, separate buildings, or masonry. You can purchase extra coverage for exterior masonry veneer. Condo owners and renters don’t need to worry about dwelling coverage.

Personal Property: Your belongings in your home are covered. The lowest available limit is $5000 and the highest is $200,000. To protect things like fine china and crystal, you need to purchase optional breakables coverage.

Additional Living Expenses: Also known as loss of use coverage, this covers temporary and additional costs you incur while your area is evacuated or your home is being repaired. The limits range from $1500 to $100,000. Expenses like temporary rentals, restaurant meals, moving and storage, and furniture rental are covered.

Condo Assessment: For condo unit owners, coverage for special assessments you might be charged due to earthquake damage is also available. Your policy through CEA will provide up to $100,000 toward your share of any assessment assigned by your homeowner’s association.

Optional Building Code Upgrade Coverage: You can also purchase extra coverage for building upgrades your home might need after an earthquake in order to get a reconstruction permit. This is an additional $10,000 in coverage and is good for older homes that may not be up to current building codes.

In case a home is not up to current building codes, you can purchase extra coverage for building upgrades your home may need after an earthquake. This provides an additional $10,000 in coverage.

Make sure you’re prepared for the worst with a good earthquake insurance policy from IBW. We work with several standalone earthquake insurance carriers who offer a variety of options like pool coverage and deductibles as low as two percent. Contact us today!