What’s an Act of God in Homeowners Insurance?

When you hear the term “act of God” or “act of God clause“ mentioned in the context of homeowners insurance, it typically refers to events that can damage or destroy a home. These circumstances include natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes. But homeowners insurance typically excludes floods and earthquakes, which are also acts of God. Other major natural disasters may be included in act of God coverage, so it’s important to check with your insurer.

Keep reading to learn more about what constitutes an act of God and how to make sure you have the appropriate coverage for your home.

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What’s an act of God?

An act of God isn’t an insurance term you’ll come across in your homeowners policy. The term is frequently used to describe damaging events that lead to insurance claims. But these events can’t be human-made acts, such as vandalism or theft.

An act of God is usually a sudden and unexpected natural disaster. Unfortunately, some natural events, such as floods and earthquakes, typically aren’t covered.^[1]

Examples of acts of God

Hurricanes, hail, and tornadoes are good examples of acts of God. Fire can also be considered an act of God if caused by a lightning strike. But if you accidentally start a fire while cooking, that would be considered a human-made act and wouldn’t be covered.

Difference between force majeure and an act of God

You may hear the terms “force majeure” and “act of God” used interchangeably, but they’re different. “Act of God” encompasses only nature-related events, while a force majeure clause includes events affected by human intervention. This can include viral outbreaks, government lockdowns, war, and more similar events.

Acts of God homeowners insurance will cover

These acts of God are commonly covered perils:

• Hurricane

• Tornado

• Lightning

• Wildfire

• Hail

• Volcano

• Freezing

• Snowstorm

These perils won’t be referred to as acts of God in your homeowners insurance policy, but understanding which perils your insurance policy covers will show you what supplemental coverages may be necessary to reach your coverage goals.

Acts of God homeowners insurance won’t cover

Even though natural disasters aren’t the homeowner’s fault, standard homeowners policies don’t cover some acts of God, including:

• 

  Earthquakes

  Generally, you have to purchase a rider for earthquake coverage.

• 

  Sinkholes

  You can look into purchasing a rider if you worry your home is at risk of sinkhole damage.

• 

  Flooding

  Homeowners insurance policies typically don’t cover flooding. You’ll have to purchase coverage through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or through a private insurer that offers it.

Policy types that cover acts of God

It’s possible to buy additional coverage for acts of God not covered in a standard homeowners policy:

• Earthquake insurance: Because standard homeowners insurance policies don’t cover earthquake damage, you need to purchase either a separate earthquake policy or an endorsement in addition to your standard homeowners insurance policy. You can buy this coverage through private insurance companies.^[2]

• Sinkhole insurance: Sinkhole damage can be very expensive to repair, and, as a result, insurance companies rarely include this act of God in their standard policies. Some states require insurance companies to offer additional sinkhole coverage that can be added to a base policy. In either event, your insurer will usually inspect your home before issuing sinkhole coverage.^[3]

• Flood insurance: Flood damage is another very expensive act of God and is the most common natural disaster that affects U.S. homeowners. The NFIP backs coverage for floods, making it a great place to start your coverage search.^[4]

How to file a home insurance claim for an act of God

If you need to file a claim due to an act of God, you generally need to take the following steps:

1. Call the insurance company. Start by calling the insurance company that issued the policy that covers the event. This may be your main homeowners insurance company or the company that issued the policy for perils not covered by your main policy, such as flood insurance.

2. Complete claim forms. Your insurer will walk you through what it needs with regard to paperwork.

3. Meet with an insurance inspector. After you finish all the necessary claim forms, an insurance adjuster will likely stop by your home to inspect any damage.

4. Create a list of damages. Take detailed notes on any structures of the home or belongings in the home that are damaged and require repair or replacement.

5. Hold onto receipts. If you need to make temporary repairs before the insurance company reimburses you, or you need to stay in a hotel while you wait for repairs to be finished, save your receipts to make reimbursement easier afterward.

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