Preparing your home insurance quote request

Information needed for an auto Insurance request

Checklist

Information about the house to be insured

• Dimensions
• Year built

Fire risk

• Distance from your home to the nearest fire station
• Distance from your home to the nearest fire hydrant
• Type of heating system and date installed
• Fireplace (wood, natural gas, etc.)
• Type of electrical panel and wiring as well as year installed
• Types of detectors and alarm system

Water damage risk

• Type of roof covering and date installed
• Type of water heater and date installed
• Presence of a backflow protection valve, sump pump or sump pit
• Pool and spa

Other information

• Claims history
• Heating oil or other fuel tank
• Pet(s)
• Value of your property

Read on to learn why insurers need to know this information.

Information about the house to be insured

Dimensions of the house and lot

The house dimensions serve to calculate the cost of reconstruction. If ever your house is declared a complete loss, how much would it cost to rebuild it exactly as it was? The cost of debris removal and demolition before rebuilding, quantity and price of materials, labour costs, etc.—all this enters into the calculation, based on the size of your home.

Year built

The age of the house or condominium is an important factor for the insurer. It will also want to know the general condition of the premises and information about any improvements made over the years.

Fire risk

Distance from your home to the nearest fire station

The distance between your house and the fire station affects how quickly firefighters can respond in an emergency. The greater the distance, the greater the potential damage to your home. This factor will therefore have an impact on your insurance premium.

Distance from your home to the nearest fire hydrant

If there is a hydrant close to your building, fire crews will be able to fight a fire more effectively. That’s why this information factors into the insurer’s calculation.

Type of heating system and date installed

Is your home heated by electricity or a wood-burning appliance? Do you have a furnace that burns heating oil or other fuel? In the eyes of an insurer, not all heating systems are created equal. Some cause fires more frequently than others. And the older your system is, the greater the likelihood that it will fail someday soon.

Fireplace (wood, natural gas, etc.)

Of course, if your living room or basement is heated by a fireplace, the fire risk is greater. Don’t be surprised if you’re asked how many cords of wood you burn every year; this is simply an indicator of how much you use your fireplace.

Type of electrical panel and wiring as well as the year they were installed

Take a look at your electrical panel. If you see switches, you have a breaker panel. If you see glass capsules that screw in and out, you have an older-style fuse panel. Note that insurers prefer that homeowners replace fuse panels with breaker panels to reduce the risk of electrical wires overheating.

Types of detectors and alarm system

Is your house equipped with smoke detectors, carbon monoxide detectors or a groundwater level detector? Do you have an alarm system? Is it connected to an alarm central? These are points in your favour! Anything that will help you or firefighters respond quickly to an emergency is a plus where the insurer is concerned.

Water damage risk

Type of roof covering and date installed

If your roof is covered in asphalt shingles, for example, its life expectancy is around 20 to 25 years. If the covering is nearly that old, the insurer may consider it to be a risk. Have it checked or replaced, if necessary, to reduce the risk of water infiltration.

Type of water heater and date installed

A water heater has a life expectancy of around 10 to 12 years. If yours is around that age, the likelihood of water damage increases significantly, and your insurer will refuse you coverage for damage related to your water heater. It’s therefore important to notify your insurer when you replace this appliance, to make sure you continue to have the right coverage.

Presence of a backflow protection valve, sump pump or sump pit

If your house is new or less than 20 years old, it should be equipped with a backflow protection valve. Its purpose is to keep water from the city sewer line from entering your home; in other words, it reduces the risk of a sewer backup. Having a backflow protection valve, also called a check valve, and/or other devices designed to reduce water damage risk can mean a lower insurance premium.

Pool and spa

Your home insurance policy does not automatically cover damage to your swimming pool or spa. You’ll need to add an endorsement (additional coverage, sometimes called a “rider“) to the contract. In the case of an above-ground pool, find out what depreciation percentage the insurer uses. After a few years, the cost of the endorsement may not be worth it compared with the value of the pool. If you have an in-ground pool, its cost will be included in the reconstruction value of your home. So it’s important to let your insurer know if you install one.

You should know that water damage caused by your pool or spa is covered by your basic home insurance, except if it results from freezing or thawing.

Other information

Claims history

You must describe any prior claims made with regard to your home (e.g., water damage, fire, vandalism, breakage caused by severe winds). If you have just bought the house, find out from the previous owner what damage it had sustained.

Heating oil or other fuel tank

Systems that burn heating oil or other combustible fuels not only represent a fire hazard, but also an environmental risk if ever a tank leak occurs: decontamination is very expensive. You will need to add extra coverage to your home insurance contract for damage due to this type of heating system.

Pet(s)

If you have a pet, this will make a difference to your civil liability coverage. The insurer will want to make sure they provide adequate coverage for damage and injuries the animal might cause. Note that if you neglect to mention you have a pet and an incident turns out to have been caused by it, the insurer may refuse to compensate you. Insurers refuse to cover certain breeds of dog and certain kinds of domesticated animal.

Value of your property

You’ll need to determine a coverage amount in case you ever need to replace all of your property. Yes, we know how difficult this can be! By preparing an inventory of your goods, you can choose that amount more effectively. As a plus, if you ever do need to make a claim, you’ll have your list ready. After a particularly stressful event, such as a theft or fire, it can be hard to remember everything that was in the house—unless you have it written down.

Property rental

If you plan to rent out your home, condo, or cottage, even for short periods of time, you should speak with your insurer to make sure you have the right coverage. With the growing popularity of the sharing economy, some people are also renting out their pools or even parking spaces. You should also speak with your insurer about that.

Compare home insurance quotes

Answering the insurer’s questions is one thing. But to be able to compare the quotes you get from different insurers, you must make sure they’re comparable! Here are three things to check:

• Make sure you’re offered the same coverage in all of the quotes.
• Check that the overall insurance amounts are equivalent.
• Compare the prices per month or per year, net of taxes. Some insurers may include the tax amounts and others not, which may explain a price difference!

Good to know

In Quebec, there are three main types of home insurance policy: homeowner’s (propriétaire occupant), tenant’s (locataire occupant), and co-owner’s (copropriétaire occupant). Each of these formulas can then be customized according to the desired amount of coverage. The insured customer can opt for comprehensive coverage, “all risks except” (tous risques sauf) insurance, which covers the majority of situations except those mentioned in the contract. Or they may choose minimum coverage known as “specified perils” (risques spécifiés) insurance, which covers losses caused directly by situations named in the contract (e.g., fire, theft, vandalism).

The No-Stress Policy® for the home from CAA-Quebec is a comprehensive (“all-risks”) insurance policy.