When your homeowners policy arrives, the first page—sometimes called the dec page—summarizes the entire contract in a concise format. It lists your coverage amounts, deductibles, premium, and policy dates in one place. Yet most homeowners file it away without a second look. Taking fifteen minutes to read it carefully can reveal errors, gaps, and surprises that are far easier to fix before a loss than after.
The declarations page lists several distinct coverage categories, each with its own limit. Dwelling coverage (Coverage A) is the amount your insurer will pay to rebuild your home's structure. This figure should reflect the estimated replacement cost of the structure itself—not the market value or purchase price. Personal property (Coverage C) covers your belongings inside the home. Loss of use (Coverage D) pays for temporary housing if your home becomes uninhabitable after a covered loss. Review each limit to confirm it reflects your actual situation, because the numbers on this page are the numbers that govern your claim.
Many homeowners assume they have one deductible. The declarations page often tells a different story. Standard all-peril deductibles typically appear as a flat dollar amount, but wind, hail, or hurricane deductibles are frequently listed separately—and are often expressed as a percentage of the dwelling coverage amount rather than a fixed dollar figure. A 2% hurricane deductible on a $400,000 dwelling limit means you absorb the first $8,000 of storm damage out of pocket. Knowing your deductibles before a storm is the only way to plan for that exposure.
Check who is listed as the named insured. If you co-own the home, all owners should typically be named. If you have a mortgage, your lender will appear as a loss payee or additional interest—that is standard. More importantly, look for any listed endorsements, which are additions or modifications to the base policy. Common endorsements include scheduled personal property, water backup coverage, or inflation guard. If an endorsement you requested does not appear on the declarations page, it is not part of your policy regardless of what you were told at sale.
Confirm the policy effective date and expiration date are correct. Verify your address is spelled accurately—errors here have caused claim disputes. Note the insurer's name and the policy number, both of which you will need immediately if you ever call to file a claim. If your premium is broken into installments, the declarations page often reflects the total annual amount, so confirm that figure matches what you are actually being charged.
A declarations page that looks complete on the surface can still contain limits that are too low, missing endorsements, or deductibles you were never told about. A Truscott coverage review goes through your dec page line by line, compares your coverage amounts against current replacement cost estimates, and flags anything that warrants a change. Reach out before your next renewal and make sure what is on paper actually matches the protection you expect.
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