Hablamos Español Insurance Companies We Work With
Home›Personal Insurance›Learning Center›Article
Learning Center

Questions to Ask Before Buying Earthquake Insurance

By Richard Sweet. Reviewed by Richard Sweet. Updated June 26, 2026.

Already know you need this? Get a quote Compare your coverage →

Earthquake coverage rewards good questions. Use these before you buy, roughly in this order. You can also download the printable Earthquake Insurance Review Checklist.

Confirm where you stand today

  • Does my current homeowners policy exclude earthquake?
  • Is earthquake listed anywhere on my declarations page or endorsements?
  • Have I read the actual wording, not just assumed?

Understand the coverage structure

  • Is coverage an endorsement on my existing policy or a separate standalone policy?
  • How does it interact with my current homeowners coverage?
  • What carrier or specialty market is behind it? See the GeoVera review for one example.

Pin down the deductible

  • Is the deductible a percentage or a flat dollar amount?
  • What percentage applies, and what value is it based on, the dwelling limit, the loss, or something else?
  • Are dwelling, contents, and other structures each subject to their own deductible?
  • Could I actually pay this deductible after a major loss? See the deductible explainer.

Check what is and is not covered

  • Are personal property and loss of use included, and at what limits?
  • Are other structures covered?
  • How are masonry, brick veneer, and chimneys treated?
  • Are pools, patios, retaining walls, fences, and landscaping limited or excluded?
  • Are flood, tsunami, and landslide excluded? See earthquake vs flood and tsunami.
  • Is ordinance or law, the cost of rebuilding to current code, included?

Confirm eligibility and timing

  • Are there retrofitting requirements, like foundation bolting, wall bracing, or water heater strapping?
  • What information and photos are needed to qualify?
  • Is there a waiting period, or a moratorium if there has been recent seismic activity?

Decide what risk you are keeping

  • Could I rebuild without insurance if I had to?
  • How much equity is exposed, and what is my mortgage balance?
  • Would I need temporary housing while the home was repaired?
  • What is the honest worst case I am protecting against?

What to bring to a quote

For an accurate quote, expect to provide the property address, year built, square footage, number of stories, construction and foundation type, masonry and chimney details, retrofit status, water heater strapping, your current carrier and dwelling limit, any desired deductible, and whether photos are available.

The order that matters

Compare coverage and deductible first, exclusions and eligibility second, premium last. A cheaper policy with a much higher deductible or thinner coverage is not a better policy.

Questions to ask your advisor

  • Does my current homeowners policy exclude earthquake, and is coverage an endorsement or standalone?
  • Is the deductible a percentage or flat amount, and what value is it based on?
  • Do dwelling, contents, and other structures each carry their own deductible?
  • How are masonry, chimneys, flood, tsunami, and landslide handled on this policy?
  • Are there retrofit requirements or a waiting period I should know about?

Want guidance first? Compare your coverage. Already know what you need? Get a quote.

Continue the series

You are reading part 12 of Earthquake Insurance in Oregon and Washington: What Homeowners Should Know.

Previous: GeoVera Earthquake Insurance Review

What many people don't realize

The part that catches owners off guard

  • Put coverage and deductible questions first, price last.
  • Ask whether the deductible is one figure or several, and what it applies to.
  • Confirm how masonry, chimneys, flood, tsunami, and landslide are treated.
  • Check eligibility and timing, including retrofit requirements and any waiting period.
The Vantage Point

What we see most often

By the time you are looking at quotes, the useful work is asking the right questions in the right order. Coverage and deductible first, exclusions second, eligibility third, price last. Get those in order and a confusing set of quotes becomes a clear comparison. Skip them and you are buying on premium alone, which is how people end up underinsured at the worst possible moment.

Earthquake coverage rewards this kind of preparation more than most lines, because the deductible structure and the exclusions do so much of the work. A policy that looks cheap can carry a much higher deductible or a thinner set of inclusions, and that difference does not show up until a major event. The questions below are designed to surface those differences before you sign, not after.

Free, two-minute check

See where your coverage stands

Answer a few quick questions and get a clear read on your current coverage in about two minutes. We flag what is worth a closer look.

Compare your coverage
When to review

It may be time for a coverage review if:

  • You are about to request or compare earthquake quotes
  • You want a checklist to take into the conversation
  • You own an older or masonry home in Oregon or Washington
  • You are unsure whether your current policy excludes earthquake
  • You want to understand the deductible before committing
Compare your coverage Get a quote
Frequently asked

Frequently asked

What should I ask before buying earthquake insurance?
Start with whether your current policy excludes earthquake, whether coverage is an endorsement or standalone, what the deductible is and what it applies to, and how exclusions like flood, tsunami, and masonry are handled.
What information do I need for an earthquake quote?
Commonly the property address, year built, square footage, construction and foundation type, masonry and chimney details, retrofit status, current dwelling limit, and desired deductible. Photos may be required.
Should I choose the cheapest earthquake quote?
Not automatically. The deductible and exclusions often matter more than the premium. Compare the coverage and the deductible first, then the price.
Is earthquake coverage usually an endorsement or a separate policy?
It can be either. Some carriers add it as an endorsement to your homeowners policy, and others write it as a standalone policy through a specialty market. How it is structured affects how it interacts with your existing coverage, so it is worth confirming.
Are there retrofit requirements to qualify?
Sometimes. Insurers may ask about foundation bolting, wall bracing, or water heater strapping, and these can affect eligibility or terms. Asking up front avoids surprises later in the process.
RS
Written and reviewed by

Richard Sweet

Founder and Principal Advisor, Vantage Point Risk

Richard Sweet runs Vantage Point Risk, an independent insurance and risk advisory for property owners, real estate investors, business owners, and families. He works with investors every week on the coverage decisions that decide how a claim actually turns out, and writes the Learning Center to put those decisions in plain language.

Reviewed for accuracy by Richard Sweet. Last updated June 26, 2026.

Richard also writes The Vantage Point, notes on building a better business.

This information is general education, not a coverage determination, engineering recommendation, or legal advice. Earthquake coverage varies by carrier, policy form, state, property characteristics, endorsements, exclusions, limits, deductibles, and underwriting eligibility. Actual coverage is determined only by the policy contract and the facts of a specific loss.

Back to the Personal Insurance Learning Center
Related resources

Keep going.

Related

Earthquake Insurance in Oregon and Washington: What Homeowners Should Know

Standard homeowners insurance usually does not cover earthquake damage. Here is how earthquake coverage works in Oregon and Washington, including deductibles, exclusions, Cascadia risk, and what to compare before you buy.

Related

Earthquake Insurance Deductibles Explained

Earthquake deductibles are usually a percentage of the insured value, not a flat dollar amount. On a 600,000 dollar home a 10 percent deductible can be 60,000 dollars. Here is how it works.

Related

What Earthquake Insurance Does Not Cover

Flood, tsunami, landslide, masonry veneer, chimneys, pools, and costs below the deductible are common earthquake coverage gaps. Here is what surprises homeowners most.
Compare your coverage

It's not a quote. It's a real review.

Answer a few quick questions and get a clear read in about two minutes. We will flag what is worth a closer look, and you can hand us your current policy if you want us to dig in. No pressure, no obligation.

We review your current coverage for gaps and overlaps
We compare the market to see if you are overpaying
We tell you what is actually worth changing, and what is not
You get clear answers, even when you are already covered well