Won’t my homeowners insurance cover any earthquake damage?
As a general rule, earthquake insurance is not a part of standard insurance policies, and it must be purchased separately. In fact, insurance professionals advise homeowners to retrofit first, and then get earthquake insurance. Several insurance companies will not provide earthquake insurance unless a house has been retrofitted. Even then, deductibles for earthquake insurance policies can be as much as 10% of the house’s value–$40,000 for a $400,000 home.
