Whether you’re evaluating your current master
condo insurance policy or
looking for a new one, here are the most important points of the policy
that should be reviewed annually.
- Each building’s replacement cost. Make sure you factor in type of
construction, year built, square footage, number of stories, and other
features of your building. Building in an inflation factor to your
master policy can help mitigate some of this, but the condo association should still review each building’s value every few years.
- Directors & officers coverage. Not all condo associations have
this coverage. Considering its minimal cost, it is a wise investment to
protect the interests of the condo board.
- Employee dishonesty limit. This limit is usually equal to the amount of money the condo association has in the bank, including condo funding. This value should be regularly reviewed.
- Sewer or drain back-up. Sewer and drain back-up actually happens
quite frequently with condo associations, and this coverage would pay
for the ensuing damages/repairs. Typically, this coverage must be added
to the master policy and has limits of $25,000, $50,000, and $100,000.
- Flood coverage. If you are in a flood zone, make sure you work with your insurance agent to get adequate flood coverage.
- Earthquake coverage and wind coverage. This coverage might be included in your master
policy, depending on where your condo or HOA is located. For buildings
in Florida, Texas, the East Coast, or West Coast, you will probably
have to purchase this separately. The price for this coverage is
usually considerable because it pays for all wind-related damage,
including hurricanes.
- Wind deductible. If you have a wind deductible, it’s important to find out if it is a per season or per occurrence deductible.
- Premium. Are you paying too much for your master insurance policy? If so, don’t be afraid to look elsewhere for better deals.
- Property deductible. Examine your deductible to see if it’s too
high or too low. You might be able to raise your deductible up to
$1,000-$2,500 to substantially reduce your premiums.
