Insurance policies are written in a vocabulary that nobody teaches. Premium, deductible, limit, endorsement, rider, exclusion, peril — these words have precise meanings that determine exactly what you are owed after a loss.
This section is the reference layer of the site. It exists so the rest of the guides can be read without a dictionary.
If you read only one thing here, make it the guide to your declarations page. It is one or two pages, it summarizes your entire policy, and almost nobody reads it until after a loss.
We're writing this section carefully rather than quickly — every guide is checked against primary sources before it goes up. Check back shortly, or start with another section from the menu above.
This page explains a general process. It is not advice about your specific policy or claim. Insurance rules vary by state and by policy, and they change.
Read your own policy documents, and for anything with money or deadlines at stake, talk to a licensed agent, a licensed public adjuster, or your state Department of Insurance — contacting your Department of Insurance is free.