Appliances covered homeowners insurance will pay for are the ones destroyed by a covered peril: the furnace ruined by a flood from a burst pipe, the refrigerator killed by a lightning surge, the range lost in a kitchen fire. A furnace that fails at fifteen years, a compressor that seizes, a dishwasher that leaks from a worn seal are breakdown and wear, excluded on every standard form. Equipment breakdown endorsements exist and change that answer for a modest addition. The Insurance Information Institute's NAIC-based figure puts the average US homeowners premium at $1,411 for 2021, and the average renters premium at $170; both are national averages that no single household pays, and the rate pages on this site show what carriers actually file where you live.
Covered: damage from a peril
Fire, lightning, windstorm, theft, vandalism, falling objects, and sudden and accidental water damage from plumbing where the form covers it. The appliance is personal property or part of the dwelling depending on whether it is built in, and it is paid at replacement cost or actual cash value accordingly.
Excluded: breakdown, wear and the water they let out
Mechanical and electrical failure, wear and tear, rust and corrosion, and manufacturer's defects. The water a failed appliance releases is often covered as sudden damage even though the appliance itself is not, which is the distinction most claims turn on.
Equipment breakdown coverage
An endorsement many carriers offer that covers the sudden mechanical or electrical failure of home systems and appliances, with its own deductible. It sits between the homeowners policy and a home warranty, and unlike a warranty it is insurance regulated as such. The III reports that 5.5 percent of insured homes had a claim in 2022, so most policy years end with nothing paid out and the price is paid for the year something is.
Questions people ask about appliances covered homeowners insurance
Are appliances covered by homeowners insurance if they break?
No; breakdown and wear are excluded. Damage from a covered peril is paid.
Is the water damage from a failed dishwasher covered?
Usually, as sudden and accidental water damage, even though the dishwasher is not.
What does equipment breakdown coverage add?
Sudden mechanical and electrical failure of systems and appliances, with its own deductible.