California Condo and Townhome Insurance

Three reasons California condo owners need their own policy

1
Davis-Stirling stops at the common area
California’s Davis-Stirling Common Interest Development Act governs what the association must do, including carrying property and liability insurance for the common area. The interior of your unit, your possessions and your personal liability sit outside that, and an HO-6 is what picks them up.
2
The master policy deductible can land on the owners
When the association claims, somebody pays the deductible, and governing documents frequently push some or all of it to the owners as a special assessment. Loss assessment coverage on your own policy responds to your share. The default limit is usually modest and can generally be raised.
3
Bare walls or all-in changes how much you need
A bare-walls master policy leaves you responsible from the studs inward, original fixtures included. An all-in policy covers the builder’s finishes. Same building, same Davis-Stirling rules, very different HO-6 limit. The master declaration page is the document that answers it.

Wildfire reaches condos too

Attached housing in the wildland-urban interface is scored much the way a single-family home is, and in some foothill developments availability moves with that score. Buildings with recent roof work, ember-resistant vents or a community-level mitigation programme are worth describing on the call, because they can change the answer.

Water damage between units is the common claim

An upstairs supply line or water heater failing is what most California condo claims look like. Whether the repair to the unit below is the association’s, yours or your liability carrier’s turns on the governing documents and the cause. This is why the CC&Rs matter as much as the policy wording.

Renting the unit changes the form

An owner-occupied HO-6 generally does not cover a unit you let out, short-term or long. Many California associations also restrict it independently of insurance. Say how the unit is used before the quote is built rather than after.

Pull these from your association documents

The master policy declaration page — bare walls or all-in
The master policy deductible, and who the CC&Rs say pays it
Number of units and storeys, and whether the building has sprinklers
Roof year, and any wildfire mitigation the association has done
Square footage of your unit and the year built
Whether the unit is owner-occupied, long-term rented or short-term rented

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Frequently asked questions

Can you quote a California condo?

Owner-occupied condos are available in California, with limited appetite that depends on the building. That is why it is a phone call rather than an instant answer — a short conversation settles quickly whether there is a market for yours.

What does Davis-Stirling require my HOA to insure?

In broad terms, the common area property and the association’s own liability. It does not reach into your unit, which is the part an HO-6 covers.

What is loss assessment coverage?

It responds to your share when the association spreads a cost across owners after a loss, including the master policy deductible. Most HO-6 policies carry a small amount by default.

Is a townhome a condo for insurance?

It depends on what you own rather than what it looks like. Own the structure and the land, and it is usually a homeowners policy. Own the interior with an association insuring the building, and it is usually an HO-6.

Three reasons California condo owners need their own policy

Davis-Stirling stops at the common area

The master policy deductible can land on the owners

Bare walls or all-in changes how much you need