Condo dwelling coverage is a portion of an overall condo insurance policy, and it is a little different than the homeowners insurance on a house in terms of cost, coverage, and more.
The dwelling coverage for condo owners applies to just the cost of replacing the structure and items within your condo. If you live in a condo, your HOA will usually have HOA insurance
requirements for you to fulfill, including dwelling coverage. Depending on the type of master policy your home has, there are a couple of methods for calculating how much dwelling coverage you need for your condo insurance. Read on to learn how.
Condo dwelling coverage calculator with a bare walls master policy
If your condominium’s homeowner’s association (HOA) has a bare walls master policy, that basically means your four walls are already protected under the HOA’s insurance policy.
This leaves you responsible for protecting appliances and any improvements to things like cabinetry along with your dwelling’s fixtures, such as bathtubs or sinks. This amounts to a considerable amount of condo dwelling coverage.
An oft-used condo dwelling coverage calculation with a bare walls master policy is 20% of your condo’s value, which can be discovered through the following steps:
Step 1: Estimate your condo’s value. If you've recently purchased the condo, use the amount of your loan. Alternately, you can use a recent appraisal value or have a new appraisal done to arrive at a figure.
Step 2: Multiply that number by .20. This calculation yields 20% of the value you determined in Step 1. So, if your condo is valued at $500,000, the calculation is: 500,000 x .20 = 100,000.
Step 3: Get condo dwelling coverage with a matching limit. You want a coverage limit that minimally meets the 20% of the value that you calculated. In the example from Step 2, that means you would get at least $100,000 of condo dwelling coverage for your condo valued at $500,000.
Condo dwelling coverage calculator with an all-in master policy
In the case that your condominium’s HOA has an all-in master policy, the only things you are responsible to protect with condo dwelling coverage are your fixtures and miscellaneous items. This means that you need far less condo coverage than when the master policy only covers the bare walls. A simple way to estimate what is usually sufficient coverage is with this condo dwelling coverage calculator’s steps:
Step 1: Determine the square footage of your condo. The square footage can usually be found on your deed or within your loan information. Otherwise, you can often find the square footage of your property by entering the address at Realtor.com
. Step 2: Multiply the square footage by $100. If the square footage of your condo is 1,000, for instance, multiply that number by $100 for a rough estimate of desired condo dwelling coverage. Or, 1,000 x $100 = $100,000 of coverage at a minimum.
Both of these condo dwelling coverage calculators provide estimates for needing coverage limits. You should make adjustments according to the quality of finishings or the nature of your belongings. It's also advisable to revisit your coverage limits on an annual or biannual basis, making increases comparable to any improvements or additions you make.
You may not need to consider the value of your personal belongings, such as clothes and movable furniture, in your condo dwelling coverage decision making. These items are sometimes protected under personal condo insurance coverage. Consult with your insurance agent about what is and is not included in your policy, and read all of your paperwork closely.
Through forethought and collaboration with your coverage provider, you can achieve peace of mind that your condo dwelling coverage and any other policies offered by your insurance company can cover the cost of repairs or replacement of your property in the event of damage from a covered peril.
MORE: How much personal property coverage do you need?
FAQs
How much dwelling coverage do I need for a townhome?
Your condo or townhome will usually be part of an HOA that has a set master policy for you to get. This will either be a bare walls master policy or an all-in master policy. You'll need to purchase the policy that the HOA requests, but once you have the minimum policy your HOA requests, you're covered.
Most often, HOAs will have you get a bare walls master policy because it's cheaper.
What does dwelling insurance cover?
Dwelling coverage covers structures and items in your condo, so long as they're damaged by a covered perils. These covered perils include fire, smoke, lightning, hail, falling objects, vandalism, theft, and wind. There is usually a minimum amount of dwelling coverage a HOA will make you purchase for your condo.
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