Planning a Home Renovation? What to Review With Your Insurance Agent

Before starting a home renovation, tell your insurance agent what will change, when work is expected to happen, what the project is estimated to cost and whether you will continue living in the home. Bring your current policy documents and any available project paperwork so the conversation can focus on your plans and your actual coverage.

The goal is not to decide on your own that the project is covered—or that it requires a different policy. It is to give your agent enough information to identify questions that need policy-specific answers before work begins.

Create a short project brief

Copy the following checklist into a document or email. Use plain descriptions rather than construction terminology you are unsure about, and mark undecided details as tentative.

• Property: Identify the address where work will take place and the policy you want reviewed.
• Scope: Describe the rooms, structures and systems affected. Note whether the work involves an addition, structural changes or opening part of the home to the outdoors.
• Schedule: Record the anticipated start and completion dates, project phases and any expected pauses. Distinguish a proposed schedule from a confirmed schedule.
• Budget: Bring the current estimate or contract amount and identify what it includes. Note allowances, optional work and costs that remain undecided.
• Finished space: Explain how you intend to use the renovated area, including any planned rental or business use.
• Work arrangements: Note who is expected to perform the work and whether you will do any portions yourself.

Keep the project budget separate from any insurance limit you see in your documents. Give your agent the estimate as project information; ask how the proposed improvements should be evaluated rather than assuming the contract amount determines the appropriate coverage.

Describe living arrangements during construction

“We will still own the home” does not explain how it will be occupied while work is underway. Describe what daily life at the property will look like, even if the arrangements are temporary.

• Will everyone remain in the home, will some household members leave, or will the household move out?
• Which rooms will be unusable, and will access to kitchens, bathrooms or entrances change?
• Are interruptions to utilities or periods when the home cannot be secured normally anticipated?
• Will belongings be moved into storage or another location while work is performed?

Note Describe the arrangements rather than deciding whether an insurance term such as “vacant” or “unoccupied” applies. Ask your agent to explain any relevant policy wording. Also ask about planned temporary housing costs instead of assuming they will be reimbursed.

Gather the documents you already have

Have your current declarations page, policy forms and endorsements available. Keep quotes or renewal proposals separate from documents for coverage currently in force. If you cannot locate something, ask your agent for help identifying the current documents.

Useful project materials may include estimates, a scope of work, plans, a proposed contract, a construction schedule and available contractor insurance paperwork. These are discussion aids, not a universal list of insurer requirements. Ask which documents are needed for your particular review and what can be supplied later.

For the separate task of evaluating someone to perform the work, see Hiring a Contractor for Home Updates. Keep contractor selection and your own insurance review as distinct tasks.

Ask for answers tied to your project and policy

Use your project brief to work through these questions with your agent:

• Which policy terms, exclusions or conditions need review because of the planned work or living arrangements?
• What should be confirmed about the existing structure, work in progress, construction materials and belongings moved elsewhere?
• Do the project activities raise liability questions under my current policy?
• Should any policy changes or additional insurance arrangements be considered, and what must happen for any agreed change to take effect?
• What information or notice is needed before work starts, and when should I report changes to the scope, schedule or occupancy?
• How should we review the home’s coverage after the improvements are complete?

If builder’s risk comes up, keep the detailed coverage discussion separate from this preparation checklist. Stanton’s article on homeowners and builder’s risk insurance addresses that topic. Ask your agent to confirm what, if anything, is appropriate for your project rather than treating general information as a coverage determination.

Keep a written follow-up record

After the conversation, keep your project brief with a record of each question, the answer received, any unresolved issue and who will handle the next action. Separate a recommendation or proposed change from coverage that has actually been issued and confirmed.

Ask what completion information to provide, such as final project costs, photographs or updated plans, and whether a follow-up review is needed. If the project changes before completion, use the same record to explain what is different and ask whether the earlier answers still apply.

Stanton Insurance Agency is an independent agency based in Waltham, serving residents and businesses throughout Massachusetts. To start a conversation about your household’s insurance needs, visit Stanton’s personal insurance page and bring your renovation brief to the discussion.