Your homeowners policy pays for the fire after a quake. It pays nothing for the shaking. A residential earthquake policy covers the structure, what is inside it, and somewhere to live while it is rebuilt. We quote the California Earthquake Authority and more than seven private carriers on one submission, so you can see the deductibles and premiums next to each other.
Quotes usually within 24 hours of a complete submission. No obligation.
The right policy depends on what you own and what your other insurance already does. We write all three.
Single-family and multifamily dwellings, from modest homes to replacement costs in the millions. The policy covers the structure, attached structures, contents and loss of use.
Your HOA's master policy almost never carries earthquake coverage. After a quake the association can bill every unit owner a share of the rebuild. That is a loss assessment, and it is the reason condo earthquake insurance exists.
A landlord's policy covers the building and lost rent while it is repaired. A renter's policy covers belongings and somewhere to stay, and it is inexpensive.
Earthquake policies vary more than homeowners policies do. The third column is where quoting more than one carrier earns its keep.
Most California earthquake policies are California Earthquake Authority policies, and we write them. It is a sound option and it is on every comparison we send. What most people never see is the second column: private carriers that compete on the things the CEA is rigid about, deductibles as low as 2.5%, dwelling limits that are not tied to your homeowners limit, broader contents coverage, and items like pools and masonry that the CEA excludes.
Which one wins depends on your home, your ZIP code, and how much of a loss you can absorb yourself. You do not have to go anywhere else to find out. We put both on the same page. Read the full comparison.
Deductible math, in one line. On a $600,000 home with a 10% deductible and $250,000 of damage, you absorb $60,000 and the policy pays $190,000. Drop the deductible to 5% with a private carrier and your share falls to $30,000. Try your own numbers.
Older wood-frame homes with a crawl space fail one way in a quake: the cripple wall between the foundation and the floor gives out and the house slides off its footing, like the one in the photo at the top of this page. The diagram shows the three parts of the fix. Bolting the sill plate to the foundation and bracing the cripple wall prevents it. Retrofitted homes qualify for premium credits with the CEA and with several private carriers, and California's Earthquake Brace + Bolt program offers grants toward the work in eligible ZIP codes.
Confirm current grant amounts and eligible ZIP codes with the program before quoting them to a client.
After a significant earthquake, carriers stop writing new earthquake policies, typically for 15 to 30 days depending on the carrier. Aftershocks in that window are uninsured. If you own a home with equity in it, the time to put coverage in place is before the event. A quote takes minutes and costs nothing.
Start a residential quoteThe full FAQ covers cost, claims and what is excluded.
Usually not. Most HOA master policies carry no earthquake coverage, so after a quake the association can bill each unit owner a share of the rebuild as a loss assessment. A condo earthquake policy with loss-assessment coverage pays that bill. It is one of the most under-purchased, highest-value policies we write.
Usually not immediately. Carriers impose a moratorium on new earthquake policies after a significant quake, often around 15 to 30 days. Coverage has to be in place before the event.
The CEA excludes pools. Several private carriers we represent will cover them, and some offer masonry veneer as an add-on. This is one of the reasons we quote private carriers alongside the CEA.
Address, year built, construction and dwelling value. Five minutes on the form, quotes usually inside 24 hours.