Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, insurance policies automatically renew. Your carrier will send you a renewal statement a few months prior to renewal, and if you have no changes, the policy will automatically renew. As part of our renewal process, Covered Customer Service Agents begin reviewing your policy and 35 days before your policy renewal, the team performs a renewal shop to ensure you are receiving the most competitive rates. Keep an eye out for emails from the Covered team as we get closer to your renewal date as we will help you through the entire renewal process.

Everything is essentially good to go! We check for any rate changes or potential changes in carriers so you get the most competitive rates. It’s one of the best parts of being a Covered customer - we do all the heavy lifting for the policy reshop, compare, and purchase or simply renew its current terms.

Covered has an entire team gearing up to ensure you have the most competitive rates on your coverage. We base your policy renewal on the terms of the policy as they are currently listed, so if you have made any changes to your property such as renovations, adding a gazebo, getting new windows, or installing new appliances, you will need to let us know about those as we would want to ensure everything that changes the value of your home or the value of your personal property gets included for the policy coverage.

If you know you want to bundle before your renewal date, or prior to our pricing review, simply call us at 833-487-2683 to speak with a licensed Covered advisor. Of course, with our Covered renewal process, we will also connect with you if we find bundling opportunities during our reshop of your policy prior to renewal.

Typically homeowners insurance policies renew annually. Covered will notify you 60 days prior to the renewal date and then our team begins the policy reshop for you to make sure you get the most competitive rate for the renewal. You will receive a renewal statement a few weeks before the renewal date. If you know there are coverage gaps prior to the renewal date, you can change your coverage at any time, but depending on the carrier your policy is with, there may be a fee to make changes prior to the renewal date. Give us a call if you want to get some information on renewals before the renewal date of your policy.

Newly acquired items, like expensive jewelry or a flat-screen TV, should also be added to your policy. Be sure to add anything you have bought to your home inventory and update your policy to reflect the new values. These items add up quickly, so make sure to let your Covered Insurance Advisor know so we can adequately cover your personal property.

Typically certain types of property have limited coverage with standard policies, so it is a good idea to itemize certain valuables not only to increase the coverage amount, but to broaden the types of covered losses. “Items like an expensive ring may not be covered under your standard home insurance policy. You’ll want to inform a Covered advisor so we can help you determine if you need to increase coverage limits or add an endorsement to your policy.

Get in touch with Covered so we can get the new upgrades included in your policy. If you made upgrades over the course of the year, make sure you documented everything you did and we can assist in adding these to your policy coverage. Do this before your policy renewal or let us know when you hear from us beginning at the 60-day time leading up to your renewal. Outdoor upgrades are categorized as 'other structures 'and aren’t always included in your standard policy unless you specifically  purchase the coverage. So make sure to let us know and we can get these items included in your policy.

Any time you make improvements to your home, the value of your home changes, and in terms of insurance, the cost to rebuild or repair it increases, meaning you will probably need to increase the limits on your policy to make sure the new values are accounted for in the event something happens and you need to get things replaced, repaired, or rebuilt.

Bathroom and kitchen remodels are something to keep in mind as they can increase the cost to repair or rebuild a home while increasing the actual value of the home. The actual items you purchased for the renovation like a new refrigerator or stove for your new kitchen will need to be adjusted against your personal property coverage and then we will also need to review your dwelling coverage limit to ensure you have the right amount to repair or rebuild your home.

Added note: If you are relocating during a renovation, speak with us about getting dwelling coverage under renovation, repair, or remodeling coverage, which provides theft coverage for building materials while you are away. You can remove this coverage after you return back home.

Dwelling coverage is included in a standard HO-3 homeowners insurance policy. It covers the physical structure of the home, including the foundation, frame, walls and roof. It also covers things built into the home, like cabinets, permanent air conditioner units, furnaces, and water heaters, if they are damaged or destroyed by a covered loss. So, at renewal time, you’ll want to inform a Covered advisor about any upgrades made to the home. Most upgrades are going to increase the value of your home and, most likely, the cost to rebuild or repair. A licensed Covered advisor will help you get the right insurance protection and coverage limits.

Speak with a Covered Advisor as we can help gauge the best steps to take before you begin renovating and provide advice on what to expect and how the renovation is going to impact your insurance coverage and policy.

These items are considered 'other structures' or ‘other items’ in terms of homeowners insurance policies and are not typically included in a standard policy. If you had the items included at the time you purchased your policy they would be included, but when you add these to your asset portfolio after the policy is bound, then you will need to add them in.

If you want to ensure they are covered for the replacement value, we can help get you the proper coverage at the correct value of the added outdoor items.

Additionally, some of these “fun enhancements” are considered an attractive nuisance, and you could be held liable for injury should someone get hurt using them; even if someone is trespassing on your property when they were hurt using them! Speak with us about checking your liability coverage in the event someone gets injured on your property. One great option for people who have a lot of these enhancements is getting umbrella insurance coverage. Speak with us about it!

Generally, unless you have tenants living in your home, people moving in and out won’t affect your home insurance policy. You should notify us if you have changes in occupancy to be safe.

There are many factors that contribute to an increase in insurance rates. Location, characteristics of the home, roof type and even your credit score in some states affects your rates, as well as claims history. Home insurance rates also change on renovations to your property. Speak with someone on our team and we can advise and counsel on changes to your insurance rates and premiums, while also finding ways for you to save where you can.

In the event your home becomes inhabitable, loss of use coverage or additional living expenses (ALE) coverage may help pay for the additional costs you might incur for reasonable housing and living expenses. Speak with the Covered team about adding loss of use insurance coverage to your policy.

Covered A coverage is dwelling insurance. If your home is damaged by a covered peril, the dwelling coverage may help pay to repair, rebuild, or replace your home back to its physical structure. Dwelling coverage is included in every homeowners or condo policy, and because your home is the most important asset, this coverage is the essential of home insurance, yet most commonly misunderstood by many consumers. Dwelling coverage covers the house, an attached garage, countertops, flooring, and built-in appliances. Dwelling coverage also protects attached deck, verandas or screened-in porches, chimneys, and permanently installed building materials like vanities, flooring, ceilings, cabinets, etc.

Structures that are detached such as garages, sheds, barns, guest houses, fences, and other items like swimming pools and gazebos are not included.

These as mentioned above, are categorized as “other structures” under your coverage. Dwelling insurance covers perils like fire, hail or windstorms, lightning strikes, explosions, falling objects, damages by motor vehicles, and theft and vandalism. Flood damage is not covered under dwelling coverage, so make sure to speak with someone on our team to discuss flood insurance coverage to protect against sewer backups, earthquakes, and accidents occurring from lack of maintenance.

Inflation and rising interest rates affect your homeowners insurance due to the rising cost of rebuilding. During economic conditions with increasing costs across building materials and labor, or even shortages, all will impact the rates of insurance premiums. Be sure to speak with us about your current policy and any changes to dwelling rebuild or repair costs against your coverage to make sure you are fully protected in these unpredictable times.

If you purchased a homeowners policy, you need to be aware you may be subject to an exterior home inspection within the next 30 days.
Don't worry though, you don't need to be home for this inspection. It is only performed to ensure your home is in good order and does not have any uninsurable conditions. If you have any dogs, please be sure to have notices posted around your property.

The home inspection is a very important step in finalizing your homeowner’s policy - it assures that your policy and pricing remain in effect with the terms you agreed to. There have been instances that resulted in premium changes or early policy terminations by the carrier because a home inspection wasn’t completed promptly.

Prior to the inspection, make sure your home is in good condition. Clean up any clutter and ensure that all areas of the property are accessible, including the basement, attic, and crawl spaces. It's also helpful to gather any relevant documentation, such as proof of recent upgrades or renovations.
Home inspection purposes vary depending on the insurance carrier, but in general, here is what to expect:

During the inspection, a qualified inspector will assess various aspects of your home, such as the structure, electrical systems, plumbing, HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), roof, and overall safety features. They may also evaluate the condition of the property and identify any potential hazards or risks.

After completing the inspection, the inspector will provide you with a detailed report outlining their findings. The report may include information about any issues or deficiencies discovered during the inspection.