7813 NE 13th Ave, Ste A, Vancouver, WA 98665Insurance Professionals Who Have Your Back
The short answer
Flood and earthquake. Every standard homeowners policy excludes both, and both are real risks in Clark County and along the Columbia, so each one has to be bought as its own policy or endorsement.
Most homeowners figure their policy covers anything that could happen to the house, and for the most part it does. Two exceptions matter a lot where we live, and they're the questions we get most after a big storm or a quake: flood and earthquake. A standard homeowners policy covers neither.
Because every standard home policy excludes it, across the whole industry. The exclusion doesn't care where the water came from. An overflowing river, weeks of rain with nowhere to drain, and a flash flood all read the same to the policy.
You buy flood coverage separately, either through the National Flood Insurance Program or from a private flood insurer. We write both and compare them, because private flood has become competitive on some homes in our area.
Two things tend to surprise people. First, you don't have to live on a riverbank to be at risk. A good share of flood claims come from areas rated low or moderate risk, and around here the trouble is often runoff pooling at the bottom of a slope rather than a river over its banks. The second is timing.
No. Standard home policies exclude earthquake damage, which matters here: our region is seismically active, and the Cascadia Subduction Zone sits off the coast. You can buy coverage as a separate policy or, with some carriers, as an endorsement on your homeowners policy.
Before you buy, make sure you understand the deductible, because it doesn't work like the rest of your policy.
Quite a lot, which is why the two gaps catch people off guard. A typical policy covers fire, wind, falling trees, theft, and sudden water damage from a burst pipe inside the home. Side by side, the three look like this.
| Homeowners | Flood policy | Earthquake policy | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fire, wind, theft, falling trees | Covered | No | No |
| Burst pipe inside the home | Usually covered when it is sudden | No | No |
| Rising water, runoff, river flooding | Excluded | Covered | No |
| Shaking from an earthquake | Excluded | No | Covered |
| Typical deductible | A flat amount you choose | A flat amount you choose | A percentage of your home's value |
| Waiting period before it starts | None | Commonly 30 days | Often a short wait after purchase |
Plenty of households decide against one or both, and that's a fine answer when it's a decision. The trouble comes when someone assumes they're covered and finds out otherwise after a loss. So we ask a practical question: if this happened tomorrow, what would you do, and could you afford to do it?
We'll quote both alongside your current homeowners policy so you can see what each one costs next to what it covers, walk you through how each deductible would work on your house, and leave the decision to you. We write flood and earthquake coverage through several carriers, so you'll have more than one option.
Usually, yes, when the water escapes suddenly and by accident, which the policy treats differently from flood. What matters is where the water came from. If it came in from outside and rose, the policy calls it flood and excludes it. If it came out of your own plumbing without warning, it's generally covered. A slow leak nobody noticed for months is a third category, and often isn't covered.
You may still want it. Being outside a high risk zone lowers both the odds and the premium, but a significant share of flood claims come from low and moderate risk areas. Around here the problem is usually runoff with nowhere to go. It's worth getting a price before you decide.
A National Flood Insurance Program policy commonly has a thirty day waiting period, with a few exceptions such as a purchase tied to a new mortgage. Private flood policies can be quicker. Either way, you can't buy it the same day, so put it on the calendar instead of waiting for an emergency. Call us at 360-573-3080 and we'll tell you what applies to you.
It's a deductible calculated as a percentage of your home's insured value instead of a flat dollar amount. On a home insured for $500,000, a 10 percent deductible is $50,000. The percentage varies by carrier and you can sometimes choose it, so it's one of the first numbers we compare between quotes.
General information, not a binding quote or a confirmation of coverage. Coverage depends on the policy you buy and the state you live in, so check your own policy or ask us.
Serving Vancouver, Portland, Ridgefield, Battle Ground, Camas, and surrounding areas within Clark County and the Pacific Northwest.
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