Less Common Homeowner's Insurance Riders That May Prove Very Helpful To You

28 December 2019

Robin Wells

All types of insurance come with extra riders you can purchase in addition to your insurance. Some riders are actually included in the cost of the insurance, depending on which company you purchase insurance from. There are less common riders, many of which can be extremely useful if you ever need these riders. The following examples are homeowner's insurance riders that you might want included with your policy, whether they are already included in the plan pricing or you have to purchase them in addition to your policy. 

Habitation Allowance

In the event that something is very wrong with your home (e.g., lethal mold, flooded under water, not livable) as the result of a covered event, this rider puts you and your family in a safe place to reside until your home issues are repaired and resolved. Usually, the rider gives you a daily allowance sum for a hotel room so that you have beds to sleep in and a roof over your heads. You may or may not have to pay extra for your hotel room based on what that daily allowance amount is. 

Crawl Space Coverage

Older homes frequently have crawl spaces. The problem with most crawl spaces is that they are not sealed and regularly flood. The flooding in a crawl space can reach into your home near or above the crawl space, resulting in a lot of water damage, rot, mold, etc.. When the crawl space is an extension of part of the house, then this rider covers all of the flood damage as a result of a flooded crawl space.

Outlying Building Coverage

Usually, homeowner's insurance covers your property and your garage. Outlying buildings are not often covered because they are not used as a garage or living space. Adding extra coverage for outlying buildings means that you do not have to worry about the pool house, the she-shed, the workshop, the gazebo, etc.. These areas are covered under this particular rider. You should check with your insurance agent to make sure your homeowner's policy does not cover outlying buildings before you add this rider. 

Backed-up Sewer Damage Coverage

A backed-up sewer in your basement can result in hundreds of dollars of foul-smelling damage to anything on the floor or on a low-lying shelf in your basement near the sewer drain. You might be surprised to learn that this type of situation is not covered by most homeowner's insurance. Consider buying a policy where this type of coverage comes standard. 

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