Oregon Homeowners Insurance

Three reasons to look closely at an Oregon home policy

1
You are entitled to know your wildfire score and what moves it
Oregon’s 2023 wildfire insurance law requires carriers to disclose the wildfire risk classification used in rating or non-renewing a home policy, and to say what mitigation credit is available. Carriers now score individual parcels rather than counties, which means two houses on the same street can be rated differently. Ask for the classification in writing, then ask what changes it.
2
The 2020 Labor Day fires taught the state about underinsurance
The Almeda and Santiam fires destroyed thousands of Oregon homes in a single week, and the lesson owners took away was about dwelling limits rather than perils. When a whole neighborhood rebuilds at once, labor and materials cost more than the quote assumed. Extended or guaranteed replacement cost is the endorsement that answers that, and it is worth asking for by name.
3
Ice storms, not wind, are the Willamette Valley peril
Falling trees and limbs under ice weight are a covered cause of loss, and they arrive in clusters — a single storm generates claims across three counties at once. Tree removal has its own sub-limit on most policies, separate from the damage to the house, and it is usually smaller than the cost of getting a large fir off a roof.

Cascadia, landslide and flood all sit outside the policy

Earthquake is excluded and bought separately, which in Oregon means the Cascadia subduction zone is not covered by the policy on your house today. Landslide and earth movement are excluded too, a live question on the coast range slopes and in the Portland west hills. Flood is excluded and comes from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood market. None of these are gaps in a bad policy — they are excluded from every standard policy, which is why they have to be bought on purpose.

Roof age, moss and the actual cash value trap

West of the Cascades, constant damp and moss age a composition roof faster than its warranty suggests. Carriers increasingly either decline an older roof or write it on actual cash value, which pays depreciated worth rather than replacement. A twenty-year-old roof on an ACV schedule can pay a fraction of what a new one costs. Know the year it went on before you call.

Water backup and the finished basement

Sewer and drain backup is normally an endorsement rather than part of the base policy, and it is the coverage that answers when a storm pushes the municipal line back up into a finished basement. In older Portland and Salem neighborhoods with combined sewers this is a more frequent claim than fire. Ask for the endorsement by name and ask what limit it carries.

What the underwriter will ask about your house

Year built, square footage, and the year the roof was last replaced
Heating source, and whether there is a wood stove or pellet stove
Age of the electrical panel, and whether knob-and-tube wiring remains
Plumbing material, and whether polybutylene is still in the walls
Distance to the nearest hydrant and staffed fire station
Defensible space: what is within five feet of the walls, and where firewood is stacked
Trees within falling distance of the roof, and when they were last limbed
Any dog, trampoline, pool or hot tub on the property

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Frequently asked questions

Does Oregon homeowners insurance cover wildfire?

Fire, including wildfire, is a covered peril on a standard policy. What varies is whether a carrier will write your property at all and at what price, which is where the wildfire risk classification and mitigation credits come in.

Does my policy cover earthquake?

No. Earthquake is excluded from a standard Oregon homeowners policy and is bought separately, usually with a percentage deductible rather than a flat one.

What is extended replacement cost and do I need it?

It adds a stated cushion above your dwelling limit so a rebuild can exceed the estimate without coming out of your pocket. After the 2020 fires a lot of Oregon owners concluded the answer was yes.

Can my insurer non-renew me for wildfire risk?

A carrier can non-renew, but Oregon law requires disclosure of the wildfire risk classification used in that decision and of available mitigation credit. Ask for both in writing.

Other Oregon coverage

Oregon auto insurance Oregon condo and townhome insurance Oregon renters insurance ← All personal insurance

Three reasons to look closely at an Oregon home policy

You are entitled to know your wildfire score and what moves it

The 2020 Labor Day fires taught the state about underinsurance

Ice storms, not wind, are the Willamette Valley peril