Protecting Your House: Earthquake Guide & Earthquake Insurance
In Southern California, we get to enjoy year-round sunshine, cultural opportunities, and easy beach access. Our coastline comes with a set of risks, though. Because we live so near fault lines, California experiences more earthquakes than many other places in the world. Consequently, it is important that Californians be educated about their earthquake risk.
To help you be prepared to face the possibility of a quake, here is a quick Q&A covering the essentials and your earthquake insurance requirements.
- Should I consider retrofitting my house? Retrofitting helps your home stay rooted to its foundation. In California, every homeowner should retrofit their homes with foundation bolting, cripple wall bracing, and house bolting. These added measures will help your home maintain its structural integrity even if the ground shakes.
- What is soil liquefaction? If you have ever seen the aftermath of an earthquake, you might have been shocked that buildings rooted on firm foundations toppled over as if their foundations became un-rooted from the earth. This can actually happen! It is caused by soil liquefaction, which occurs when solid soil is transformed to a liquid state after being subjected to continuous vibration.
- Does my homeowners insurance protect me against earthquakes? Unfortunately, your homeowners insurance will not cover your house in the event of an earthquake. In order to have coverage against a quake, you need a separate earthquake insurance policy.
So you can protect your house against California’s common quakes, contact Hoffman Brown Company. Our expert team is here to help you choose the right earthquake insurance policy to protect your California home against the unique risk we face in our state. Because we are located in Sherman Oaks, we are familiar with your insurance needs and are here to help fully safeguard you.
