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Guaranteed Replacement Cost Coverage

By Brentz Walker


Most people have heard the term "guaranteed building replacement", but many don't fully understand the term's meaning.

Coverage for this should be a big concern to homeowners, and typically, home insurance policies all have this option. What is generally meant by this is that if an insured peril is the cause of your house to be damaged beyond repair, your home will be rebuilt by the insurance company, even when the policy's limits are surpassed during the reconstruction.

It appears that you are completely protected, correct? Be aware that very often, you must comply with certain conditions in order to qualify for this coverage:

You need to insure the home to 100% of its replacement cost as determined by the insurance company. The insurance advisor will help you determine with the replacement cost is, using specific evaluation tools.

You need to notify your insurance company if you make changes which increase your home's value beyond a set amount. Your insurance policy will be adjusted to the new replacement value of your home after you complete the basement, or make a new addition to your property, for example.

You accept the yearly adjustments made to the policy. The replacement cost of your home can increase because of many things, including inflation, so the insurance agent will adjust this accordingly.

If there is a tragic loss of your home, it will be rebuilt on the same site.

Floods and earthquakes and the damage they cause is not covered by most standard policies. Damage from earth movement, intentional loss or neglect, war damage or general power failure damage are not usually covered. Reconstruction can cost dramatically more if there have been building code upgrades, making building standards more stringent. If wiring needs to be replaced for example, newer wiring may be required, and the homeowner must pay for the added cost of the upgraded wires, rather than the older, cheaper type.

Be sure to ask your agent specifically, as the difference between insurance companies on this issue can be significant. If you don't comply with all of the conditions, your coverage will be limited to the amount shown on your policy. Hopefully, this will be enough to rebuild your home. If it isn't, you could face a huge out-of-pocket expense.

Some providers do not offer guaranteed building replacement on rental or vacation properties; the policy will have a limit shown, and this will be the highest amount paid in damages.

In most cases, an increase of 10 or 15 percent will be added to an insurance policy, for those who want replacement coverage instead of cash value. If you were to suddenly lose your home due to fire or a tornado or have the contents damaged or stolen, you probably could not afford to replace everything all at once. Your home and property are likely your most valuable possessions, so protect them adequately and go over your policy to ensure that you have the best insurance you can get.



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