Homeowners Insurance in Idaho

First Option Insurance is offering homeowners insurance solutions in California, Idaho, Oregon, and Utah.

Home insurance is generally recommended for virtually all homeowners in Idaho. Considering costs associated with repairing or rebuilding, few homeowners could cover the expenses out of pocket.

For homes financed with a primary mortgage, secondary mortgage, or a home equity line of credit (HELOC), there’s usually a requirement that a certain level of insurance coverage is maintained for the duration of the loan. This is a measure lenders take to protect their investment in case of damage or destruction to the home.

Even without lender requirements, home insurance is strongly advised for almost all homeowners, given the significant and important protections it provides.

Homeowners policies typically include several key coverages:

• Dwelling Coverage: This usually protects your home against damages caused by covered perils. Depending on your policy, these perils may be specifically named (closed perils policy), or the policy may cover all risks not explicitly listed as exclusions (open perils policy).
• Other Structures Coverage: This usually extends protection to structures not attached to your home, such as detached garages, gazebos, fences, guest houses, and more.
• Personal Property Coverage: This usually protects personal belongings, typically including clothing, electronics, furniture and other items. Coverage may apply only to items located at the insured property, or it may extend beyond the property boundaries.
• Loss of Use Coverage: This usually covers additional living expenses, like food and lodging, if a covered peril renders your home uninhabitable during the rebuilding process.
• Personal Liability Coverage: This usually covers legal expenses associated with lawsuits arising from accidents on your property. It also typically covers accusations of defamation, and certain other incidents.

The level of protection offered for a house can vary based on the type of coverage chosen:

• Actual Cash Value Coverage: This generally insures a home up to its market value. While it might be enough to pay off a mortgage and recoup any equity, it won’t necessarily fully cover the cost of rebuilding.
• Replacement Cost Coverage: This generally insures a home up to the estimated cost of rebuilding. While it increases the probability of restoring your home to its pre-loss condition, sudden increases in construction costs may not be fully covered. Costs can spike if there’s a major natural disaster in the area.
• Guaranteed Replacement Cost Coverage: This typically provides an additional buffer over the replacement cost, perhaps an extra 25%. This added layer of protection can account for increases in construction costs. Some insurers may refer to this as extended replacement cost coverage, and not all insurers offer this option.

An insurance agent specializing in homeowners policies can help homeowners evaluate these options and decide on the best one for their needs. If guaranteed replacement cost coverage is desired, a knowledgeable and independent can shop different insurers’ policies to see whether the coverage is available.

Insurance professionals often use abbreviations to denote different types of homeowners policies. These usually start with “HO” followed by a number. Here are some abbreviations that might be on forms:

• HO-1: Typically for named perils policies offering limited protection.
• HO-2: Typically for named perils policies offering more comprehensive protection.
• HO-3: Typically for open perils policies providing even more coverage.
• HO-5: Typically for open perils policies offering the most comprehensive coverage.
• HO-7: Typically for policies designed to cover manufactured and mobile homes.
• HO-8: Typically for policies covering older homes and historic properties.

If you are an Idaho homeowner looking for an insurance policy, get in touch with the independent insurance agents at First Option Insurance. Our team will work with you to understand your unique coverage needs and identify suitable policy options. We’ll help you get the best policy for your particular home.