Homeowners insurance, shopped for you.
HO-3 and HO-5 policies for houses across the country, compared across admitted carriers and specialty markets, with deep experience in California fire areas and older homes other insurers turn away.
By Sam Alishahi · CA Insurance License #4348151 · Reviewed November 2026 · En español · How this page is researched
The same house, very different quotes
California carriers have become selective about where and what they insure. Roof age, distance to brush, construction year and claims history can make one carrier decline a home another will write.
As an independent broker I send your home to the carriers whose guidelines fit it, then lay the options out side by side: coverage, deductibles and price.
- HO-3The most common form. Open-perils coverage on the house and named-perils coverage on belongings.
- HO-5Broader form with open-perils coverage on both the house and belongings, common for newer or higher-value homes.
- HO-2Named-perils coverage on the house and belongings; narrower and less common.
- Not includedEarthquake and flood are excluded from standard homeowners policies and are bought separately.
What underwriters will ask
Having these ready means I can go to market on the first call. The quote form asks for the same things, and anything you don’t know yet can wait.
- The home: address, year built, square footage and construction.
- Roof: material and year replaced.
- Updates: years for electrical, plumbing and heating.
- Current policy: your declarations page, if you have one.
- Claims: any in the last five years.
- Timing: renewal or closing date.
Coverages A through F, line by line
A homeowners policy has two parts: Section I covers property (Coverages A through D) and Section II covers liability (E and F). Each lettered coverage has its own limit on the declarations page. Here is how the California Department of Insurance describes them:
- Coverage A, Dwelling. The house and structures attached to it, when damaged by a covered peril.
- Coverage B, Other structures. Detached structures such as a garage or tool shed. CDI says it is normally limited to 10% of the Coverage A limit.
- Coverage C, Personal property. Your belongings and those of family members who live with you. Items such as jewelry, antiques, furs, collectibles, fine art, firearms, silverware and money carry lower limits; valuables can be scheduled separately.
- Coverage D, Loss of use. Additional living expenses when a covered loss means you cannot live in the home, such as housing, meals and warehouse storage. CDI says it is normally limited to 20% of Coverage A.
- Coverage E, Personal liability. Applies when you or a household resident is legally responsible for injury to others. It normally provides a defense and pays damages, with exceptions such as intentional acts.
- Coverage F, Medical payments to others. Reasonable medical expenses for people accidentally injured on your property. It does not apply to you, your household or business activities.
Defaults vary by state and carrier. North Carolina's Department of Insurance, for example, describes Coverage C as normally 50% of Coverage A, says loss of use pays only expenses above your normal living costs, and tells owners to insure the dwelling for at least 80% of its full replacement cost or risk not being paid the full cost to rebuild.
What I check first: B, C and D are often set as percentages of A. If Coverage A is too low, every coverage tied to it shrinks with it.
California homeowner protections most people miss
Notice and renewal rules vary by state. In California, beyond the 75-day non-renewal notice, these are the rules I point clients to most:
- What a non-renewal notice must say (Insurance Code 678). The specific reason or reasons, the insurer's phone number for questions or complaints, and a statement that if you are still unsatisfied after contacting the insurer, you can have the Department of Insurance review the matter. It must also include a notice about the California Home Insurance Finder, the FAIR Plan and difference-in-conditions policies. If the notice comes late, your current policy stays in force, with no change in terms, for 75 days from when it was delivered or mailed. Next steps: what to do after a non-renewal.
- Renewals after a total loss (Insurance Code 675.1). After a total loss caused by a disaster, the insurer must offer to renew for at least the next two annual renewal periods and at least 24 months from the date of loss, subject to conditions and exceptions in the law. If you haven't finished rebuilding by renewal, the insurer must consult you and adjust limits and coverages to match. The same section holds the one-year wildfire moratorium; see wildfire non-renewals.
- If you're underinsured after a declared emergency (Insurance Code 10103.7). If your dwelling limit is not enough to rebuild the main house, you may combine your dwelling and other-structures limits to do it. After a total loss of a furnished primary home, the insurer must offer a contents payment of at least 60% of the contents limit, up to $350,000, without an itemized claim. You can still claim more, up to the limit, with an itemized list.
Homeowners insurance, answered
What is an HO-2 policy, and how is it different from HO-3?
HO-2 is a broad-form policy that covers the house and your belongings only for the perils it names, such as fire, windstorm and theft. HO-3 covers the house against all perils except those it excludes, so most California homeowners are better served by an HO-3 or HO-5. I’ll tell you which forms carriers will offer on your home.
What’s the difference between HO-3 and HO-5?
Both cover the house on an open-perils basis. HO-5 also covers belongings on an open-perils basis, while HO-3 covers belongings only for named perils.
Does homeowners insurance cover earthquakes or floods?
No. Standard homeowners policies exclude earthquake and flood. Both are available as separate policies.
How much dwelling coverage do I need?
Enough to rebuild the house, not its market value. Rebuild cost depends on size, construction and finishes.
Why was my home declined?
Common reasons include wildfire exposure, roof age or condition, older systems and prior claims. Another carrier or a specialty market may still write it.
How often does my California insurer have to give me a replacement cost estimate?
Under Insurance Code 10103.4, an insurer that offers replacement cost coverage must provide a rebuild cost estimate every other year when it offers to renew. There are exceptions, such as when the insurer sets the dwelling limit at renewal with a local construction-cost inflation factor and offers a new estimate every other year.
Do you offer homeowners insurance outside California?
Yes. Clients across the country send the same quote form. Sam Alishahi is licensed in all 50 states and Washington, DC and places policies there directly. The shopping across carriers works the same way. Rules, minimums and markets differ by state — see insurance requirements by state or high-value home insurance by state.
Official sources
- California Department of Insurance: residential insurance guides
- California Department of Insurance: wildfire resources
- California Department of Insurance, Residential Insurance Guide (Homeowners and Renters)
- North Carolina Department of Insurance, Basic Homeowners Insurance
- California Insurance Code 10102 (Residential Property Insurance Disclosure)
- California Insurance Code 10103.4 (replacement cost estimate at renewal)
- California Code of Regulations, 10 CCR 2695.183 (replacement cost estimates)
- California Insurance Code 2051.5 (replacement cost time limits)
- California Insurance Code 678 (renewal and non-renewal notices)
- California Insurance Code 675.1 (total loss renewals, wildfire moratorium)
- California Insurance Code 10103.7 (underinsured dwelling, contents payment)
- Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, CLUE report
Send the address. I’ll shop it.
Your declarations page and renewal date help, but aren’t required to start.
Alishahi Insurance · Saman Alishahi, independent insurance broker, California License #4348151. General information, not a quote or a promise of coverage; coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued. Some policies may be placed with nonadmitted (surplus lines) insurers, which are not members of the California Insurance Guarantee Association (CIGA).
Short videos from Sam
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(877) 711-4545Answered 24/7 · CA License #4348151
Get a reminder before your renewal.
Tell me when your policy renews and I’ll email you about six weeks before, when it’s worth comparing. One email, no calls.