Multiple
Quick
Quote

Home Insurance in Pembroke

When housing hunting in Pembroke, Ontario, it’s normal to have questions about your possibilities for house insurance in “The Heart of the Ottawa Valley.” Whether you’re hoping for a waterfront home with an Ottawa River view, a historical home in Pembroke’s downtown core, or a more family-friendly home near Kinsmen Park, the choices are endless. But before that, you need to find the best insurance coverage to safeguard what you value most. When you choose BrokerLink, we’ll find you exactly that.

Pembroke home insurance coverage

Although coverage varies between insurance providers, the two main areas that a house insurance plan typically includes are property and liability. The property part of your plan will help with repair costs if an insured peril damages your house or its contents. Your liability portion can help with the cost of defending yourself in court if a third party files a claim or lawsuit stating they were injured or their property was damaged while visiting a house you own or rent.

Any hazards or events that your home insurance may protect your house against are known as insured perils. There are numerous perils that your policy may cover based on the insurance policy you choose. Both you and your house’s neighbourhood will have a significant influence on whatever perils you’ll want to safeguard your home from. The following perils may be covered by your home insurance based on the degree of protection you purchase:

  • Lightning
  • Fire
  • Winter Freeze
  • Hurricane
  • Flood
  • Volcano
  • Hail
  • Tornado
  • Power Outage
  • Earthquake
  • Wildfire

Three categories of home insurance in Pembroke

The top three types of home insurance that insurance providers offer are standard, broad, and comprehensive, with each delivering varying levels of coverage. The specific risks that each category covers or does not cover are what sets the three levels of insurance apart from one another. Nevertheless, the details of what each type might cover can differ between insurance providers, so be mindful to thoroughly analyze each category to help you decide which one offers the best insurance solutions for you:

Standard insurance

Standard house insurance is the most fundamental type of coverage (it's also sometimes called basic home insurance). Although it may differ depending on your insurance company, it frequently protects the house from damage brought on by calamities like hail, fire, lightning, and windstorms. However, standard home insurance might include certain risks based on where your home is located. Please be aware that only the risks that are expressly defined in your insurance contract are covered.

Broad insurance

Broad insurance can provide your home with a more specialized risk management solution while defending it against a variety of threats. Your property will also be protected against risks like vandalism and theft in addition to the risks included in standard insurance. An example of an unforeseen incident that this coverage level also may help with is a water line burst. Like with standard insurance, your broad insurance contract must specifically address all insured hazards.

Comprehensive insurance

If you choose to acquire comprehensive insurance, your house will be protected against a wide variety of risks. With this coverage level, your home is assumed to be insured unless a risk is explicitly excluded within your contract. Comprehensive is a popular option because homeowners can rest easy knowing their livelihood is protected against unforeseen events.

We recommend speaking with a knowledgeable insurance professional to help you sort through the many elements involved in buying home insurance. Speaking with a qualified insurance broker in Pembroke is one of the best methods to learn about each of your coverage options and get help selecting the best coverage for your home.

[phone]

What to expect from your Pembroke home insurance policy

Personal liability, dwelling, and contents coverage are three types that are traditionally included in every Ontario home insurance plan. To assist you in understanding what to anticipate from your Pembroke insurance coverage, our experts at BrokerLink have created descriptions of each available:

Personal liability coverage

With liability insurance, Pembroke homeowners are protected from claims made by guests that they were hurt or their personal property was damaged while visiting your home. This coverage is necessary as should someone be hurt or their property is damaged while on your premises, you, as the owner or renter, can be held liable.

Even without accounting for potential settlement fees, medical expenses, and other associated charges, which all have the potential to swiftly put you in crippling debt, just the cost of covering a lawsuit on your own can be quite significant. This is where just one of the benefits of home insurance comes in. A home insurance policy’s personal liability coverage can help cover these expenses up to your coverage limit, including medical bills and legal fees.

Dwelling coverage

The physical frame of your house is protected by the dwelling coverage included in your insurance policy. It can help you out financially if a specified risk, such as fire, a falling object, wind, or theft, damages the house’s structure (e.g., roof, exterior wall, window).

This coverage just protects the home’s structure. It does not include the home’s belongings or the property where it is located. Dwelling coverage also includes coverage for perils like smoke damage, lightning damage, explosion damage, or car or aircraft collision damage.

Contents coverage

Your personal items, such as furniture, jewellery, electronics, clothing, and more, are covered by your contents insurance. It can pay to replace or repair damaged personal property if it is lost or stolen as a result of an insured peril, such as fire or theft.

There is often both an overall limit and a maximum per item for contents coverage. Imagine you own expensive jewellery, fine art, or other valuable possessions. If so, we advise speaking with your insurance broker about additional coverage to make sure you have sufficient contents coverage. If you just own a couple of high-value goods, you can also consider adding those particular items as floaters or riders on your policy.

Additional coverage options in Pembroke, Ontario

BrokerLink is keenly aware of the possibility that conventional home insurance options may fall short of providing the level of security that individual homeowners need. As such, customers have several alternatives to add to their house insurance plans if they want to increase their coverage, thanks to our collection of add-ons, endorsements, and riders. Among the extra insurance products are business use, sewer backup, and equipment breakdown:

Business use

When utilizing your home for business reasons, such as working from home, you need additional insurance. Whether it is your primary or secondary source of income, business insurance is a must. No matter how little a business you run out of your home may be, it would not be covered by a standard home insurance policy. However, instead of purchasing a completely separate business insurance policy, ask your insurance advisor about including a business use endorsement on your home insurance to help protect your home.

Sewer backup

In the event of a backup, sewage or wastewater may build up and spill out from a drain, sink, or toilet. In the best-case scenario, you have some mopping to do, but worst-case scenario, it causes water damage to the house. The good news is that if you add sewer backup to your policy, it can help you cover any damage-related repairs.

Equipment breakdown

When it comes to a critical piece of equipment, such as a refrigerator or washing machine, having to replace or repair damaged equipment can rapidly get expensive, even resulting in financial hardships. As such, we advise every homeowner to include an endorsement for equipment breakdown in their policy because of this.

What your Pembroke home insurance may not cover

Even insurance policies have limitations, which are always described in the terms of your contract. The same is true of home insurance. As a result, not all potential hazards will be covered by your insurance. You must carefully read the policy restrictions and exclusions listed in your terms and conditions to know what is and isn't included. Moreover, whenever you renew your house insurance coverage, be vigilant about reviewing your exclusions to see if the list has changed.

The following situations, however, are frequently not covered by any type of home insurance coverage:

Home sharing

When you know you’ll be gone for a while, renting out your home may seem like a fantastic opportunity to generate some extra cash. Just be sure to let your insurance company know in advance, even if it’s for a short period of time. Your home is more susceptible to burglary, vandalism, and damages when you rent, and if you fail to notify your insurance provider, they could cancel your insurance coverage.

Negligence

If the homeowner’s negligence was what caused the damage, there is a very good chance that the insurer will deny the insurance claim. For example, when an insurance company inspects your home after submitting a claim and determines that the fire was caused by a candle that was left lit while the homeowner was out, they might deny the claim. Or, if the damage could have been prevented by basic home maintenance, this could result in a denied claim as well. As such, performing regular maintenance and repairs to your home are the easiest ways to safeguard your house and your insurance coverage. Check out our summer maintenance tips to learn more about regular home maintenance:

Vacancy

Whenever a homeowner intends to leave their house for more than 30 days, they must inform their insurance provider. A vacant home often results in increased insurance rates because vacant properties have a significantly higher risk of insurance claims. Also, many insurance providers mandate that homeowners assign someone to inspect their home once every 72 hours. Otherwise, your insurance provider can deny a claim for something that occurred while your house was unoccupied and unattended.

Renovations

Due to the increased risks, home improvements are often not covered by your standard property insurance. Thus, be sure to review your coverage with your insurance advisor before you start remodelling any areas of your home. Don’t forget to let your insurer know when the renovations are finished in case your house needs extra coverage.

How to save on your Pembroke insurance

Every day at BrokerLink, we strive to go beyond your customer’s expectations to make sure they receive dependable insurance solutions at affordable pricing. We also thoroughly research any discounts that you might be able to take advantage of to help you save even more! Read our suggestions below to learn more about how you can reduce your insurance costs in Pembroke, Ontario. These recommendations cover various topics, such as bundling home and auto policies, increasing your policy deductible, adding a home alarm system, and more.

Bundling multiple policies

If you have multiple insurance policies, such as car insurance, condo insurance, business insurance, or vacation home and cottage insurance, ask about bundling them with your home insurance. You might save up to 15% on each coverage by combining these plans (depending on the insurance company).

Increasing your policy deductible

House insurance offers financial assistance to policyholders for a variety of insured hazards, but homeowners are responsible for covering their policy deductible prior to the insurer funding the remainder of the claim. You can choose your deductible amount, which normally falls between $1,000 and $2,000 per year. If your deductible is low, raising it could result in a reduction in your house insurance rates.

Installing a monitored alarm system

If you’re willing to install a monitored home alarm system, you may be eligible for an security system insurance discount. Since most insurance companies maintain a list of specific alarm systems that qualify, get in touch with your insurance broker to discuss this potential discount first.

Reviewing your coverage regularly

Another way to save on your insurance policy is by reviewing it regularly, especially right before your renewal term. You might find that you’re paying for coverage options that you no longer require. Consult with one of our knowledgeable insurance experts if you’re unsure about what coverage choices you could drop from your policy.

Considering the following when house hunting

Insurance premiums for households with permanent pools are frequently higher than for those without. Pools come with serious liability issues, especially if they aren’t fenced in, which makes insurance companies increase their rates. So, choosing a property without a fixed pool will come with lower rates.

Also, if you intend to relocate to a rural location, it is advisable first to determine the location of the nearest firehouse or water supply. The closer they are, the better your chances of lesser house damage in the event of a fire. As such, insurance companies offer discounts to rural homeowners who live close to fire stations or hydrants.

Get advice from a Pembroke BrokerLink insurance broker

Pembroke residents can qualify for a wide range of discounts. For instance, certain discounts may be available to nonsmokers, group members, and even loyal customers. Contact one of BrokerLink’s insurance brokers today to learn more about how you can reduce the cost of your home insurance. If you find yourself needing a broker for home insurance assistance, contact one of BrokerLink’s insurance brokers today.

Finding the best insurance coverage in Pembroke is realistic when collaborating with an insurance broker. The licensed insurance brokers at BrokerLink are solely focused on locating the best insurance coverage for you. Every insurance expert has years of experience and a proven track record of offering top-notch customer service.

[phone]

Is there a difference between home insurance vs. homeowners insurance?

We won’t hold it against you if you find yourself confused by the terms "house insurance" and "homeowners insurance," given how frequently they are used interchangeably. Read our blog to discover the difference between home insurance and homeowners insurance.

Why work with a BrokerLink broker

We are very well aware of the challenges that many homeowners face in locating the best home insurance products available in Pembroke. With the abundance of insurance options being offered, it can quickly become overwhelming. But don’t worry, your local BrokerLink is dedicated to making the experience as effortless as possible!

Our exceptional customer service, insurance knowledge, and unrivalled resources enable us to ensure a worry-free experience for our customers. Here are three reasons why choosing a BrokerLink insurance broker to handle your home insurance needs on your behalf is so beneficial:

Our brokers are independent of insurance companies

Our customers are our first priority. Before providing you with straightforward and trustworthy advice regarding your best home insurance solutions, we assess your unique insurance needs. Instead of focusing solely on one specific type of insurance via one insurance company, our brokers compare estimates from many of the leading insurance providers in Ontario to give you the best coverage at the best price.

Our brokers are there when the unthinkable happens

Our responsibility as insurance brokers is to serve as a bridge between the insurance companies and our customers. We assist with submitting insurance claims, so you can quickly return to everyday life.

Our brokers are home insurance experts

Since 1991, the BrokerLink team has been dedicated to finding insurance policies that meet the needs and budgets of our customers. We are experts in all things Pembroke insurance and can ensure you receive the most competitive rate on your policy.

We’re in your community

Getting involved in the community is a big part of who we are. We live and work in your community. We love meeting our neighbours!

Local Ontario Insurance Links

If you’re a member of a group or association, you may be eligible for more discounts.

Contact us

At Pembroke BrokerLink, we’re here to help you with any insurance needs you may have. Whether it’s insuring your home, car, business, recreational items, or pets, let us help you find the best coverage possible.

You can reach us by phone, email, or in person at any one of our locations throughout Ontario. No matter how you choose to get in touch, a BrokerLink insurance advisor will be happy to assist you. We also encourage you to take advantage of our free online quote tool that can provide you with competitive home insurance quotes in minutes.

Get a home insurance quote [phone]

FAQs on home insurance in Pembroke

Do I need house insurance in Pembroke?

The best approach to protect your home and assets is to carry insurance, even if there isn’t a law requiring it for residents of Ontario (unlike car insurance). The majority of homeowners continue to embrace obtaining house insurance because of the sense of security it provides, knowing they are protected against the unexpected.

In addition, many prospective homeowners in Pembroke, Ontario, must obtain home insurance in order to receive a mortgage loan. Most mortgage lenders require proof of house insurance from their clients in order for them to even be eligible for a loan, let alone approved.

I rent an apartment in Pembroke. Can I still buy home insurance?

Absolutely. Anybody who wants to acquire house insurance is eligible, including tenants, homeowners, and renters. Given that you are a tenant, it is quite likely that your landlord has already asked you to get tenant and renter’s insurance, which functions like house insurance for tenants. If you’re wondering why it was requested, it’s because a landlord’s insurance coverage does not cover the belongings of a tenant, so if something happened to your apartment, their coverage would only cover your unit and not your damaged belongings.

I have a roommate. Can we share the same insurance policy?

Typically, all roommates may be covered under a combined insurance policy. However, if you and your spouse are sharing a residence with another couple, they will need their own insurance.

If you have any questions, contact one of our local branches.