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What does common construction mean?

What is the difference between common construction and standard construction? I am in the process of getting homeowners quotes for the house we are closing on next month. I notice they are all for common construction, but my current policy is for standard construction.

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Shannon Martin · Updated on
Reviewed by Shannon Martin, Licensed Insurance Agent.
“Most
homeowner’s insurance policies
are for standard construction, but if you have an older home, insurance carriers may only be able to offer you common construction.
Standard construction means that at the time of a loss, your home will be repaired with like and similar materials that you had before the loss.
Common construction means that your home will be repaired with typical materials that are used today.
Many older homes, while quite beautiful, are made from building materials that are no longer in use. It would be extremely expensive to replicate the materials and style, so insurance companies will update the materials to what is commonly used today.
This can mean a hand-carved stair railing and newel post will be replaced with a simple handrail and newel post. The thin black walnut flooring may be replaced with the more common, larger planked oak flooring. While it won’t look the same, it will save you money.
If you’re looking for ways to save on your homeowner’s insurance, try using
Jerry
. The free app does the hard work of comparing rates from the top 50 companies in under a minute.”
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