Insurance Guides

    Free guides that explain how insurance works with no insurance jargon. New guides are added regularly.

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    Storm deductible calculator

    See what a 1%, 2% or 5% storm deductible means in dollars for your house.

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    How well do you know your policy?

    Five quick questions most homeowners get wrong, with the answer explained after each one.

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    Questions to Ask Your Insurance Agent

    The questions worth asking about rebuild cost, deductibles, exclusions, endorsements, water, and roofs, with an email ready to copy.

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    Your Policy PDF, Explained

    How CoverageDecoder reads the homeowners policy PDF you upload, what you get for free, and what the $9 full review adds.

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    The What-If House

    Explore an illustrated house and collect questions you may want to ask your agent. Free, about five minutes.

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    How Percentage Hurricane and Wind Deductibles Work

    Why a storm deductible can be a percentage of what your house is insured for, and why flood is a separate question.

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    Why Is My Roof Check Less Than the Estimate?

    Why the first roof claim check is often small, what recoverable depreciation means, and where to find how your policy pays for the roof.

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    Does Homeowners Insurance Cover a Slow Leak?

    Why a burst pipe and a slow leak are treated differently, what frozen pipes raise, and where sewer backup and flood fit in.

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    Is my jewelry covered?

    Why a $5,000 ring may only be worth $1,500 on your policy, or nothing if it's lost. Where the caps are, and what scheduling means.

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    What is an endorsement?

    The pages added to your policy that add or take away coverage. Two neighbors, same insurer, same house; the difference is usually here.

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    Does homeowners insurance cover flood damage?

    Four in ten homeowners think it does. What counts as flood, where the exclusion sits in your policy, and how flood coverage actually works.

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    Does homeowners insurance cover sewer backup?

    Water coming up the drain is not the same as water coming in the door. What backup means, the endorsement that usually covers it, and the limit to check.

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    A neighbor's tree fell on my fence. Who pays?

    In most cases your own policy handles your fence, not theirs. Why, when it is different, and what to do in the first day or two.

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    What Does Homeowners Insurance Cover?

    The six parts of a standard policy, what is typically covered, and what is not.

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    How to Read Your Homeowners Policy: The Declarations Page

    What each coverage type, deductible, and endorsement on your summary sheet means.

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    New Homeowner Checklist

    What to do in the first 24 hours, the first week, and the first month.

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    Seasonal Home Maintenance Checklist

    What to do in spring, summer, fall, and winter to keep small problems from becoming big ones.

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    Home Inventory Guide and Free Template

    Six folders, one spreadsheet, a room-by-room video, and a template you can download. No email required.

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    What Renters Insurance Covers

    What your policy does, what your landlord's does not, and where the surprises hide: roommates, storage, and water that backs up.

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    Condo and Townhouse Insurance

    What the HOA's master policy covers, what is on you, the deductible that can land on one owner, and loss assessment.

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    Dog Breed Liability Surprises

    How some home policies exclude or limit liability for certain dogs, and where to find that wording.

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    Working From Home and Your Policy

    How a home policy typically limits business equipment and liability, and what a home business can change.

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    Wildfire and Your Home Policy

    What a standard policy typically says about fire, smoke, and evacuation costs, and what is changing in high-risk areas.

    CoverageDecoder is an educational tool only. It does not provide insurance advice. Please consult a licensed insurance agent for guidance specific to your circumstances.