That\u2019s where things often get quiet.<\/p>\n
After helping Texas families with insurance since 1985, I\u2019ve found that many people know their premium and deductible\u2014but aren’t nearly as familiar with the protection they’re actually buying.<\/p>\n
And you don’t want to learn what’s missing\u00a0after you have a claim<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Here are the basics every Texas homeowner should understand.<\/p>\n The largest part of your policy is usually\u00a0Dwelling Coverage<\/strong>.<\/p>\n It helps repair or rebuild your home when it’s damaged by a loss covered by your policy.<\/p>\n But here’s an important distinction:<\/p>\n Your home’s insurance value is not necessarily its real estate value.<\/strong><\/p>\n Your land isn’t going to burn down. Insurance should focus on the cost of repairing or rebuilding the structure\u2014not simply what you paid for the property or what Zillow says it’s worth.<\/p>\n Ask your agent:<\/p>\n \u201cIf my house had to be rebuilt today, is my coverage enough?\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n With today’s construction and labor costs, that’s a question worth asking.<\/p>\n What about things that aren’t part of the house itself?<\/p>\n Depending on your policy, coverage may extend to detached structures such as a:<\/p>\n If you’ve added significant improvements to your property, don’t assume your insurance automatically knows about them.<\/p>\n Tell your agent when your property changes.<\/strong><\/p>\n Imagine everything inside your home disappeared tomorrow.<\/p>\n Furniture. Clothing. TVs. Computers. Appliances. Electronics.<\/p>\n How much would it cost to replace it all?<\/p>\n Probably more than you think.<\/p>\n Your homeowners policy can provide coverage for personal property damaged or stolen as a result of covered events.<\/p>\n But there’s an important question:<\/p>\n Suppose a covered loss destroys a television you’ve owned for several years.<\/p>\n Actual Cash Value<\/strong>\u00a0generally considers depreciation.<\/p>\n Replacement Cost<\/strong>\u00a0coverage can provide greater protection by helping replace covered property with comparable new property, subject to your policy’s terms and limits.<\/p>\n Now replace \u201ctelevision\u201d with\u00a0roof<\/strong>, and you can see why understanding these words matters.<\/p>\n Don’t wait until claim day to ask how your property is valued.<\/strong><\/p>\n Homeowners insurance isn’t only about your house.<\/p>\n Personal Liability Coverage<\/strong>\u00a0may help protect you financially when you’re legally responsible for certain injuries to another person or damage to someone else’s property.<\/p>\n Imagine a serious accident occurs at your home and someone sues you.<\/p>\n Your house may be fine\u2014but your\u00a0financial future<\/strong>\u00a0could be at risk.<\/p>\n Homeowners with substantial assets or income should also ask whether an\u00a0umbrella liability policy<\/strong>\u00a0makes sense.<\/p>\n Many homeowners policies include\u00a0Medical Payments to Others<\/strong>\u00a0coverage.<\/p>\n This may help with certain medical expenses if a guest is accidentally injured on your property, subject to the terms of your policy.<\/p>\n It’s another small-looking part of a homeowners policy that can become very important when something unexpected happens.<\/p>\n Here’s a coverage people sometimes overlook until they desperately need it.<\/p>\n Suppose a covered fire makes your home unlivable for several months.<\/p>\n You still have your mortgage\u2014but now you may also have temporary housing and other increased living expenses.<\/p>\n Additional Living Expense<\/strong>, also called\u00a0Loss of Use<\/strong>, can help with certain additional costs while your home is being repaired after a covered loss.<\/p>\n Ask yourself:<\/p>\n If my family couldn’t live in our home tomorrow, do I know what my policy would provide?<\/strong><\/p>\n This is where understanding your policy becomes especially important.<\/p>\n A homeowners policy doesn’t cover everything that can damage your home.<\/p>\n And here in Texas\u2014especially along the coast\u2014two risks deserve special attention.<\/p>\n Standard homeowners insurance generally does not cover flooding.<\/strong><\/p>\n Flood insurance is normally separate.<\/p>\n And being outside a high-risk flood zone doesn’t mean flooding can’t happen.<\/p>\n Heavy rainfall, drainage problems and major storms don’t stop at lines drawn on a flood map.<\/p>\n If you live along the Texas coast,\u00a0don’t automatically assume your homeowners policy includes windstorm and hail coverage.<\/strong><\/p>\n Depending on your location and insurance company, separate windstorm coverage may be needed.<\/p>\n For some Coastal Bend homeowners, protecting one house can therefore involve:<\/p>\n Homeowners + Windstorm\/Hail + Flood<\/strong><\/p>\n The important thing isn’t simply having three policies.<\/p>\n It’s making sure those policies\u00a0work together without leaving an unexpected gap.<\/strong><\/p>\n This may be the most important point in this article.<\/p>\n Homeowners insurance provides protection for\u00a0covered losses<\/strong>, subject to the policy’s exclusions, deductibles, limits and conditions.<\/p>\n That’s why two policies with similar-looking prices can provide very different protection.<\/p>\n Don’t buy homeowners insurance based on premium alone.<\/strong><\/p>\n A policy that’s $300 cheaper isn’t a bargain if it leaves you responsible for thousands more after a loss.<\/strong><\/p>\n Can you answer\u00a0YES<\/strong>\u00a0to all six?<\/p>\n \u2610 I know how much my home is insured for.<\/p>\n \u2610 I know whether my home, roof and belongings have Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value coverage.<\/p>\n \u2610 I know my deductibles\u00a0in dollars<\/strong>, not just percentages.<\/p>\n \u2610 I know whether windstorm and hail are covered.<\/p>\n \u2610 I know whether I have flood insurance.<\/p>\n \u2610 I know how much personal liability protection I carry.<\/p>\n If you couldn’t answer one or more, your policy deserves a second look.<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the principles behind my book,\u00a0Informed and Insured<\/em>, is simple:<\/p>\n You don’t need to become an insurance expert. You just need enough information to ask the right questions and make informed decisions.<\/strong><\/p>\n That’s where a good insurance professional should help.<\/p>\n At\u00a0Ed Cantu Insurance & Financial Services<\/strong>, we’ll review your current homeowners protection and help you understand:<\/p>\n \u2713 What you’re covered for Let’s find out before you need it.<\/strong><\/p>\n No pressure. No confusing insurance jargon. Just answers. <\/strong><\/p>\n Because we care,<\/strong><\/p>\n Ed Cantu<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Ed Cantu Insurance and Financial Services<\/p>\n Helping Texas families protect what matters most since 1985.<\/em><\/p>\n Coverage varies by insurer, policy form, endorsements, exclusions, limits and individual circumstances. This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for reviewing your specific policy with a licensed insurance professional.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Not all policies are alike. Your policy may cover more than you think\u2014and less than you assume. Most Texas homeowners know they have homeowners insurance. But ask a different question: \u201cExactly what does your policy cover?\u201d That\u2019s where things often get quiet. After helping Texas families with insurance since 1985, I\u2019ve found that many people … Continue reading “What Does Homeowners Insurance Actually Cover in Texas?”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=570"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":571,"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/570\/revisions\/571"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=570"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=570"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edcantuinsurance.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=570"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}1. Your Home<\/h3>\n
2. Your Other Structures<\/h3>\n
\n
3. Your Personal Belongings<\/h3>\n
Replacement Cost or Actual Cash Value?<\/h3>\n
4. Your Financial Assets<\/h3>\n
5. Injuries to Guests<\/h3>\n
6. Somewhere to Live After a Covered Disaster<\/h3>\n
Now for What Homeowners Insurance May NOT Cover<\/h2>\n
Flood<\/h3>\n
Windstorm and Hail<\/h3>\n
Your Policy Is a Contract\u2014Not a Promise to Cover Everything<\/h2>\n
Take Ed’s 60-Second Home Insurance Test<\/h2>\n
Don’t Wait for a Claim to Find the Gap<\/h1>\n
\n\u2713 What you may\u00a0not<\/strong>\u00a0be covered for
\n\u2713 Your deductibles and limits
\n\u2713 Potential coverage gaps
\n\u2713 Windstorm and flood considerations
\n\u2713 Opportunities for better protection or potential savings<\/p>\nNot Sure What Your Homeowners Policy Really Covers?<\/h3>\n
![\"\ud83d\udcde\"](\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\/s\/e\/notoemoji\/17.0\/1f4de\/32.png\")
\u00a0Call Ed Cantu Insurance & Financial Services today at (361) 991-3575<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\ud83c\udf10\"](\"https:\/\/fonts.gstatic.com\/s\/e\/notoemoji\/17.0\/1f310\/32.png\")
\u00a0Request your Home Insurance Quote or Protection Review at EdCantuInsurance.com<\/strong><\/p>\n