Cover the things you would not want to replace

The dwelling limit should reflect what it would cost to rebuild your home today, which is a different number from what you paid for it and from what it would sell for. From there we look at contents, liability, and whether you need somewhere to live while the home is repaired. We work through those numbers with you rather than carrying over whatever the last policy said.

Usually not. Both are typically excluded from a standard homeowners policy and are written separately, which surprises a lot of people in California and Texas. Where either exposure applies to your address, we price the separate coverage so you can decide with the real cost in front of you.

An umbrella sits above the liability limits on your home and auto policies and takes over when one of those limits is exhausted. It is usually the least expensive way to add a meaningful amount of liability protection, which matters most when you have assets or future income worth protecting.

Replacement cost pays to replace an item with a new equivalent. Actual cash value subtracts depreciation first, so an eight-year-old roof or laptop pays out far less than it costs to replace. The difference rarely surfaces until a claim, which is why we flag which one a policy uses before you buy it.

Often, but not always. A bundle discount from one company can still total more than two well-placed policies from two different companies. Because we are independent we can price it both ways and show you the comparison, instead of assuming the bundle wins.

At every renewal, and any time something changes: a remodel, a new driver in the house, a move, a marriage, a home purchase. Coverage that fit three years ago often does not fit now, and gaps tend to open quietly rather than announce themselves.