Replacement Value Insurance

By George Stanzan

When you own a home or something else of high dollar value, a replacement value insurance policy will pay you what it costs to replace that item in the event that it is completely destroyed. For example, if your house is declared a total loss after a fire, your replacement value insurance policy would pay to have a new one rebuilt that is constructed of exactly the same building materials and is the same physical dimensions of your old house.

Replacement Value is Not Market Value

If you are counting on replacement value insurance to pay the full value of your home in a catastrophe, it is important that you understand the difference between what it costs to replace a home verses what it would sell for in the real estate market. When market value is established for the purpose of pricing a home for sale, three important factors are taken into consideration. These are whether the home is in a location that is considered desirable, the value of the land and prices for other homes in the same area.

In contrast, the money you may receive in a replacement value insurance policy settlement considers its value based on different criteria. Some of the information that makes up a replacement value include cost of removing debris on the property, cost of building materials and providing energy, construction codes in your city, how accessible the location of your former home is and the wages paid to workers to reconstruct the home.

Another important factor to keep in mind with the replacement value insurance policy is that it is only good for the normal duration or life span of the product it is insuring. With the exception of houses, most items will have a period of time that they are expected to last. A car, for example, may only be covered for 10 years under a replacement value insurance policy, and if it finally breaks down after 15 years, your policy would not protect you from having to pay for a replacement.

Considerations When Purchasing a Replacement Value Policy

In comparison to a cash value policy, which pays only what the insured item is currently worth, a replacement value policy covers what it would cost to fully replace. This makes replacement value policies the more expensive insurance option, but one that is also a necessity to protect against extreme financial loss in the event that something happens, such as severe weather or fire, that is beyond your immediate control to guard against.

If the asset that you own would cost significantly more to replace than it is currently worth, an insurance company may refuse to sell you a policy to protect it. This would be a financial risk for the insurance company, and they need to protect their own best interests.

When you purchase a new home and buy a replacement value policy, be certain you understand what is covered. If it is only the building structure, you may need a separate policy to replace your valuables inside the home.

About the Author:

There are many retired car insurance agents like George Stanzan, but no one as passionate as helping people save money on their auto insurance policyas he is.