What will a home insurer ask about a BC property, and what makes it cost more?

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How far the house is by road from the fire hall that responds and from a hydrant, how it's heated, its wiring, plumbing and roof, and how it's used; a rural house far from a hall can cost more to insure, or find fewer insurers. Home insurance isn't required by law, but a lender will want it before it advances a mortgage, and each insurer sets its own rules and prices. Most of what they ask is about the house; the rest is about the place, above all how fast a fire can be put out there. Look up the address or PID on PlaceDossier to see the record for that lot. The fire hall and the hydrant: Insurers ask how far the house is from the nearest hydrant and from the fire department that responds, and whether that department is career or volunteer: the sooner a fire is out, the less there is to rebuild. A report gives the nearest fire station in a straight line, the fire protection area where the regional district maps it, and the nearest hydrant where the city maps its hydrants; the insurer goes by the road. Fire protection grades: Most of Canada's home insurers subscribe to the Fire Underwriters Survey, which grades each community's fire protection for houses from 1 (best) to 5 (no recognised protection). The better grades need a pumper responding from within 8 km by road of a fire station; without hydrants, a department can still be credited for carrying water by tanker, for houses within 8 km of the station and 5 km of an approved water source. A fire department run by a society or by subscription is generally not recognised unless its funding is shown to be stable. In general, the poorer the grade, the higher the premium. Wood stoves and heating: A wood stove or fireplace changes whether, and at what price, a house can be insured, and an insurer may want it inspected before it covers the house. Tell the insurer before you buy a house heated with wood, and ask the seller for the stove's installation papers or an inspection. An old buried heating oil tank is worth raising with the insurer too (our reading). Wiring, plumbing and roof: Insurers ask about knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring and fuses or service under 100 amps, and may want the wiring updated, 100 amps with breakers, or a licensed electrician's inspection. Galvanized steel or lead pipes are more likely to leak, and insurers prefer a roof replaced within the last 20 years. Home insurance isn't a maintenance policy: a worn-out roof that leaks may leave the roof itself uncovered. How the house is used: Tell the insurer about a home business, renting all or part of the house, short-term rentals, a pool, outbuildings or a heritage designation. A cottage or second home is usually added to the policy on your main home, often with narrower cover: insurers commonly leave out sewer backup, fences, freezer food and outdoor plants there, and may not offer all-risks cover. A policy can require someone to check a house left empty in winter every day or every few days. What isn't covered unless you add it: Overland flood, earthquake and sewer backup are optional cover bought separately, where an insurer offers them. A house that doesn't meet an insurer's normal standards may get only basic named-perils or no-frills cover until the problem is fixed. The amount to insure: A policy insures the cost to rebuild the house, which can be well above or below the price or the assessed value. The insurer works it out from the house's age, size, construction, roof, heating, and wood stoves or fireplaces. What it means for a buyer: A house that's hard to insure is hard to finance. On a rural lot, ask the regional district which fire department responds and whether the lot is inside its fire protection area, and get a written quote for the address before the subjects come off.

What will a home insurer ask about a BC property, and what makes it cost more?

What the answer means

Before you buy: who to ask