Reference · Washington

Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner - A consumer's guide to: Homeowner insurance (declarations page, dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, medical payments, personal liability, earthquake, flood, umbrella, renters, mobile home, condominium)

Publisher: Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner
Edition: 14-page PDF, PDF metadata creation date 2026-03-27
Last checked: 2026-09-29
Status: Publication of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, a US state...

Edition and licensing notes

Publisher. Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (www.insurance.wa.gov)

Edition. 14-page PDF, PDF metadata creation date 2026-03-27; retrieved 2026-09-29

Status. Publication of the Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner, a US state agency.

Read the official text Practice questions from this source

What this document is

Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner - A consumer's guide to: Homeowner insurance (declarations page, dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, medical payments, personal liability, earthquake, flood, umbrella, renters, mobile home, condominium) is a reference published by Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (www.insurance.wa.gov). It is one of the Washington documents that insurance license exam questions are written from, including washington property & casualty, washington personal lines, washington claims adjuster practice questions. This page summarizes it and points to the official version, which is the text to rely on.

Sections cited in practice questions

Each practice answer shows the exact passage it comes from. These are sections of this document that questions cite, with a short excerpt from the source text.

Washington OIC, A consumer's guide to Homeowner insurance, Types of coverage (Personal property coverage)
“If you suffer a loss, the settlement (payment to you for the damages) is based on the used value until you actually replace the item(s). This means your insurer will initially pay you for the depreciated, used value of your item. After you replace the item(s) and submit receipts, you can request...”
Washington OIC, A consumer's guide to Homeowner insurance, Types of coverage (Coverage for loss of use)
“This coverage pays for your additional living expenses if your house is unlivable due to a covered loss, such as a broken pipe that f loods your home or a fire burns down your house. For example, it may cover your hotel/housing costs, increased mileage or increased costs for food.”
Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, A consumer's guide to: Homeowner insurance (14-page PDF), Optional coverage, Earthquake
“Not all companies offer this coverage. For those that do, you may have to meet specific requirements to qualify. For example, the insurer may require you to retrofit your home for earthquakes, or require you to strap your hot water tank to a wall.”
Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, A consumer's guide to: Homeowner insurance (14-page PDF), The cost of homeowner insurance, Claims history
“renew your coverage if you made several claims. Every company is different.”
Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, A consumer's guide to: Homeowner insurance (14-page PDF), If you experience a loss
“Protect your property from further damage. Save the receipts for temporary repairs, and submit them to the insurer for reimbursement. You should not make permanent repairs until after your insurance company has inspected the damaged”
Washington OIC, A consumer's guide to homeowner insurance (Dwelling coverage)
“Some policies offer an endorsement you can buy to provide additional coverage above the stated policy limits for both your home and other structures. Most commonly, this endorsement is used when your entire home or other structure is completely destroyed due to a covered loss.”
Washington OIC, A consumer's guide to homeowner insurance (Personal property coverage)
“Insurers typically offer personal property coverage on a named peril basis. This means the policy will specify and list the perils that trigger coverage. Examples of covered events include fire, lightning, windstorm, hail, explosion, riot or civil commotion, aircraft, vehicles, smoke, vandalism and...”
Washington OIC, A consumer's guide to homeowner insurance (Personal property coverage, exclusions)
“Homeowner policies do have exclusions. For example, they don’t cover a roommate’s or renter’s property, autos, and/or damage caused intentionally.”
Washington OIC, A consumer's guide to homeowner insurance, Watercraft endorsement
“Watercraft endorsement This endorsement provides coverage for small sailboats and outboard motor boats. It broadens personal liability and medical payments coverage. There are size limitations to watercraft and engine horsepower, so discuss this with your agent before a loss occurs.”
Washington OIC, A consumer's guide to homeowner insurance, Home business
“Your insurance company may offer home business coverage. Each insurance company defines the type of home business it is willing to cover on a homeowner policy.”

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Questions about this source

No. This page summarizes the document and links to the official version. Always rely on the text published by Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner (www.insurance.wa.gov) for the current law.

Practice questions for Washington Property & Casualty, Washington Personal Lines, Washington Claims Adjuster cite this document.

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