Explore the features carriers often favor. From roof material to basement water mitigation. Hover or tap each point to learn more.
Tap a point on the home to learn more
The base homeowners policy is the printed form. An endorsement is a taped-on change — adding coverage, taking it away, or renaming who is insured. Optional coverages ride along with the policy. Separate policies sit beside it.
Form names and availability vary by carrier. This is a map of add-ons we commonly shop in Illinois — not a promise that every company offers every item.
Base policy
Homeowners policy
Hover an add-on to read it, then click to pin it here — a review list for your next conversation with an advisor.
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The same homeowners policy add-ons from the explorer above, listed out. Form names and availability vary by carrier.
Endorsement
Raises or restores liability for dog-bite and similar claims.
Many forms restrict or exclude certain breeds, or cap animal liability far below the rest of the policy. Illinois dog-bite claims are expensive. If you have a dog — or host a lot of neighborhood kids — we review whether the liability section still responds.
Endorsement
Sudden mechanical or electrical failure of home systems.
Home systems — furnaces, well pumps, HVAC boards — can fail in ways a typical named-peril or even open-peril form treats as wear and tear. An equipment breakdown endorsement is closer to a mechanical-breakdown add-on than to a storm claim. Useful on houses with newer mechanicals you would rather not replace out of pocket.
Endorsement
A cushion above the dwelling limit if rebuild prices spike.
Extended replacement cost adds a percentage — often 20% to 50% — above Coverage A when labor and materials jump after a widespread storm. It is not a blank check. The home still needs to be insured close to rebuild value, not just the mortgage balance.
Separate policy
A separate policy. Standard home forms exclude flood.
Overflow of a creek, storm surge, and surface water are flood — not sewer backup. NFIP or private flood sits beside the homeowners policy, not on it. Even outside a mapped FEMA zone, we still talk through overland water after Illinois downpours.
Learn more →Endorsement
Limited expense coverage after a documented identity event.
Some homeowners forms offer an identity theft endorsement for restoration expenses, not a full monitoring product. It is inexpensive relative to a standalone service, and it is not a substitute for freezing credit. We still flag it because people assume the HO-3 already includes it.
Endorsement
Narrows the business exclusion for a small at-home activity.
A homeowners policy is written for a residence. Clients coming to the house, inventory in the basement, or a studio in the garage can trip a business exclusion. An incidental occupancy or home-business endorsement can restore limited property and liability — or we may need a businessowners policy instead.
Endorsement
Helps replace undamaged material so the exterior matches.
After hail, a carrier may pay only for the damaged slopes or sides. If the shingle or siding has been discontinued, the house can look patched. Matching endorsements vary widely by company. We compare them when the roof or siding is a visible, expensive finish.
Endorsement
Pays extra when code upgrades are required after a loss.
Older western-suburbs homes often need electrical, plumbing, or setback upgrades if a serious fire or storm forces a rebuild. Ordinance or law coverage can help with the extra cost of bringing damaged portions up to current code. The base dwelling limit alone may not.
Endorsement
Libel, slander, and some privacy claims — not bodily injury.
Personal injury on a homeowners form is not medical bills. It can respond to alleged defamation or wrongful eviction in limited ways. HOAs, rental activity, and online disputes are where this endorsement tends to matter. It is not a substitute for umbrella or employment practices coverage.
Separate policy
Extra liability above home and auto limits.
An umbrella is its own policy, not a homeowners endorsement. It sits over auto and home liability after a serious injury on the property or a crash. Illinois jury awards and medical costs make this a practical layer once there is a house, a teen driver, or meaningful savings.
Learn more →Endorsement
Lists jewelry, fine arts, or collections at agreed amounts.
Unscheduled contents coverage usually caps jewelry and similar items at a few thousand dollars, and theft sublimits can be even tighter. Scheduling an appraisal or invoice on an endorsement can raise those limits and, on some forms, broaden the perils. Bring receipts or appraisals to the review.
Endorsement
Buried water, sewer, or power lines you are responsible for.
The pipe from the street to an older Roselle or Medinah house is often the homeowner’s problem, not the utility’s. A service line endorsement can help with excavation and repair when that buried line fails. It is easy to miss until a plumber’s bill arrives.
Endorsement
Water that comes up through drains — not the same as flood.
A standard homeowners policy often excludes sewer and drain backup. After a heavy rain in DuPage or Cook County, that is one of the most common basement claims we see. A sewer backup endorsement can put a limit back on the policy. Flood is still a separate conversation.
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