For many California homeowners, their ownership interest in their home is their largest financial asset. Guard against financially devastating shaking events with CEA earthquake home insurance.
Earthquakes are unlike any other natural disaster. There aren’t any warning signs or advanced notice. One thing is certain: California, with nearly 16,000 known faults, could suffer a devastating earthquake in the near future.
Do I Need Residential Earthquake Insurance?
Earthquake insurance is not required in California, unlike home fire insurance for those with home mortgages or automobile liability insurance for drivers. However, if you choose not to protect yourself with earthquake insurance, you will be responsible for all the related expenses, such as 100 percent of the cost to repair your home, replace your belongings, and live elsewhere after a major earthquake.
How Expensive is Earthquake Insurance?
Our affordable earthquake insurance policies let you select the coverage that best fits your budget. CEA premiums are determined by several factors, including your home’s age, earthquake-risk location data such as proximity to a fault and soil type, foundation type, construction type, and roof type.
For the best choice of CEA earthquake home insurance policies, select deductibles from 5%-25%. For new policies written on or after August 1, 2023, and renewals on or after November 1, 2023, homes with a Coverage A dwelling limit greater than $1,000,000, or dwellings built before 1980 on a raised or other type foundation that do not have a verified retrofit, are only eligible for a 15%, 20%, or 25% deductible.
How to Qualify for a Discounted Premium
A seismic retrofit involves strengthening your home’s foundation to make it more resistant to shaking. CEA offers earthquake home insurance premium discounts (up to 25%) for older houses that have been properly retrofitted to better withstand earthquakes.
Find out about our discounts for retrofitted older houses.
Grants to help pay for a house retrofit are available under the Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) and Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) programs.
Where to Buy Earthquake Insurance
CEA homeowners earthquake insurance is easy to buy. Contact your home insurance agent to discuss adding a separate earthquake policy to your homeowners insurance. You can add the coverage today—no need to wait until your homeowners policy comes up for renewal.
CEA works with 20 residential insurance companies that serve the majority of California homeowners. Only Californians whose homes are insured by those companies are eligible to purchase a CEA earthquake policy.
Read Your CEA Policy Carefully
We encourage you to read your entire CEA policy—and its policy declarations page—to understand your coverages and how they work. Exclusions and special limits apply. All terms and conditions of CEA insurance coverage are found in the CEA insurance-policy form. Refer to a sample policy, below.
FAQs
Q: Do I need earthquake insurance in California?
A: Earthquake insurance is not required in California. However, it is highly recommended to protect yourself from the financial expenses that can arise after a major earthquake.
Q: How expensive is earthquake insurance?
A: The cost of earthquake insurance varies depending on several factors, including your home’s age, location, and construction type. CEA offers affordable policies that allow you to choose the coverage that best fits your budget.
Q: How can I qualify for a discounted premium?
A: To qualify for a discounted premium, you can retrofit your older home to make it more resistant to earthquakes. CEA offers premium discounts of up to 25% for properly retrofitted houses.
Q: Where can I buy earthquake insurance?
A: CEA homeowners earthquake insurance can be purchased through your home insurance agent. Contact them to discuss adding a separate earthquake policy to your existing homeowners insurance.
Conclusion
Protecting your home and assets from earthquakes is crucial, considering the unpredictable nature of these events. With CEA earthquake insurance, you can have peace of mind knowing that you are financially prepared for the aftermath of a major earthquake. Don’t wait until it’s too late—take the necessary steps to safeguard your home today.
Remember to read your entire CEA policy carefully to fully understand your coverages and how they work. For more information and to get started with earthquake insurance, contact your home insurance agent or visit the CEA website.
