Home Home insurance Disasters Earthquake insurance: What it covers, what it costs, and whether you need it Earthquake insurance: What it covers, what it costs, and whether you need it Earthquake insurance pays to repair your home and replace your belongings after earth movement damages them — coverage your standard homeowners policy leaves out. With nearly 75% of the U.S. at some risk, it's worth weighing well beyond California. View Carriers Please enter valid zip Compare top carriers in your area Written by Alisha AmbreAlisha AmbreAlisha Ambre holds a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English Literature and Media Studies. She focuses on crafting clear, engaging content that makes complex information feel practical and approachable for everyday readers. When she’s not writing, she’s likely on the volleyball court or immersed in a good video game.VIEW FULL PROFILE | Reviewed by Nupur GambhirNupur GambhirEditor-in-ChiefNupur Gambhir is the editor-in-chief of Insure.com and a licensed life, health and disability insurance agent in New York with seven years of experience covering insurance. Her expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Balance, The Financial Gym and MSN. She holds a BA in Economics from The Ohio State University.VIEW FULL PROFILESee moreSee less | Updated onJune 23, 2026 Why you can trust Insure.com Quality Verified At Insure.com, we are committed to providing the timely, accurate and expert information consumers need to make smart insurance decisions. All our content is written and reviewed by industry professionals and insurance experts. Our team carefully vets our rate data to ensure we only provide reliable and up-to-date insurance pricing. We follow the highest editorial standards. Our content is based solely on objective research and data gathering. We maintain strict editorial independence to ensure unbiased coverage of the insurance industry. Earthquake insurance covers damage to your house and personal property caused by land movement, including temporary living costs if your home becomes unlivable. Standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover any of it. And while most people picture earthquakes as a California problem, they can happen almost anywhere — the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates nearly 75% of the country is at risk for a damaging quake, with the highest risk along the West Coast and in the New Madrid Seismic Zone spanning Missouri and parts of Arkansas, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Illinois. You can buy earthquake coverage two ways: as an endorsement added to your existing home insurance, or as a standalone policy. How to financially protect yourself from earthquake damage Assume you’re not covered. Earth movement is excluded from standard home policies, so unless you’ve specifically added earthquake coverage, you have none. Check your risk. Look up your area on FEMA’s hazard map and the USGS guidance to see whether you’re in a low-, moderate-, or high-risk zone. Get a quote both ways. Price it as an endorsement on your current home policy and as a standalone policy, since cost and coverage can differ. Know your rebuild number first. Figure out what it would cost to rebuild your home and replace your belongings today, so you buy enough coverage rather than guessing. Does homeowners insurance cover earthquakes? Standard homeowners insurance does not cover earthquake damage, or any other form of earth movement. That exclusion is built into nearly every standard policy, which is why earthquake coverage must be added on or purchased separately. If a quake damages your home and you don’t have it, you’d pay for repairs out of pocket. A single earthquake can damage thousands of homes in the same area at once, making losses harder for insurers to spread as they do with isolated events like a house fire. That concentrated risk is why earthquake coverage is priced and sold separately — and why the deductibles tend to be higher than what you’d see on a standard policy. Key Takeaways Standard homeowners insurance excludes earthquakes and all earth movement, so you need a separate policy or endorsement. Most of the country is exposed. The USGS estimates nearly 75% of the U.S. is at risk for a damaging earthquake. Coverage has three core parts: your home (dwelling), your belongings (personal property), and the cost of living elsewhere while you rebuild. Deductibles are percentage-based, typically 2% to 20% of your dwelling limit — which can mean tens of thousands out of pocket. What does earthquake insurance cover? Earthquake insurance covers damage to your home and belongings caused by earth movement — earthquakes, landslides, mudslides, and other sudden shifts in the ground. It also helps with living expenses if the damage forces you out of your home. What it doesn’t cover are losses that other policies are built to handle. CoveredNot coveredDamage to your home’s structureFire or flooding triggered by an earthquakePersonal belongings damaged by earth movementDamage to your vehicleTemporary living expenses if your home is unlivableFlood damage from a burst pipe Powered by: Double check your coverage If an earthquake sparks a fire or causes a burst pipe to flood your home, your standard homeowners policy responds to that damage — not your earthquake policy. And if a quake damages your car, that’s a claim for the comprehensive coverage on your auto policy. Always read your policy for the specifics of what’s included. What does an earthquake insurance policy include? An earthquake policy is built from the same core pieces as home insurance. It covers your house, your belongings, and the cost of living elsewhere while you rebuild. Here’s what each part does. Dwelling coverage. Pays to repair or rebuild your home itself. It typically doesn’t extend to landscaping, pools, fences, masonry, or detached structures. Personal property coverage. Covers what’s inside your home — furniture, appliances, electronics — usually up to a set limit. Additional living expenses coverage. Reimburses you for the cost of living elsewhere while your home is repaired or rebuilt. Coverage details vary by where you buy, so it’s worth going through the specifics with an agent before you commit. What to read next Does homeowners insurance cover a total loss to your house? How to prevent tornado damage The 10 costliest wildfires How to prepare for a hurricane Wildfires and homeowners insurance: What you need to know Hurricanes and home insurance: How hurricane insurance works Why you should hire a public adjuster after a disaster Is earthquake insurance worth it? How climate change is increasing your insurance rates 5 things you should know about FEMA's Individual Assistance Program Show more Do I need earthquake insurance? Whether you need earthquake insurance comes down to your local risk, and that risk reaches far more of the country than most people expect. The USGS estimates nearly 75% of the U.S. could experience damaging earthquake shaking, so “I don’t live in California” isn’t a safe reason to skip it. The reliable way to decide is to look up your own area rather than guess — and that takes only a few minutes. Start with the USGS earthquake hazards maps to see the hazard level for your region, then check FEMA’s earthquake risk resources for what that level means for a home like yours. If you live in California, the state’s EQ Zapp tool lets you type in your address and see whether your property sits in a designated earthquake hazard zone. Beyond the maps, the USGS points to several factors worth weighing. How close you are to active fault lines Your region’s earthquake history and how long it’s been since the last one How your home is built — foundation, materials, and earthquake-resistant design Local ground conditions like soil type, slope, and fill material Translate the map into a decision Once you know whether you’re in a low-, moderate-, or high-risk zone, weigh the cost of coverage against the cost of rebuilding on your own. The higher your zone, the harder it is to justify going without. How much earthquake insurance should I buy? Buy enough to rebuild your home and replace your belongings at today’s prices — a figure called your replacement cost, not your home’s market value. That means setting a realistic limit on each of the policy’s three parts. Dwelling. Enough to rebuild your home from the ground up, which is often more than people expect once current labor and material costs are counted. Personal property. Enough to replace what’s inside. Because policies cap contents and may sub-limit certain categories, a quick home inventory keeps you from guessing. Additional living expenses. Enough to cover months of living elsewhere, since major repairs take time. Revisit these limits as building costs rise or after a renovation, and confirm the numbers with an agent, since coverage varies by where you buy. Replacement cost doesn’t equal market value Market value is what your home would sell for, land included. Replacement cost is what it would take to rebuild and re-buy your belongings now. Insuring to market value can leave you short when you rebuild — especially after a major quake, when demand for contractors and materials drives prices up. How does an earthquake insurance deductible work? Earthquake insurance usually carries a percentage-based deductible rather than a flat dollar amount, typically ranging from 2% to 20% of your dwelling coverage limit. You pay that amount before your coverage pays anything. In California, where most policies come through the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), the range runs higher — 5% to 25% of your dwelling coverage, in 5% increments, according to the Insurance Information Institute. The percentage structure matters because the numbers get large fast. On a home with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, the ends of that range look very different. A 2% deductible means you pay $6,000 before coverage begins. A 20% deductible means you pay $60,000 before coverage begins. In California, a CEA deductible of 5% to 25% on that same home would run $15,000 to $75,000. Choose your deductible carefully A 20% deductible on a $300,000 home means $60,000 out of pocket before insurance pays a cent. If a quake hit tomorrow, could you cover that? If not, a lower deductible is worth the higher monthly cost. Insurance is meant to protect you from financial hardship, not create it. How much does earthquake insurance cost? Earthquake insurance typically costs $1 to $15 per $1,000 of coverage, depending on where you live and the type of home you own, according to Triple-I. In high-risk areas like the Pacific Northwest, a brick home can run $3 to $15 per $1,000. In lower-risk areas like New York, it can cost less than $1 per $1,000. Construction makes a real difference too. Wood-frame homes tend to cost less to insure than brick, because they handle the stress of shaking better. Two things drive your price Where you live and construction costs determine how much you pay. You can’t move your house, but knowing that a wood-frame home typically insures for less than masonry helps explain your quote — and can factor into renovation or buying decisions in high-risk areas. Where can I buy earthquake insurance? You can buy earthquake insurance from most private insurers, either as an endorsement added to your existing home policy or as a separate standalone policy. An endorsement is usually the simpler path, since it attaches to your home insurance and leaves you with one insurer and one renewal. A standalone policy makes sense when your home insurer doesn’t offer earthquake coverage, or when a specialist gives you better terms. Either way, compare a few quotes, because premiums, deductibles, and what’s covered vary from one insurer to the next — and the cheapest option isn’t always the best fit once you factor in the deductible. California homeowners can also buy through the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), a privately funded but publicly managed program. Most earthquake insurance in the state is purchased through the CEA, which offers a calculator to estimate your premium. Frequently asked questions Does homeowners insurance cover earthquake damage? Standard homeowners insurance does not cover earthquake damage or any other earth movement. You need a separate earthquake policy or an endorsement added to your home insurance to be covered. What does earthquake insurance cover? Earthquake insurance covers damage to your home’s structure, personal belongings damaged by earth movement, and temporary living expenses if your home is unlivable. It doesn’t cover vehicle damage or fire and flood losses, which other policies handle. Why is the deductible a percentage instead of a dollar amount? Earthquake policies usually set the deductible as 2% to 20% of your dwelling coverage limit, so the amount scales with your home’s value. On a $300,000 dwelling limit, that’s $6,000 to $60,000 out of pocket before coverage pays. Do I need earthquake insurance if I don’t live in California? Possibly. The USGS estimates nearly 75% of the U.S. is at risk for a damaging earthquake, with notable exposure in the New Madrid Seismic Zone across the Midwest and South. Your need depends on your local risk, which FEMA’s hazard map can help you gauge. How much earthquake coverage should I buy? Buy enough to rebuild your home and replace your belongings at today’s prices — your replacement cost — rather than basing it on your home’s market value. Does earthquake insurance cover my car? No. Damage to your vehicle from an earthquake is covered by the comprehensive coverage on your auto insurance, not by an earthquake policy. Sources: California Earthquake Authority (CEA). Earthquake insurance premium calculator. Accessed June 2026. Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I). Background on earthquake insurance and risk. Accessed June 2026. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Earthquake insurance. Accessed June 2026. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). New USGS map shows where damaging earthquakes are most likely to occur in the U.S. Accessed June 2026. Alisha Ambre . .Alisha Ambre holds a Bachelor of Arts with honours in English Literature and Media Studies. She focuses on crafting clear, engaging content that makes complex information feel practical and approachable for everyday readers. When she’s not writing, she’s likely on the volleyball court or immersed in a good video game. In case you missed it What is HO-6 condo insurance and how much does it cost? Average homeowners insurance cost by ZIP code in 2026 What is dwelling coverage and how much do you need? 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