Young couple sitting on couch customizing home insurance online.

Design Your Own Homeowners Insurance Policy

Updated October 4, 2021 . AmFam Team

Learn how to build your own homeowners policy with optional coverages customized to your needs.

When you’re looking for the best insurance policy for your home, you don’t want a standard out-of-the-box plan. You need a policy that’s built just for you.

That’s where American Family Insurance comes in.

We offer a variety of unique coverages so you can design a policy that provides a wide breadth of protection specific to your needs. Plus, with our optional coverages and easy-to-earn discounts, you’ll have more opportunities to take control of what you pay.

The best part? You can build your own policy easily online using our Online Home Quote Tool. You’ll be taken through some questions that’ll help you customize your policy, and if you need to talk to an agent, they’re just a quick call or email away.

Now this part is key! Before diving in and designing your policy, it’s important to understand some home insurance basics, like what coverages come standard and what optional coverages are available — as well as the discounts you can earn. That way you feel confident in the policy you’re building and know you can rely on it if you ever face the unexpected. And we’re here to walk you through what to know!

What Does My Standard Home Insurance Policy Cover?

We know that insurance can be a confusing topic — and if you haven’t reviewed your insurance documents or talked to your agent lately, it’s easy to forget exactly what you’re covered for.

Let’s start with a refresher on what usually comes standard on most home insurance policies, including at American Family:

Coverage for Your Home: Dwelling Coverage (Coverage A)

Protects your home — think roof, walls, floor, siding and windows.

Learn more about dwelling coverage >

Coverage for Other Structures: Other Structures Coverage (Coverage B)

Protects structures such as detached garages, sheds, fences or pools.

Learn more about other structures coverage >

Coverage for Your Things: Personal Property Coverage (Coverage C)

Helps replace or repair items such as clothing, jewelry, appliances, furniture and electronics.

Learn more about personal property coverage >

Coverage for Living Expenses: Loss of Use Coverage (Coverage D)

Helps pay for expenses such as hotel stays and food should your home become unlivable.

Learn more about loss of use coverage >

Coverage When Accidents Happen: Personal Liability (Coverage E)

Provides financial protection for property damage and injury to others.

Learn more about personal liability coverage >

Coverage for Medical Expenses: Medical Expense Coverage (Coverage F)

Helps pay medical expenses to others injured on or off your property.

Learn more about medical expense coverage >

What types of events are you protected against?

Your standard policy protects your home from unexpected events like: fire, smoke, windstorms, hail, falling objects, lightning, theft, vandalism, water damage from plumbing, heating or cooling systems and damage from the weight of ice, snow or sleet.*

Just remember, when it comes to the events you’re protected against, you’re covered up to your policy limits — which are decided when you purchase your home insurance. You can refer to your policy for covered event details, like limits and policy exclusions. And don’t worry — you don’t have to be a pro at understanding everything about your policy! But it does help to be familiar with it if you ever have to file a claim.

Optional Coverages to Design Your Policy

Next, it’s time to design your policy with our optional coverages, which protect against unexpected events that your standard policy doesn’t cover.

You can pick and choose which coverages you want to add based on your specific needs. Remember — customizing your policy is where you can really widen your net of protection!

Here are just some of the optional coverages we offer:

Increased Dwelling Limit Coverage

Included when your home is insured to at least 100% of replacement cost — increases your dwelling coverage amount by 20%.**

Jewelry, Gemstones, Watches and Furs Coverage

Your base policy includes a $2,000 coverage amount for all jewelry, gemstones, watches and furs combined. If the total value of these items is worth more, you can increase your amount of coverage and get protection for a broader range of covered events.

Learn more about jewelry insurance >

Equipment Breakdown Coverage

Offers protection should your appliances, home systems or smart home devices be damaged due to mechanical, electrical or pressure systems breakdown.

Learn more about Equipment Breakdown coverage >

Hidden Water Coverage

A leak you can’t see within the walls, floors, ceilings, cabinets or anywhere else that isn’t visible can cause expensive damage to your home. Adding this optional coverage provides a wider net of protection.***

Learn more about Hidden Water Damage coverage >

Identity Fraud Expense Coverage

Helps you cover expenses such as legal fees, loan reapplication fees, lost wages and other costs relating to restoring your good name when the unexpected happens. With this coverage, you can be reimbursed up to $25,000 for expenses associated with identity restoration.

Learn more about identity fraud expense coverage >

Credit Monitoring

We've partnered with CyberScout to give you easy access to their credit monitoring services, which can help you prevent, react and recover from the unexpected. It pairs seamlessly with our identity theft coverage to keep your credit, identity and data all in good shape.

Learn more about credit monitoring coverage >

Service Line Coverage

Helps pay for the cost to repair or replace damaged service lines, like underground piping or wiring for things like electrical power, heating and natural gas. Service lines that aren’t underground aren’t covered.

Learn more about service line coverage >

Sewer Back-up, Septic Back-up and Sump Overflow Coverage

Designed to mitigate the cost of repairs caused by water coming back into a home due to a backed-up drain or an overflowing sump.

Learn more about sump pump failure coverage >

Personal Injury

Offers protection for claims brought against you including libel and/or slander; false arrest, detention or imprisonment; malicious prosecution; wrongful eviction or wrongful entry; associated legal costs.

Learn more about personal injury protection >

Dwelling and Other Structures Replacement Cost Coverage

Covers the cost to repair damage to your home and other structures or rebuild them without any deduction for depreciation.

Roof Replacement Cost Coverage

Your policy comes with some roof coverage built-in, but you do have the option to add more.

Learn more about roof damage insurance >

Matching Siding Coverage

In most cases, your homeowners insurance will cover damage from wind, hail, fire or a tornado to your home’s siding. However, it will only cover parts of your home that are damaged. If the same siding is no longer manufactured and a reasonable match may not be available, you could be out of luck. By adding this coverage, you can be rest assured the siding on your home will match on all four walls!

Learn more about matching siding coverage >

Flood Insurance

Did you know that most homeowners, renters or condo insurance policies don’t provide protection from flood damage, regardless of the insurance company? That’s why American Family offers flood insurance from the National Flood Insurance Program.

Learn more about flood insurance >

Home Renovation Insurance

Remodeling your home to fit your family’s specific wants and needs? No matter if you’re handling the renovations or a contractor is taking care of it, home renovation insurance helps protect against damage or theft of construction materials and foundation collapse during construction / renovation.

Learn more about home renovation insurance >

Home-Based Business Coverage

All businesses, whether they’re run out of an office or your home, need to be insured. By adding this coverage, you’re extending the same liability limits and coverages of your personal home insurance to your small business. There are some eligibility guidelines for getting this coverage — an agent can help you decide if this kind of specialized insurance is the right fit for you.

Learn more about home business insurance >

Nursing Home and Assisted Living Coverage

If a loved one moves into an assisted living facility, this coverage helps protect their personal belongings. If you and your loved one want to protect more than $15,000 in personal property, though, you should ask your agent about obtaining a renters policy.

Learn more about nursing home and assisted living coverage >

Homeowners Insurance Discounts

Customizing your homeowners insurance to fit your exact needs doesn’t just mean getting all the right coverages — it means paying the right price, too. And we offer many ways to help you save!

Here are a few ways we help you take control of what you pay with American Family Insurance:

New Homeowner Discount

Upon purchasing your new home, you’ll be rewarded with an additional discount!

Renovated Home Discount

Have you completely replaced the plumbing, electrical and heating systems in your home in the last 15 years? You may have another homeowners discount waiting for you!

Safe, Secure, Smart Home Discount

We care about our customers’ safety — that’s why we offer our Safe, Secure, Smart Home discount for homeowners who take proactive steps to keep their home safe and secure. In fact, most smart home devices or home security systems make you eligible to save!

Bundle Auto & Home Discount

When you bundle your auto and home insurance, you could save up to 23% on both policies together.

Ask your agent about other discounts

We offer more home insurance discounts that you could be taking advantage of — AutoPay and Paperless are two of our easiest to earn! Take a look at your options, ask your America Family agent which ones you qualify for and start taking more control of what you pay!

View more discounts >

Get a Home Insurance Quote

Designing a policy so it’s personalized to you is one of the smartest moves you can make as a homeowner. And being able to build your own policy online using our Home Quoting Tool gives you more control to design a policy unique to you.

Need additional help designing your policy? That’s what our experts are for! Your local American Family agent (Opens in a new tab) can help guide you through coverages, discounts, questions and more. Don’t hesitate to reach out if you need help navigating through the process.


Some coverages may not be available in your state. Available at mid-term renewal for some existing policyholders. Please speak with your agent to learn more about your coverage options.

*Your policy provides limited coverage when surface water comes into your home from a human made source such as sprinkler systems, garden hoses and swimming pools. However, if the release of water from these sources doesn’t occur on your property, the resulting water damage is not covered. Your policy excludes water damage from all other sources when water comes into your home. Your policy excludes water damage due to sewer back-up, septic back-up and sump overflow unless special coverage is purchased for this type of loss. Please see your agent for details on this coverage.

**Available for homeowners only.

***Hidden Water Damage coverage is an optional coverage. May not be available in all states. Some restrictions apply to seasonal homes and manufactured homes. The leak must occur from within a plumbing, heating, A/C, fire sprinkler or a home appliance. Refer to your policy documents for coverage limit details. Coverage applies after the property deductible has been met. Mold damage limited to coverage limits provided by your homeowners policy.

†Available for manufactured homeowners only.

Customers who bundle auto and home insurance policies may save up to 23% on both policies together (as of August 2023). Discounts may vary by state, property, policy form and company underwriting the auto and/or home policy. Discounts may not apply to all coverages on an auto or home policy.

This article is for informational purposes only and includes information widely available through different sources.

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    Windshield Repair & Replacement Insurance Coverage

    Rocks and gravel, damage from weather and even temperature changes are all common causes of a cracked, broken or chipped windshield. It might surprise you that repairing a cracked windshield is actually a pretty simple fix — as long as you take care of it right away. Because what may seem like a small, insignificant crack at first could turn into a bigger, more expensive problem if left unrepaired.

    We know the question you want answers to: Will my insurance cover windshield repair and replacement? The short answer is yes, with some minor stipulations. We’ve highlighted some key information about windshield repair and replacement to help you understand how your insurance helps cover these small but impactful damages.

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    Do I need a repair or a replacement?

    Did you know that a small chip or crack reduces the strength of a windshield by up to 70%?* And eventually those small cracks spread into larger cracks that just might require a full replacement (which means more money out of your pocket). Getting your chip or crack repaired right away helps preserve the structural integrity of the windshield, which is a critical safety feature of your vehicle, and almost always prevents damage from spreading into a more costly replacement.

    To determine if your windshield needs a simple repair or a full-on replacement, you’ll need to identify what kind of damage exists. For example, if you have a small break, like a half-moon, bullseye, star or combination, you’ll typically be able to get a quick repair — which usually only takes about 30 minutes to fix.

    Here’s a list of common types of cracks:

    Chip or ding. Usually, small chips or dings are caused by a rock or other hard object hitting the windshield and taking out a small chunk of glass. Though small and usually not impeding your line of sight, a chip or ding could eventually spread and require a full windshield replacement. So, take the time to get it repaired right away!

    Bullseye. A bullseye crack looks just like its name — and it’s usually one of the most common types of windshield damage. The good news is it’s one of the most repairable kinds of cracks.

    Stress crack. A stress crack occurs when your windshield is exposed to extreme variations in temperature in a short amount of time. For instance things like extreme or swift temperature changes like cranking up the A/C or heat can cause a chip to expand into a larger crack, or if you put hot water on your ice-covered windshield, a stress crack may form.

    Edge and floater crack. An edge crack is formed near the edge of your windshield, whereas a floater crack is near the center of the windshield. These kinds of cracks usually cover a large area of your windshield and will need a full replacement. Over time, all the bumps and other impacts that occur during driving can cause the edge or floater crack to worsen.

    Insurance adjuster taking images of windshield damages.

    Does my insurance cover windshield replacement or repair?

    Insurance coverage for windshield replacement or repair depends on what type of coverage you have and the extent of the damage.

    If your windshield is damaged in a car accident, your collision insurance would cover repairs or replacement, but you’ll be required to pay a deductible, which is the amount you pay before your insurance company steps in.

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    No Deductible Windshield Replacement

    Do you have comprehensive insurance? At American Family Insurance, if your windshield is repaired instead of replaced for a covered comprehensive loss, the deductible is usually waived. Keep in mind that if the windshield needs to be replaced, you’ll still be covered, but a deductible may be applied.

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    How to File a Claim to Replace or Repair Your Windshield

    American Family Insurance offers a glass repair program with our trusted partner, Safelite. With them, we’ll work quickly to get your windshield repaired or replaced so you can get back to more important things.

    Make sure you file a claim before you take your vehicle in for repairs because your agent can help you determine how you’re covered. Remember, a repair usually won’t cost you anything, but a replacement will often require a deductible.

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    File Your Windshield Claim with the MyAmFam App

    File, track, and monitor the status of your claim from your phone with the MyAmFam app.

    Get in touch with our Glass Claims Department at 1-800-MYAMFAM (1-800-692-6326) or conveniently submit a claim online to Safelite.

    Have the following information on hand when submitting your claim to make sure the process goes as quickly and smoothly as possible:

    • Policy number
    • Details about the damage
    • Make, model and year of your vehicle
    • VIN

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    Does a windshield claim increase insurance?

    If you file a windshield claim, your insurance company typically won’t apply a surcharge, which is the rise in your insurance premium. However, if you do frequently file auto repair claims, your company could consider you a high-risk driver, which would cause a hike in your premium.

    Don’t forget to weigh your options when deciding to file a claim. Are you required to pay a deductible? Is the deductible going to cost more than your repairs? If so, maybe consider paying out of pocket for the repairs and avoid adding a claim to your car insurance history.

    At American Family Insurance, we want to make sure you’re confident and know all the ways you’re covered. Your agent is always happy to answer any questions you have about how you’re protected — in the meantime, check out more about our claims process so you know just what to do to keep moving forward when dealing with the unexpected.

    * Source: Belron® Technical, the world's leading vehicle glass research & development organization.

  • Judge sitting at desk with another person.
    Judge sitting at desk with another person.
    Personal Offense Coverage for Homeowners

    You probably have insurance to protect your home, car and health from the unexpected, but have you ever thought about putting protection in place in case you ever face a lawsuit for things like libel and slander? That’s where personal offense coverage comes into play. It’s a lesser known but important coverage available to add to your home insurance policy. Not sure what this coverage means? We’re here to help.

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    What is a personal injury endorsement?*

    Your home insurance financially protects you from many unexpected incidents, whether you’re at your home or away from it. But personal offense coverage doesn’t fall under the realm of protection provided by your standard homeowners policy. Insurance for personal offense is actually an additional coverage you can purchase on your homeowners insurance that’ll help protect you against personal offense allegations.

    A personal injury certainly sounds like an injury that happens to you or even to another person — in fact, this type of insurance can often be confused with bodily injury or personal liability insurance. But, while bodily injury or personal liability insurance covers things like medical bills and legal fees if a guest is injured on your property, personal offense coverage covers something much different.

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    • Libel and/or slander
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    Do you need to add a personal injury endorsement to your home insurance policy?

    In today’s world, social media is more prevalent than ever. With the touch of a button, you (or your kids) can tweet, blog or post just about anything for just about anyone to view — which is why personal offense insurance is so important. Consider what would happen if someone sued you for a slanderous tweet you posted about them. Without personal offense coverage, defense costs and potential settlement fees will come right out of your own pocket.

    Or let’s say you rent out your basement apartment to a tenant, and you entered into the apartment without their knowledge. Harmless as this may seem, your tenant sues you for wrongful entry. Having personal offense protection can help cover resulting legal fees.*

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    What doesn’t personal offense insurance cover?*

    Though personal offense coverage can help you in instances where you’re in trouble for libel or slander, it doesn’t mean you should go ahead and say or write defamatory statements. Just as your other home insurance coverages have limitations, a personal injury endorsement also has exclusions and limitations on what it’ll cover. For instance, if you knew what you were doing was wrong or what you did was illegal, you likely wouldn’t be covered.

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    What does personal offense insurance cost?

    Adding a personal injury endorsement to your homeowners insurance policy is rather affordable — typically adding only a few dollars a year to your premium. Personal offense coverage is an inexpensive option that’ll pay off if you or a family member face a lawsuit.

    Contact your American Family Insurance agent to learn more about adding personal injury insurance to your homeowners insurance policy. Want an easy way to access your insurance information? Log in or sign up for My Account, where you can view your insurance info, file a claim, pay your bills and much more. Even better? You can do it all from the MyAmFam app. Download it today.


      


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    What Is Homeowners Liability Insurance?

    Accidents happen, and as a homeowner, you, your children or your pets can be held responsible for injuries to people in or outside your home or damage to other people’s property. The good news is your policy can give you financial protection against covered liability claims.

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    What Personal Liability Insurance Covers*

    Your homeowners insurance provides both property and liability protection. Property insurance protects the structure of your home (dwelling coverage) and your belongings (personal property coverage). And personal liability coverage protects you if you’re legally responsible for damage to someone’s property, or if you accidentally injure someone whether you’re at home or away from it.

    How exactly does personal liability insurance protect you? Let’s break it down.

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    Injury on Your Property

    If someone is injured on your property, your personal liability insurance helps pay for their medical bills and other potential costs. For example, if the injury resulted from your neglect — like failing to repair a broken banister — you may even be sued. And if you’re found liable, liability coverage within your homeowners policy may help protect your finances if legal expenses result.

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    Negligent Acts of Children and Others

    Let’s say your children are kicking a soccer ball in the yard and they accidentally kick it through your neighbor’s window. Fortunately, even though it wasn’t your own home that was damaged, if accidental damage occurs to someone else’s property by a member of your household, the liability portion of your homeowners insurance helps provide protection against associated costs from the accident.

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    Dog Bites

    Whether out walking Fido or playing in your yard, the liability portion of your homeowners insurance policy will typically help provide protection if your dog bites a person or another animal. Keep in mind, not all dogs will meet the criteria to be included under your policy. Connect with your agent to check if your dog is eligible and learn more about the limits of the liability coverage. Here’s a closer look at homeowners insurance and dogs.

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    What Personal Liability Insurance Doesn’t Cover

    Though it’s important to know the many ways in which personal liability insurance protects you, it’s also important to understand what it doesn’t cover.

    This coverage is designed to protect you if you accidentally injure or damage the property of a guest, neighbor or anyone who isn’t a member of your household. And it’s not an alternative or supplement to your health insurance. For instance, if you or a family member are injured in your home, your personal liability coverage won’t cover resulting medical bills — that’s what your health insurance is for.

    Also, if you or a family member intentionally cause harm to someone, you won’t be able to depend on your personal liability coverage for financial protection.

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    Home Insurance Liability Coverage Amounts*

    Like any coverage, your personal liability coverage offers protection up to your policy limit, which is the capped amount your insurance company pays in the event of a claim. You’ll choose your coverage limit when creating your policy, and any expense that extends beyond your limit will come out of your pocket. The good news is you can increase your coverage.

    For extra protection and added peace of mind, umbrella insurance provides an additional layer of liability coverage above your policy limit, so you won’t have to dig into your own savings in the event of a substantial claim.

    For example, we mentioned that personal liability coverage helps cover you if your dog injures someone — which is an important protection to have in place. But a dog bite claim can often surpass your personal liability coverage limit. Having umbrella insurance provides an additional layer of protection should a claim exceed the liability limits you selected within your homeowners policy and helps protect your assets.

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    Remember, costs can vary depending on the amount of coverage you’re looking for. That’s why your best bet is to connect with your American Family agent to discuss policy amounts and limits — they’ll help customize your policy to ensure you have the right limits for your unique needs.

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    Why Did My Homeowners Insurance Go Up?

    A lot of thought went into the purchase of your home. Its amenities, location, and overall design played an important role when you made the decision to place an offer on the house. Many of those same traits and features are referenced when an insurance company puts together a homeowners quote. And there are other key factors that they use to determine the cost of your premium.

    If you’re wondering “why did my homeowners insurance go up?” you’re not alone. It can be surprising to learn that your rates have increased. It may be because your property’s becoming more valuable than it was a year ago. Or maybe you invested in an addition, boosting your home’s worth. Or did you file a claim on your home sometime last year? There’s a lot to learn — when homeonwers insurance increases every year, it’s important to understand why.