Common Homeowners Insurance Claims in CA

By the Mercury Team

Mercury offers quality insurance across 11 states, but California remains the most popular state for our homeowners policies. Each year, we receive a wide variety of residence claims from California homeowners, ranging from burst pipes to dog bites. So you may be wondering: What types of homeowners insurance claims do we see most often?

Find out the most popular homeowners insurance claims in California and how you can better protect yourself from the unexpected.

Most Popular Homeowners Insurance Claims in California

Water

Water damage comprises 56.90% of California’s homeowners insurance claims, making it the most common type of covered loss in the state. Interior plumbing leaks within walls or shower pans make up 17.44% of these water-related claims.

Water damage can wreak serious havoc on your home, so it’s important to prevent it as much as you can. Regularly inspecting sinks, washing machines, showers, and other water sources can help catch leaks early. To make things easier, consider a water leak detection device, which alerts you via your smartphone whenever it detects a leak. Some devices even shut off your main water line automatically when a leak is detected, helping prevent immediate water damage and water loss.

It’s also important to know that standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover issues resulting from a flood. You must purchase flood insurance to protect your home from this type of water damage.

Wind & Hail

Wind and hail damage accounts for nearly 16% of the homeowners insurance claims in California. Examples of these types of claims include trees falling onto houses, falling/flying objects, and wind and hail damage to fences, roofs, and dwellings.

While a standard homeowners insurance policy will typically offer protection against wind and hail damage to your home’s structure, it won’t cover damage done to your vehicle. You would need to purchase auto insurance with comprehensive coverage, which also covers theft and damage from fire, flooding, and vandalism.

“Other”

Covered losses in the “other” category make up 10.25% of the homeowners insurance claims in California. Examples of these types of situations can include:

Equipment breakdown
Spoilage
Service line damage
Wall or fence hit by other vehicle

Theft

Theft and break-ins account for 9.41% of California’s homeowners insurance claims.

While burglaries still happen, they can be easily mitigated by installing surveillance cameras, video doorbells, alarms, deadbolts, and other home security devices to ward off intruders. In fact, you can receive a theft protective device discount from Mercury when you boost your home’s security. It’s also a good idea to take inventory of your property and assets. That way, you’ll be prepared to file a residence claim if a home burglary happens.

Fire

Fires comprise 4.03% of homeowners insurance claims in California. Whether it’s lightning damage that leads to a fire or a kitchen fire that sets the entire house ablaze, these fiery disasters usually result in considerable damage and costly claims.

Californians especially need to be wary of wildfires, considering the Golden State is home to the most wildfires in the country. It’s highly recommended for California homeowners to fireproof their property, such as maintaining siding, trimming trees, and removing dead vegetation around the home. It’s also crucial to create an emergency preparedness kit, so you and your family can safely evacuate from a wildfire.

Liability — Property Damage

Property damage makes up 1.69% of homeowners insurance claims in California. Here are some examples of these types of property damage claims:

Water damage to claimant caused by insured
Damage caused by domestic animals
Damage caused by a fallen tree
Damage caused by neighbors
Broken windows

Liability — Bodily Injury

Bodily injury accounts for 1.16% of homeowners insurance claims in California. Whether your dog bites a neighbor or a delivery driver slips and falls on your property, bodily injury claims can be expensive because many of them result in lawsuits. When you add up the medical expenses, legal fees, and court costs associated with bodily injury claims, it would be too much for the average person to pay out of pocket. Luckily, most standard homeowners insurance policies come with at least $100,000 in liability coverage.

No matter what scenario comes your way, the right homeowners insurance can protect you and your property from the unexpected. If you’re looking for affordable coverage without compromising quality, rely on Mercury Insurance to help build a homeowners insurance policy tailored to your needs.

Mercury Team

The Mercury Marketing Team is made up of professionals in the fields of Content Creation, Public Relations and Social Media. The team works together to deliver professionally written and researched content to provide information for consumers.