Earthquake insurance for older homes
Pre-1980 raised-foundation homes are among the most at-risk California residential properties for earthquake damage. Cripple wall collapse and foundation sliding are the two primary failure modes. Insurance carriers price this risk explicitly — and documented retrofit can significantly change both eligibility and cost.
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:
- Foundation type (raised, slab, stem wall, post-and-pier, basement)
- Retrofit completion: bolting, cripple walls, year, contractor, permit number
- Masonry chimney: present, reinforced, or removed
- Prior foundation repairs, structural damage, or earth movement claims
- Earthquake Brace + Bolt completion certificate if applicable
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.