Property insurance can include a number of policies, such as homeowners insurance, renters insurance, flood insurance, and earthquake insurance. Personal property is usually covered by a homeowners or renters policy. The exception is personal property that is very high value and expensive—this is usually covered by purchasing an addition to the policy called a “rider.” If there’s a claim, the property insurance policy will either reimburse the policyholder for the actual value of the damage or the replacement cost to fix the problem.

Perils covered by property insurance typically include select weather-related afflictions, including damage caused by fire, smoke, wind, hail, the impact of snow and ice, lightning, and more. Property insurance also protects against vandalism and theft, covering the structure and its contents. Property insurance also provides liability coverage in case someone other than the property owner or renter is injured while on the property and decides to sue.