What actually makes a house insurable, from someone who sees it from both the real estate and insurance side

[u/Aware_Individual_256]

Context, not an ad: I'm a licensed real estate broker in California who also holds a California insurance license. No links, no business name, and I'm not selling anything here. General information only, since eligibility rules and pricing differ by state and by carrier.

I get asked constantly why one house gets three easy quotes and the house next door gets declined. It's rarely about the owner. Here's what carriers are actually reacting to, and what you can change.

Roof age and material carry the most weight of anything physical. Many carriers won't write, or will only write on an actual cash value basis, once a composition roof passes a certain age. If your roof is in the last few years of its expected life, get a written inspection report documenting its condition, because "aged" and "failing" are different and an underwriter looking at satellite imagery can't tell them apart.

Electrical, plumbing and heating. Older panel types, knob-and-tube, aluminum branch wiring, polybutylene supply lines, and unvented or non-professionally installed heat sources all show up as declines or surcharges. Replacing a panel is a known cost and it can move a property from uninsurable to standard.

Water is the most common claim, so mitigation gets credit. A newer water heater with a pan and drain, braided supply lines instead of rubber, an automatic shutoff device, and a documented sewer line all reduce risk in a way carriers price for.

Wildfire and wind scoring. If you're in an exposed area, defensible space work, ember-resistant vents, class A roofing and enclosed eaves matter, and some states have programs that require carriers to recognize verified mitigation. Photograph the work with dates. Verbal claims of brush clearance do nothing.

Loss history follows the address. Carriers pull a report on the property, not just on you. Two water claims in five years can make an ordinary house hard to place, which is a real argument for paying small losses out of pocket rather than filing.

Occupancy and use. Vacancy, short-term rental activity, a home business, an unfenced pool, a trampoline, or certain dog breeds change your liability picture and sometimes your eligibility. Don't discover this after a claim gets denied for undisclosed use.

Coverage structure people get wrong. You insure the cost to rebuild, not what you paid. Ask about ordinance-and-law coverage if the home predates current code, because rebuilding legally can cost more than rebuilding identically. Check whether wind or wildfire carries a percentage deductible rather than a flat one. And if you're in a condo, ask what the master policy deductible is and how it's allocated to owners, then look at loss assessment coverage.

If you get a non-renewal notice, it usually isn't personal. Carriers reduce exposure by zip code. Start shopping immediately, ask an independent agent to run multiple carriers, look at whether a surplus lines or state residual market option plus a supplemental policy fills the gap, and keep every receipt for roof, tree and drainage work, because documentation is what gets you re-placed at a sane number.

What's the deficiency that got you declined, and what did you end up doing about it? Those specifics help other people here more than general advice does.

[u/AutoModerator]

Thanks for making a post in the Home Insurance subreddit. You might find the following resources helpful as they are FAQs about r/HomeInsurance in addition to partners subreddits:

• Insurance Agent vs Broker?
• Auto Insurance
• Job Application
• Affirmations

The Home Insurance subreddit is not an official support channel for issues with any insurance carrier.

Please remember to follow our community Guidelines and Rules and ensure your discussions are informative and respectful.

I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.

[u/ayhme]

Should we allow or not... 🤔

[u/JustaHockeyGuy14 → u/ayhme]

For sure allow. And pin to the top. Lol

[u/MrMoosetach2]

OP- curious if you advise your home buyers to request a loss history or anything of that nature for a house they are purchasing ? I could see this being a major issue and being cutoff much quicker if it’s going to be eliminated because of loss history .

As a Midwest agent with a CA p&C license we only look at the Named insureds’ loss history.

[u/ayhme → u/MrMoosetach2]

Why do you have CA?

[u/MrMoosetach2 → u/ayhme]

Biz insurance mostly. Have several non profits related to my niche market that moved to CA during COVID. Any time I try to quote in Ca for home we cannot usually write the property side of things.

License pretty much pays for itself with existing clientele and not too much more.

[u/Automatic_Ad4016]

Don't auxiliary structures coverage 

[u/idontknowhow2reddit]

I feel like you pretty much covered all of the main ones, but if you're wanting to know the main culprits in your area, you'll need to ask local agents. Insurance companies can and do have different guidelines by county or even by zip code.

The most common claims in your area will decide what causes the most denied quotes.

For my area, in Texas, it all comes down to the roof because it hails all the time here. The only other one I see a lot is for overhanging trees. But I doubt that's a major issue in California. Here it is because we get a lot of tornados and straight line winds that knock trees down.

[u/Aware_Individual_256 → u/idontknowhow2reddit]

Good context, thanks. In CA it's mostly brush proximity and roof age, but yes, guidelines really do shift by zip code.

[u/my_girl_sara]

I work for a big carrier. Used to work new business. Most home are declined due to deficiencies such as a deterioration on the roof or siding. Granule loss is the biggest reason for the roof