Home › Other coverage

Earthquake Insurance

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 14, 2026

Your homeowners or FAIR Plan policy doesn't cover earthquake

The California Department of Insurance (CDI) says it plainly: "Homeowners, renters, and condominium insurance policies do not cover damage from natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods, and landslides." The main exception is fire. "California law says that both homeowners and renters insurance must cover fire damage that is caused by or follows an earthquake," so fire damage is covered "whether or not you have earthquake insurance." CDI adds that some homeowners policies may cover "explosion, theft, or breaking glass caused by an earthquake," so read your policy and report any damage rather than assuming it isn't covered.

The California FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, sells a Dwelling Fire policy that "is a named peril policy, which provides coverage only for damage caused by the specific causes of loss listed in the policy": fire and lightning, internal explosion and smoke. Earthquake is not on that list. The FAIR Plan itself suggests "Difference in Conditions, Flood, or Earthquake policies to supplement your California FAIR Plan policy."

Insurance departments in other earthquake-prone states also treat earthquake as separate coverage; see the section on other high-risk states below. For flood (including tsunami flooding), see our sister site FloodHawk. [1][2]

California law: your insurer must offer earthquake coverage

California law "requires insurance companies to offer earthquake insurance in conjunction with a residential property insurance policy" (Insurance Code section 10083, which carries out the offer required by section 10081). How it works:

• In writing, with numbers. The offer must show the dwelling limit, deductible, contents limit, additional living expense limit and estimated annual premium (section 10083). CDI: "The offer must be in writing."
• 30 days to accept. "If you do not accept the offer of earthquake insurance below within 30 days of the mailing of this notice, your insurance company shall presume that you have not accepted this offer" (section 10083). With a CEA insurer, the notice adds that you "may apply for earthquake coverage at a later date."
• Every other year. If you turn it down, the insurer must offer earthquake coverage again "on an every other year basis" (section 10083(b)).
• Even if your house isn't up to code. CDI: "Your insurance company must offer you earthquake insurance even if your property does not meet current Building Code and Health and Safety Code rules about bolting foundations and anchoring water heaters," though you "may be charged a higher premium and/or deductible."
• Minimum coverage. The offer must include dwelling, contents and at least $1,500 of additional living expenses, and the dwelling and contents coverage "shall not contain a deductible of more than 15 percent of coverage provided for the dwelling" (section 10089). Insurers may offer other options too, as long as one meets these rules.

Buying it is your choice. CDI: "If you have a mortgage, you must have homeowners insurance. But you do not have to buy earthquake insurance." You can cancel earthquake coverage "at any time" (section 10086). For more on California's market, see our California page. [1][11][12][13][14]

The California Earthquake Authority (CEA): how to buy

CDI says the CEA "provides most earthquake insurance in California." You can't buy from the CEA directly. "CEA does not offer stand-alone policies. This means that both the residential property policy (homeowners, condo, mobilehome or renters) and the CEA earthquake policy must be issued by the CEA partner insurance company." In CEA's words, "Only Californians whose home is insured by those companies are eligible to purchase a CEA earthquake policy."

1. Check whether your home insurer is a CEA partner. The CEA's list of participating insurers had 20 entries when we checked on Oct. 14, 2026, with phone numbers for service, billing and claims. We don't rank or recommend any of them.
2. Get an estimate. Use the CEA's Premium Calculator or ask your insurer or agent. CEA premiums depend on "your home's age, foundation type, construction type, roof type, and earthquake-risk location data such as proximity to a fault and soil type." By law, CEA rates must be "based on the best available scientific information" and approved by the Insurance Commissioner before use (section 10089.40).
3. Buy through that insurer. "You can purchase a CEA policy any time before an earthquake strikes – you don't have to wait until your residential property policy renews." The partner company sells the policy, bills you, and handles claims.

[1][4][5][6][15]

If you're on the California FAIR Plan

The FAIR Plan is a CEA participating insurer. It says it "offers earthquake coverage through the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) as a separate policy for customers with a California FAIR Plan Dwelling Fire policy." CEA coverage through the FAIR Plan is available for 1-4 unit dwellings, condominiums, renters, and mobile and manufactured homes.

Two limits: "A stand-alone earthquake policy written by the California FAIR Plan is not available. You must have an in-force California FAIR Plan policy to qualify for CEA coverage through the California FAIR Plan."

If you also have a difference in conditions (DIC) policy from another company, note that a CEA policy has to come from the same company that issues your residential property policy, and the FAIR Plan sells CEA coverage to its own Dwelling Fire customers. Whether a particular DIC policy includes or offers earthquake coverage depends on that policy, so ask your broker. The FAIR Plan's CEA service number is (800) 339-4099, as listed by the CEA. [2][3][4][6]

What a CEA homeowners policy covers

CDI says the purpose of earthquake insurance "is to help put a roof back over your head. It does not replace everything you lost." The CEA calls its homeowners policy "catastrophe insurance, meant to cover the most important things you own." You choose between a Standard Homeowners policy, with "all of your coverages together under one deductible," and Homeowners Choice, with separate dwelling and personal property deductibles and the option to buy dwelling coverage alone.

CDI notes CEA policies do not cover "landscaping, pools, fences, masonry, or separate buildings." Common earthquake exclusions CDI lists: fire (your homeowners policy covers it), land, vehicles, and "water damage from outside your home, such as sewer or drain back-up, flood, or tsunami." The CEA says "Exclusions and special limits apply"; read the policy form and declarations page. [1][5][8]

Percentage deductibles: what 15% really means

CEA dwelling deductibles are "5%, 10%, 15%, 20%, or 25% of Coverage A & B limit." The percentage is of your coverage limit, not of the damage. For a house insured for $500,000, a 15% deductible is $75,000 and a 25% deductible is $125,000. If the damage is smaller than the deductible, you may get nothing; California's required offer notice warns, "If your covered loss is less than the applicable deductible, you may not receive any payment."

Not every home can pick 5% or 10%. Those options "are not available for homes with Coverage A dwelling limit greater than $1,000,000, or dwellings with frame construction built before 1980 that are not on a slab foundation and do not have a verified retrofit." For those homes, CDI says, "the lowest available deductible will be 15% (State law only requires that insurers offer a 15% deductible)."

Hurricane deductibles on the coast work the same way; our hurricane deductible guide walks through the math. [1][8][12]

Retrofit discounts and Brace + Bolt grants

CEA discount. "If you're a homeowner, you may be eligible to receive up to a 25% discount on your CEA earthquake insurance premium if your house meets select criteria and has been seismically retrofitted." To qualify the house must be a 1-4 unit dwelling, "built before 1980," wood framed, on a raised or "other" (non-slab) foundation, with the water heater "properly secured to the building frame."

To get it, a contractor or structural engineer fills out the CEA's Dwelling Retrofit Verification form, or you give a valid Brace + Bolt verification number, and you submit it to your insurer. Mobilehomes with a certified earthquake-resistant bracing system or approved foundation may get a 21% discount. State law sets a floor: a retrofitted home qualifying under the statute "shall enjoy a premium discount or credit of 5 percent" on a CEA policy, and the CEA board may approve more (section 10089.40).

Earthquake Brace + Bolt (EBB) grants. Run by the California Residential Mitigation Program (CRMP), EBB "offers up to $3,000 for homeowners to seismically retrofit their houses." Income-eligible homeowners can apply for an extra grant of up to $7,000 (household income of $94,480 or less). EBB is "only done on wood-framed, pre-1980 homes with a raised foundation" in eligible high-hazard ZIP codes. CRMP puts a typical contractor retrofit at "between $3,000 and $7,000."

Status as of Oct. 14, 2026: closed. The EBB registration page said, "The EBB Program is currently closed." Registration "is typically offered annually or as funding is available," and accepted homeowners are chosen at random. The last EBB registration in CRMP's press releases ran Aug. 20 to Oct. 17, 2025. Do not get a permit or start work first: work begun "before being accepted into one of the programs" can't get a grant. Sign up for alerts at crmp.org or call (877) 232-4300. [7][9][10][15][16][17]

Private and surplus lines earthquake policies

CEA isn't the only option. CDI describes "Stand-alone or Monoline Policies": "These are not CEA policies. A few companies offer these policies. They are policies that you can buy without buying homeowners insurance from the same company." The CEA keeps a short page of other earthquake insurance providers and says it "is not an exhaustive list" and not an endorsement.

Before you buy a stand-alone policy, ask whether the insurer is admitted (licensed in your state) or a surplus lines (non-admitted) insurer. Our surplus lines guide explains the difference and how to check an insurer. [1][18]

Other high-risk states

Insurance departments in other earthquake-prone states describe earthquake coverage as an add-on (endorsement) to a home policy or a separate policy:

• Washington: The Office of the Insurance Commissioner says earthquake coverage is something "you add to your homeowner or renter insurance or buy separately," and that "Its deductibles are usually 10%-25% of the maximum amount your insurance will pay for your building." Some insurers may require "Bolting your home to its foundation." Help: 800-562-6900.
• Oregon: The Division of Financial Regulation says "Most homeowner, mobile home, condominium, and renter insurance policies do not cover earthquake damage" and "Most insurers in Oregon sell coverage with 10 percent or 15 percent deductibles." It warns insurers "place a moratorium on selling earthquake coverage for a period of time after any significant seismic event." Hotline: 888-877-4894.
• Missouri (New Madrid): The Department of Commerce and Insurance (Feb. 17, 2026) says standard policies "do not cover earthquake damage." In its latest survey, the share of insurers reporting they write new earthquake policies in Missouri rose "from 32% in 2024 to 37% in 2025," while in the seven-county New Madrid region the share of homes with earthquake insurance "declined from 18.3% in 2015 to 10.4% in 2024."
• Tennessee: The Department of Commerce & Insurance says "traditional homeowners and business insurance policies do not cover earthquake damage" and the deductible "is usually 10% to 20% of the coverage limit."
• Alaska: The Division of Insurance says "Most residential property insurance policies do not cover damage resulting from earthquakes" and the deductible "may be 10 to 20 percent of the coverage limit."
• Utah: The Insurance Department lists earthquake among perils "typical not covered on a homeowners policy," available "by endorsement, or by individual policies."

For your state's last-resort property options, see its state page or our FAIR plan guide. [19][20][21][22][23][24]

Questions people ask