TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 2021
Comparing the Two Policies
Coverage: While the two policy types offer identical coverage for dwellings, the HO-5 policy is clearly superior in terms of personal property coverage.
Price: In most cases, the HO-3 policy is cheaper as the coverage is not quite as comprehensive as the HO-5.
Claims process: A big difference between the two policies is how the claims process is handled. In an open claims process, the burden is on the insurance company to prove that damage sustained was caused by something on the exclusion list. In an HO-3 policy, the burden is on the homeowner to prove that the damage was caused by a named peril.
What Protection Does an HO-3 Policy Offer?
An HO-3 homeowners policy is by far the most common homeowners policy found in the United States. The HO-3 is a hybrid “open perils” and “named perils” policy—that is, your home is covered on an open perils basis and your contents are covered on a named perils basis. There are generally 16 named perils for an HO-3 policy:
|
|
11. Damage Caused by Aircraft
13. Damage due to weight of ice, snow or sleet
|
14. Sudden and accidental
tearing apart, burning or bulging
15. Sudden and accidental damage from an artificially generated electric current
16. Accidental discharge or
overflow of water from plumbing or air conditioning
|
What Protection Does an HO-5 Policy Offer?
An HO-5 policy is a complete open perils policy—both your dwelling and personal property are covered on an open perils basis. The same exclusions apply for the dwelling in an HO-3 policy and also include the following:
| 1. Earth movement
|
11. Theft to a dwelling under
construction
13. Mold, fungus or wet rot
|
16. Smog, rust and corrosion
17. Smoke from agricultural smudging
18. Discharge of pollutants
19. Settling, shrinking, expanding
20. Birds, vermin, rodents
21. Animals owned by insured
|
An open perils policy offers you coverage against just about any type of damage you can think of, except for certain exclusions. The policy does not list what perils your home and/or personal property is covered from—rather, it only lists what perils are excluded. If damage to the home is not caused by something listed on the exclusion list, you are covered.
A named perils policy specifically lists the perils for which your home and/or personal property is covered, instead of a list of exclusions. If your home or personal property is damaged by something not on the named perils list, you are not covered.
NOTICE: This blog and website are made available by the publisher for educational and informational purposes only.
It is not be used as a substitute for competent insurance, legal, or tax advice from a licensed professional
in your state. By using this blog site you understand that there is no broker client relationship between
you and the blog and website publisher.
|