Is my phone covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy?

As a new homeowner, I’m curious about what all is covered under my insurance. I have a cellphone that was pretty expensive, and I worry about something happening to it and needing to replace it or it being stolen. Is my phone covered under standard homeowners insurance policies?

Yes. Just like any other type of personal property, homeowners insurance provides coverage for cellphones for the same scenarios it would for everything else. However, if a phone is extremely valuable, you might want to purchase extra coverage to insure it for the full replacement cost. There are also specialized endorsements for electronics that you can buy.

When and how does homeowners insurance cover phones?

A standard homeowners insurance policy provides coverage for cellphones in a few different scenarios. Phones fall under the personal property category of homeowners coverage and are treated the same way as many other things under the policy. We’ll take a closer look at the most common covered scenarios.

Homeowners insurance covers cellphones in the following scenarios:

• Someone breaks into your house and steals your cellphone.
• Someone vandalizes your cellphone.
• Your cellphone is damaged or destroyed by covered water damage.
• Your cellphone is destroyed by a covered natural disaster.

Natural disasters commonly covered by homeowners insurance include:

• Windstorms
• Hail
• Fires
• Blizzards
• Lightning

Natural disasters typically NOT covered by homeowners insurance include:

• Floods
• Earthquakes
• Mudslides

If you’re worried about protecting your phone specifically, be sure to list it under the personal property you want covered on your homeowners insurance property. Also take the time to review your specific policy to get familiar with exactly what’s covered. You can always purchase extra coverage if you feel you don’t have enough.

How much do I have to pay if homeowners insurance doesn’t cover my phone?

After paying your deductible, you’ll be responsible for paying any amount exceeding your homeowners insurance policy’s limit for personal property. It’s important to keep in mind that if someone breaks into your home and steals a bunch of stuff, the values for all that property will add up quickly. If you have a lot of highly valuable items, you might want to increase your coverage or purchase special endorsements.

A standard homeowners policy has a deductible that’s typically 1% of the home’s value—so if your home is worth $300,000, you might have to exceed $3,000 in stolen or damaged personal property before your insurance will start paying. Newer cellphones like iPhones sometimes cost thousands of dollars by themselves.

If homeowners insurance doesn’t cover my phone, what will?

Your phone will be covered up to your homeowners insurance policy’s limit for personal property, but your laptop might easily exceed that, especially if it’s lumped in with a bunch of other property you need to get reimbursed for at once. Even though your standard homeowners policy will cover you, considering specialized endorsements for valuable electronics might be a really good idea. Endorsements can help you get reimbursed for the full replacement cost.