Endorsements

Endorsements, also known as riders or add-ons, are additional coverages that can be added to a homeowners insurance policy to provide extra protection or increase coverage limits for specific items or risks. Endorsements allow homeowners to customize their insurance policies to better suit their individual needs. Some common endorsements include:

• Scheduled Personal Property: This endorsement allows you to insure valuable items such as jewelry, art, or collectibles for their full appraised value, which may exceed the standard personal property coverage limit.

• Water Backup Coverage: This endorsement provides coverage for damage caused by water backing up through sewers or drains, which is typically excluded from standard homeowners policies.

• Identity Theft Coverage: This endorsement provides coverage for expenses related to restoring your identity if it is stolen, such as legal fees and lost wages.

• Earthquake Coverage: This endorsement provides coverage for damage caused by earthquakes, which is typically excluded from standard homeowners policies.

• Home Business Coverage: This endorsement provides coverage for business equipment and liability related to a home-based business, which is typically excluded from standard homeowners policies.

• Replacement Cost Coverage: This endorsement ensures that you will receive the full cost to replace damaged items or rebuild your home, without deduction for depreciation.

Endorsements allow you to tailor standardized coverage forms to fit your home, and can vary depending on the insurance company and policy. It's important to review your policy and discuss your coverage needs with your insurance agent to determine if any endorsements are necessary to adequately protect your home and belongings.

Not all endorsements are added to the policy to your benefit, however. Some can be sneaky add ons that you may be unaware of until you file a claim, expecting the insurance company to cover your loss only to be caught off guard with policy language you didn't know existed.

• Roof Service Endorsement: This endorsement provides coverage for the repair or replacement of your roof due to covered perils, such as wind or hail damage. It may also include coverage for routine maintenance or service calls related to your roof.

• Cosmetic Only Hail Coverage: This endorsement provides coverage for cosmetic damage to your home caused by hail, such as dents in siding or roof shingles, without requiring repair or replacement of the damaged items.

• Exclusions: Some policies may have exclusions for certain types of roofs or roofing materials. It's important to review your policy to understand what is covered and what is excluded.