Back when we started InsuraMatch, our agency footprint was only a handful of states, including the great state of New York. We’re a national agency now, but we still love our New Yorkers. From New York City to Niagara Falls, there’s a whole lot going on in New York! Including the weather. No matter the season, the weather can be unpredictable and variable across the Empire State. With weather events being the cause of many homeowners insurance claims, it’s important to know what your homeowners insurance may or may not cover in New York.

Understanding what your home insurance covers is key to ensuring you have the proper coverage in place to protect your home. Wherever you live in New York, the cost to rebuild your home or replace your belongings would be incredibly expensive, and if you were to face a total loss, the right insurance could be a lifesaver.

Your home is likely your biggest investment, so you’ll want to make sure it’s fully protected. Here’s what homeowners insurance covers (and does not cover) in New York.

New York Homeowners Insurance Basics

A standard homeowners policy in New York has four components:

  • Coverage for the dwelling or structure, which pays for damage to your house and other structures on your property from fire, storms and other coverage disasters (generally excluding flood, earthquake, war or nuclear accident). For this coverage, it’s not your home’s worth, but what it would cost to rebuild the entire thing that you want to consider when choosing your coverage limits.
  • Coverage for contents, which pays to replace your belongings if they are stolen or ruined in a fire or other covered disaster. The standard coverage limit is 50 percent of the value of the structure of your home. To make sure that you have the right amount of contents coverage, you should create a detailed inventory of the contents of your home. We’ve rounded up the best home inventory apps to help you determine how much you have as well as help you save important receipts to prove their worth. Most insurers will also provide limited coverage for your belongings anywhere in the world, so you can file a claim for reimbursement if your suitcase is stolen on a trip.
  • Liability protection. Most policies provide at least $100,000 of liability protection, which covers you in three ways – damage to other people’s property, personal liability and medical expenses for injuries suffered by others. This will help protect you from financial loss if your daughter’s friend breaks her arm on your trampoline, your dog bites someone or your son smashes the neighbor’s window with a baseball.
  • Reimbursement for additional living expenses will generally cover hotel bills, restaurant meals and rental cars if your home is uninhabitable. Coverage will usually be around 20 percent of the coverage on your house.

Together, these four components can help protect you from the financial ramifications of a loss to your home or personal property. Working with an insurance agent licensed in New York can help you ensure that you have the proper coverage limits in place for all of these coverages.

Are your limits high enough? Call an InsuraMatch agent today at (855) 244-7671 to discuss your homeowners insurance options.

Storm Damage – What’s Covered by Your New York Homeowners Insurance?

Harsh winters bring snow, ice and extremely cold temperatures, increasing the chances of roofs collapsing, pipes bursting and ice damns causing water damage to ceilings and walls. Nowhere is this truer than in Upstate New York, in cities like Syracuse, Buffalo, and others where extreme temperatures and Lake Effect snow are common. And throughout the rest of the year, high winds, hail, thunder and lightning leave damage across New York. If you own a home in New York state, you’re going to want to make sure you understand what your homeowners insurance covers when it comes to storm damages.

Most New York homeowners policies will cover damage resulting from hail, tornados and wind. Wind-driven snow or freezing rain that gets into the home because of wind damage will likely also be covered, according to the Insurance Information Institute.

Policies should also cover damage from ice and other objects that fall on the home, such as tree limbs, as well as damage to the home and its contents caused by a roof collapse due to the weight of snow or ice. 

Freezing conditions which may cause pipes to burst or ice dams, where water is unable to drain through gutters and seeps into the house, would also likely be covered, according to the I.I.I. However, it is expected (and often required) that homeowners take reasonable steps to keep their houses warm and properly maintain their homes, pipes and drains to avoid such losses.

While many of the potential causes of damage related to storms are covered in New York, there are some notable exceptions. Floods, earthquakes and sinkholes usually not covered under standard homeowners policies. These events require additional coverage.  

Homeowners Insurance Riders and Additional Coverage

A standard New York homeowners insurance policy does not cover every peril or every item in your home. That’s why speaking with a licensed New York homeowners insurance agent is important to ensuring you have the proper coverage and additional coverage in place.

As mentioned above, flood and earthquake are two separate coverages that require separate policies in order to help protect your home. Items like boats will require their own policies if they’re larger than a certain size, same goes for ATVs and other toys.

If you own expensive items, such as artwork or jewelry, a standard New York homeowners insurance policy will likely not provide adequate coverage for items of high value, like those or antiques and collectibles.

To protect your expensive and rare items, talk with your insurance agent and consider purchasing extra coverage for these items as an add-on to your basic policy. Under a standard homeowners policy, coverage for jewelry is usually limited to around $1,000 to $2,000 for all of your jewelry. Called a home insurance rider, you’ll get more comprehensive coverage for your valuables as well as full coverage for their values.

Another thing to consider is your liability. Most homeowners policies offer about $100,000 of liability protection, yet experts recommend that homeowners purchase at least $300,000 of protection, according to the New York Times. If you regularly throw parties, own an aggressive dog or have other insurance “risks,” consider purchasing a personal umbrella policy. This type of policy will kick in once the limits on your homeowners policy have been reached, protecting you from financial loss if a claim is made against you.

Do you have valuables that may not be covered by your homeowners insurance? Call an InsuraMatch agent today at (855) 244-7671 and learn how to add-on a rider.

The Bottom Line

The best way to ensure a New York homeowners insurance policy will cover your home and help protect you from the risks you may face is review your policy or future policy with a licensed insurance agent. While many necessary coverages come standard in a New York homeowners insurance policy, there are several exclusions and exceptions to be aware of and discuss with your agent.


Call an InsuraMatch agent today at (855) 244-7671 to discuss your New York homeowners insurance policy. Our agents can help you shop around and save.
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