Cripple wall bracing earthquake insurance
Cripple walls are the short wood-stud walls between the concrete foundation and the first floor of a raised-foundation home. During earthquakes, these walls can rack and collapse, dropping the house onto its foundation. Plywood shear panels added to cripple walls resist this movement. This is often the single most effective retrofit for 1920s–1970s homes.
What the Best Earthquake wizard captures
The application documents all the details underwriters look for. Gathering the following before applying produces a stronger submission and faster broker review:
- Cripple wall bracing completion: year, contractor, permit
- Type of sheathing installed: plywood, OSB, or other
- Height and length of cripple walls around the perimeter
- Combined retrofit documentation: bolting + bracing together strengthen submissions
- EBB certificate if bracing was completed through that program
From indication to bindable options
The Best Earthquake Insurance application gives a preliminary annual range anchored to CDI data, then submits a completed Covwell application to Bollinsure for broker review. A licensed California broker reviews your construction, retrofit, and loss details and shops multiple carrier markets to find the best available terms.
The indication is not a bindable quote — final coverage is subject to underwriting, carrier eligibility, and policy terms. But starting with a strong, complete application gives the broker the best possible foundation for market submission.
Ready to submit?
The 5-step application wizard takes approximately 5–8 minutes to complete. It walks through property and applicant details, coverage terms and deductible selection, construction and foundation type, retrofit and loss history, and a review-and-sign step where you can preview the completed PDF before submitting.
Your completed application is reviewed by a licensed broker who follows up — often the same business day — with market options and next steps.