Start with the policy, not just the premium
Kòmanse ak polis la, pa sèlman pri a
A home policy is a group of separate protections. Each has its own limit, conditions and exclusions. The declarations page summarizes your selections; the policy forms and endorsements explain what actually applies. This guide describes common homeowners coverage, not every policy available. Condo, renters, dwelling-fire and manufactured-home forms differ. Some insurers label personal liability and medical payments L and M rather than E and F. Always match the description, not only the letter.
Yon polis kay se plizyè pwoteksyon separe. Chak gen limit, kondisyon ak esklizyon pa li. Paj deklarasyon an rezime chwa ou yo; fòm polis la ak andòsman yo esplike sa ki aplike toutbon. Gid sa a esplike kouvèti komen, li pa dekri chak polis sou mache a. Polis kondo, lokatè, kay lokatif ak kay prefabrike diferan. Kèk konpayi itilize L ak M olye E ak F pou responsablite ak depans medikal. Gade deskripsyon an, pa sèlman lèt la.
Coverage A — The dwelling
Kouvèti A — Bilding prensipal la
Dwelling coverage concerns the house and attached components, such as an attached garage, when damaged by a covered cause. The limit should reflect a supported rebuilding estimate, not the mortgage balance, purchase price or land value. Example: a house bought for $450,000 might need a different amount to rebuild because land and construction costs are different. A covered kitchen fire causing $35,000 in eligible damage is assessed under the applicable deductible and settlement terms; Coverage A is a ceiling, not an automatic check for the full limit.
Kouvèti sa a konsène kay la ak pati ki kole avè l, tankou yon garaj atache, lè yon koz polis la kouvri domaje yo. Limit la dwe baze sou yon estimasyon rekonstriksyon ki jistifye, se pa balans mortgage la, pri acha a oswa valè teren an. Egzanp: yon kay ki koute $450,000 ka bezwen yon lòt montan pou rebati paske teren ak konstriksyon pa gen menm pri. Yon dife kwizin ki lakòz $35,000 domaj elijib ap evalye selon dediktib ak kondisyon peman yo; limit A a pa yon chèk otomatik pou tout montan an.
Coverage B — Other structures
Kouvèti B — Lòt estrikti
This commonly addresses detached structures such as a shed, fence or separate garage. Do not assume a pool screen, business-use building or rented outbuilding has the same protection. Example: covered wind damage to a detached shed may fall under B, while damage to the house falls under A. Ask whether the selected B limit is enough for all detached structures together and whether any special wind limits apply.
Sa konsène estrikti ki pa kole ak kay la, tankou yon depo, kloti oswa garaj apa. Pa sipoze yon ekran pisin, yon bilding biznis oswa yon estrikti ou lwe bay lòt moun gen menm pwoteksyon an. Egzanp: domaj van ki kouvri nan yon depo apa ka antre nan B, pandan domaj kay la antre nan A. Mande si limit B ou chwazi a sifi pou tout estrikti apa yo ansanm epi si gen limit espesyal pou van.
Coverage C — Your belongings
Kouvèti C — Bagay pèsonèl ou
Furniture, clothing and electronics generally fall under personal property coverage for covered losses. Jewelry, cash, collectibles and business property may have smaller special limits. Example: a $5,000 ring stolen in a covered theft might exceed the policy’s jewelry theft sublimit. Scheduling valuables can be worth discussing. Make a room-by-room inventory with photos and receipts; do not wait until a loss to estimate everything you own.
Mèb, rad ak aparèy elektwonik anjeneral antre nan byen pèsonèl pou pèt ki kouvri. Bijou, lajan kach, koleksyon ak ekipman biznis ka gen pi piti limit espesyal. Egzanp: yon bag $5,000 yo vòlè ka depase soulimit polis la pou vòl bijou. Pale sou posiblite ajoute yon kouvèti espesifik pou objè ki gen anpil valè. Fè envantè chak chanm ak foto ak resi; pa tann yon pèt pou eseye sonje tout sa ou posede.
Coverage D — Loss of use
Kouvèti D — Lè ou pa ka itilize kay la
When a covered loss makes the home unfit to live in, additional living expense protection may reimburse necessary increases in living costs within policy limits and time conditions. Example: if normal food spending is $600 and temporary displacement raises eligible food costs to $900, the extra $300 may be considered, not automatically the whole $900. Keep receipts and ask the insurer before committing to a long hotel stay. Evacuating without covered damage is not automatically an ALE claim; civil-authority provisions have their own triggers.
Lè yon pèt ki kouvri rann kay la pa abitab, pwoteksyon depans lavi anplis ka ranbouse ogmantasyon nesesè nan depans yo selon limit ak delè polis la. Egzanp: si manje nòmalman koute $600 epi deplasman tanporè a fè depans elijib la monte a $900, se $300 anplis la yo ka konsidere, pa otomatikman tout $900 la. Kenbe resi epi pale ak konpayi an anvan ou angaje yon otèl pou lontan. Evakye san domaj ki kouvri pa otomatikman bay dwa ALE; dispozisyon otorite sivil yo gen kondisyon pa yo.
Coverage E — Personal liability
Kouvèti E — Responsablite pèsonèl
Liability coverage can respond when you are legally responsible for a covered injury or damage to someone else’s property, including a defense subject to the contract. Example: a visitor alleges that a neglected step caused a serious fall. Report the claim promptly rather than promising payment yourself. Intentional acts, business activities, certain animals or other exposures may be excluded or restricted. An umbrella policy can add liability protection, but it has separate eligibility and underlying-limit requirements.
Responsablite pèsonèl ka aplike lè ou legalman responsab pou yon blesi oswa domaj byen lòt moun polis la kouvri, ansanm ak defans selon kontra a. Egzanp: yon vizitè di yon mach eskalye ou pa t repare fè li tonbe grav. Rapòte reklamasyon an rapid olye ou pwomèt peye pou kont ou. Aksyon entansyonèl, aktivite biznis, sèten bèt ak lòt risk ka eskli oswa limite. Yon polis umbrella ka ajoute pwoteksyon responsablite, men li gen kondisyon elijibilite ak limit minimòm pa li.
Coverage F — Medical payments to others
Kouvèti F — Depans medikal pou lòt moun
This is usually a smaller benefit for eligible accidental injuries to others, often without first proving your legal liability. It is not health insurance for you or the household. Example: an eligible guest injury produces $700 of medical bills; a $1,000 selected medical-payments limit may help, subject to the policy. This does not mean the company will pay any injury occurring anywhere on the property.
Anjeneral sa se yon pi piti benefis pou blesi aksidantèl elijib lòt moun, souvan san yo pa bezwen pwouve responsablite legal ou anvan. Se pa asirans sante pou ou oswa moun nan kay la. Egzanp: yon envite elijib blese epi fakti medikal yo se $700; yon limit $1,000 ka ede selon polis la. Sa pa vle di konpayi an ap peye nenpòt blesi ki rive nenpòt kote sou pwopriyete a.
Replacement cost, actual cash value and roof settlement
Pri ranplasman, valè aktyèl ak peman pou do kay
Replacement cost and actual cash value are different settlement methods. Depreciation may reduce an ACV payment; replacement-cost policies can still hold back recoverable depreciation until repairs are completed. Example: a sofa costs $1,500 to replace but has an illustrative depreciated value of $600. Its payment depends on the selected settlement basis, deductible and claim conditions. Check the roof endorsement separately: a payment schedule or roof restriction can change a claim even when the dwelling has replacement-cost wording.
Pri ranplasman ak valè kach aktyèl se de fason diferan pou kalkile peman. Depresyasyon ka diminye yon peman ACV; yon polis pri ranplasman ka toujou kenbe depresyasyon rekiperab la jiskaske reparasyon yo fini. Egzanp: yon sofa koute $1,500 pou ranplase men valè apre depresyasyon li se $600 nan egzanp sa a. Peman an depann de metòd ou chwazi a, dediktib ak kondisyon reklamasyon an. Verifye andòsman do kay la apa: yon tablo peman oswa restriksyon do kay ka chanje peman menm si kay la gen kondisyon pri ranplasman.
Deductibles — turn percentages into dollars
Dediktib — chanje pousantaj yo an dola
A hurricane deductible expressed as 2% generally uses the insured dwelling limit, not the amount of damage. Example: $400,000 × 2% = $8,000. For an illustrative $25,000 covered loss, subtracting that deductible leaves $17,000 before other settlement adjustments. Florida has special rules for hurricane triggers and calendar-year application. Keep records of prior hurricane losses and ask the insurer how those rules affect your claim. Also compare all-other-perils, wind/hail and any separate roof deductibles.
Yon dediktib siklòn 2% anjeneral baze sou limit asirans kay la, li pa baze sou montan domaj la. Egzanp: $400,000 × 2% = $8,000. Pou yon pèt $25,000 ki kouvri nan egzanp sa a, apre dediktib la rete $17,000 anvan lòt ajisteman peman. Florid gen règ espesyal sou kilè dediktib siklòn nan aktive ak aplikasyon li pandan ane kalandriye a. Kenbe dosye pèt siklòn anvan yo epi mande konpayi an kijan règ sa yo afekte reklamasyon ou. Konpare dediktib lòt risk, van/grèl ak nenpòt dediktib do kay apa tou.
Optional protection worth asking about
Pwoteksyon siplemantè pou mande sou li
Ask about ordinance or law for eligible code-related rebuilding costs; water backup for specified drain or sewer backups; equipment breakdown; service lines; scheduled valuables; and increased limits for mold or water damage where offered. None is automatically included. Inflation guard can adjust the dwelling limit over time, but a 3%, 4% or 5% setting does not certify that the initial rebuilding estimate is correct. Example: 3% on a $400,000 base is $12,000 of illustrative annual adjustment; confirm how the actual endorsement calculates increases and affects premium and percentage deductibles.
Mande sou ordinance or law pou depans rekonstriksyon elijib ki soti nan kòd konstriksyon; water backup pou sèten dlo drenaj oswa egou ki remonte; pann ekipman; tiyo sèvis; objè valè; ak limit anplis pou mwazi oswa dlo kote yo ofri sa. Okenn pa otomatikman ladan l. Inflation guard ka ajiste limit kay la ak tan, men yon chwa 3%, 4% oswa 5% pa garanti premye estimasyon rekonstriksyon an kòrèk. Egzanp: 3% sou $400,000 bay $12,000 ajisteman anyèl nan egzanp lan; verifye fason andòsman reyèl la kalkile ogmantasyon yo ak efè li sou prim ak dediktib an pousantaj.
The major gaps — especially flood
Gwo twou yo — sitou inondasyon
Standard homeowners coverage generally excludes flood, including storm surge and rising surface water. A storm can cause both wind and flood losses with different policies responding. Wear, neglect, long-term leakage and maintenance problems are commonly excluded or limited; sinkhole, earth movement and mold provisions need separate review. Do not assume that the word water means every water event is covered. Example: a sudden covered pipe break, a backed-up drain and water entering from a flooded street can produce three different coverage decisions.
Polis kay estanda anjeneral eskli inondasyon, tankou monte lanmè pandan tanpèt ak dlo sifas k ap monte. Yon tanpèt ka lakòz domaj van ak inondasyon ki mande polis diferan. Izaj, neglijans, flit ki dire lontan ak pwoblèm antretyen souvan eskli oswa limite; dispozisyon sinkhole, mouvman tè ak mwazi mande verifikasyon apa. Pa sipoze mo dlo vle di tout evènman dlo kouvri. Egzanp: yon tiyo ki pete toudenkou, yon drenaj ki remonte ak dlo yon lari inonde ki antre nan kay la ka bay twa desizyon kouvèti diferan.
Your next step — a side-by-side review
Pwochen etap ou — yon konparezon kòtakòt
Bring your declarations page, full endorsements, roof age, updates and a recent inventory to a coverage review. Write down A–F limits, all deductibles, water/roof restrictions, exclusions and settlement methods for each quote. Ask what changed before accepting a lower price. ME Shield can help explain insurance options; only the issued contract and insurer’s assessment determine coverage for a particular loss. All dollar examples above are hypothetical and are not quotes or promises of payment.
Pote paj deklarasyon ou, tout andòsman, laj do kay la, amelyorasyon ak yon envantè resan pou revizyon kouvèti a. Ekri limit A–F yo, tout dediktib, restriksyon dlo/do kay, esklizyon ak fason peman pou chak quote. Mande sa ki chanje anvan ou aksepte yon pri pi ba. ME Shield ka ede esplike opsyon asirans; se kontra yo emèt la ak evalyasyon konpayi an ki detèmine kouvèti pou yon pèt espesifik. Tout montan egzanp ki pi wo yo se ipotetik; yo pa quote oswa pwomès peman.
Sources and further reading
Sous ak lòt lekti
Source review: 2026-10-24. Verify current official guidance before acting.
Dat revizyon sous: 2026-10-24. Verifye gid ofisyèl aktyèl anvan ou aji.
Have a question about your next step?
Ou gen yon kestyon sou pwochen etap ou?
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Pale ak ME Shield an Anglè oswa Kreyòl Ayisyen.
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