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Home insurance endorsements

You can purchase extra coverage for water damage, or to protect especially valuable items you have at home.

What is a home insurance endorsement?

Endorsements are optional coverages or changes to your policy that increase your insurance coverage or provide an additional benefit to you.

  • Jewellery, engagement rings and valuables
  • Property damage and natural events
  • Home business and cyber protection
Jewellery, engagement rings and valuables
Property damage and natural events
Home business and cyber protection

Jewellery, engagement rings and valuables

These endorsements cover specific personal items or provide enhanced coverage for high-value belongings.

Scheduled personal articles endorsement*

For an additional premium, you can increase the insurance coverage for certain valuable personal articles (such as a high-end mountain bike) if your plan’s special coverage limits don’t fully cover those items.

With this endorsement, personal articles itemized in your Certificate of Property Insurance are insured for unforeseen loss or damage caused by all sudden and accidental risks of direct physical loss or damage, except for what is described in your policy.

Increased jewellery endorsement*

If your plan’s special coverage limits for jewellery, watches and precious stones does not adequately cover your items, you can purchase coverage to increase these limits for theft.

Property damage and natural events

These endorsements related to physical damage to the home due to natural disasters, major events, or the need for significant repairs.

Major renovation endorsement*

Measure twice, cut once – a cautionary message that’s especially true for renovations done on your home. As one of your most valuable assets, your home needs proper protection when you make improvements.

The Major Renovation endorsement protects not only your investment in your renovations, but your whole home as well. Without it, uninsured work can impact the coverage of your existing home policy, leaving you vulnerable to significant risk and losses. Protect your family from the pitfalls that can come from renovation.

Major renovations include:

  • First-floor addition or extension
  • Adding another floor
  • Adding a garage or replacing an existing garage (attached or detached)
  • Removal of load bearing walls
  • Opening an exterior wall
  • Kitchen, bathroom, basement renovations or any of the included major renovations that require any of the following:
    • Building permit or other regulatory permits
    • Structural architect
    • Renovations that leave a premises temporarily unlivable during the renovations
  • Coverage details: Pricing varies based on renovation value

Sewer back-up coverage endorsement*

Water damage continues to be the leading property insurance claim in Canada. For an additional premium, this endorsement can help protect the investment you’ve made in your basement.

Note: This coverage does not insure against any loss or damage if the backing up, escape, discharge or overflow of water or sewage was due to flood or continuous, repeated seepage, or leakage of water or sewage.

This endorsement helps to protect you financially in case of sudden and accidental loss from:

  • Sewer back-up
  • Sump pump back-up
  • Retention tanks and septic tanks

In the event of water damage to your basement, the Sewer Back-up Coverage endorsement can provide coverage up to the limit stated in your policy to:

  • Protect the investment you’ve made in your basement
  • Help cover expenses such as water removal, tearing out damaged materials, replacing damaged fixtures and belongings, and repairing water-related damage to your walls and flooring

When added to your condo insurance policy, your personal property and any upgrades you have made to your unit can be protected against direct loss or damage caused by the backing up, escape, discharge or overflow of water or sewage.

When added to your tenant insurance policy, your personal property can be protected against direct loss or damage caused by the backing up, escape, discharge or overflow of water or sewage.

Home repair bundle endorsement*

Avoid large claims by making minor repairs before there is a major issue. For an additional premium, you can add the Home Repair Bundle endorsement to your property policy. Claims against this endorsement will not count as a claim on your policy and will not affect any claims-free discount or disappearing deductible on your policy. This bundle includes:

Fix a minor issue before it leads to a large claim.

  • Provides easy access to local contractors and trade professionals to repair (not replace) a variety of household items before they can cause major damage
  • Includes repairs to heating system breakdown, internal plumbing and owned water heaters, internal electrical, internal gas supply lines, roofing repairs, pest infestations and security assistance service (e.g., securing broken windows or doors)
  • Covers the cost of parts, service and labour up to $2,000 per claim ($5,000 aggregate per policy term)
  • Short hotel stays may also be covered depending on the type of repairs made
  • Repairs are backed by a $1,000 workmanship guarantee
  • 45-day waiting period between time of purchase and time coverage goes into effect

Prevent a further claim occurring from the same cause.

  • Provides up to $2,500 to buy and install an approved loss prevention device to protect your home from experiencing the same loss again
  • Approved devices include fire alarm/suppression systems, security systems, sump pumps, automatic water shut-off devices, lightning suppression systems, back-up power systems and hail-resistant roofing materials
  • Can only be used after a claim has occurred

Free access to phone advice from legal and home repair experts.

  • One-stop service providing unlimited phone access to qualified lawyers, potentially saving you hundreds of dollars
  • Also includes phone assistance with home repair questions
  • Legal assistance does not answer questions related to criminal, insurance or business activities
  • Using HALO Assist is not considered a claim under your policy and is not subject to any deductibles

Overland water endorsement*

Canadians are increasingly feeling the effects of changing weather patterns, including severe storms resulting in water damage. Whether you own a home or rent, this endorsement can provide important coverage for damage from overland water entering your home as a result of torrential rains, spring thaws or over-flowing rivers or lakes.

  • Mobile homes
  • Properties in areas that are highly prone to overland water events (other exclusions and restrictions apply)
  • Seasonal properties
  • Properties in the Province of Quebec
  • Properties with a reverse slope driveway

Home business and cyber protection

These endorsements extend coverage for home-businesses or digital risks.

Home business extension of coverage*

If you have stock or business equipment in your home, you can purchase additional coverage to have it insured up to a certain amount.

This endorsement is subject to additional conditions, which are listed in the policy.

Cyber endorsement*

Keep up with the fast-paced digital world securely and confidently with the Cyber Endorsement for your household, an optional add-on coverage. From computers and cloud services to smartphones and smart home devices, our lives are more connected than ever before. With these conveniences, we’re working, learning, shopping and even storing personal information and photos online. Every device and account provides an access point for those who could do financial, personal, or emotional harm through cyber attacks. Help keep you and your family safe from digital risks with cyber insurance coverage for your household.

  • Coverage details: $75 annual premium. In the event of a claim, the limit is $25,000 with a $1,000 deductible.
  • Online fraud: Coverage for identity theft, unauthorized bank/credit card use, counterfeit currency, criminal deception
  • Computer attack: Pays for the costs of restoring data and systems following the unauthorized use, access or execution of a malware attack
  • Home systems attack: Covers the costs of restoring data and systems following the unauthorized use, access or execution of a malware attack on your connected home devices
  • Identity theft: Pays for recovery expenses as well as services of a case manager to help restore identity and credit records
  • Data breach: Pays for the costs of the loss, theft, accidental release or accidental publication of personally identifying or personally sensitive information in which you are entrusted
  • Cyberbullying: Reimbursement for costs incurred from being a victim of a cyberbullying attack. Counselling, legal expenses relocation, tutoring, social media monitoring etc.
  • Cyber extortion: Provides professional assistance in response to a demand for money or other consideration – after a threat to damage, disable, deny access or disseminate content from your device

Add endorsements to your home insurance

Call or visit us today to see what it would cost to add endorsements to your home insurance coverage.

Need help now? Call 1-877-749-7224

A couple protected by endorsements for their property

Frequently asked questions about home insurance endorsements

Find answers to your questions about home insurance endorsements like sewer back-up, overland water and the Home Repair Bundle, plus coverage, deductibles and premiums.

  • Coverage
  • Deductible and premiums
Coverage
Deductible and premiums

Still have questions? Contact us.

Coverage

It depends on the type of home you live in. If you own a house, your property insurance will cover the house itself and detached structures like a fence or storage shed.

Your insurance will also cover personal belongings such as jewellery, artwork, furniture, computers, carpets and more.

Finally, your policy also includes third-party liability coverage. This protects you against personal liability if somebody is injured while on your property or if you accidentally cause damage to a neighbour’s property.

Your coverage should begin as soon as you become the legal owner or tenant, even if your home or condo unit is still being built.

  • All Perils protects your insured property against the widest range of risks and only excludes the perils specifically listed in your policy.
  • Specified Perils protects your insured property against the most common risks, which will be listed in your policy.

The owner of the property you’re renting almost certainly has insurance on the building itself. They may also have coverage for certain items inside your rental unit, such as the carpets, light fittings and appliances. So you may wonder why you need coverage too.

Here are two excellent reasons:

  • Your landlord’s insurance will not cover your personal belongings. Your jewellery, artwork, furniture, entertainment equipment and other valuable belongings will not be protected.
  • You also need to protect yourself against personal liability for injuries to visitors to your home or for damage you accidentally cause to a neighbours’ property.

For details, see: Tenant Insurance.

Your condominium corporation has insurance, so you may wonder why you need your own coverage.

Here are three excellent reasons:

  • Your condominium corporation’s policy will not cover your personal belongings. Your jewellery, artwork, furniture, entertainment equipment and other valuable belongings will not be protected.
  • Your condominium corporation’s policy only covers items that are part of the building. You need your own insurance to protect the upgrades you have made inside your unit, such as better carpets and built-in cupboards.
  • Finally, you need to protect yourself against personal liability for injuries to visitors to your home or for damage you accidentally cause to a neighbours’ property.

For details, see: Condo Insurance.

The liability coverage included in a homeowners, condo or tenant insurance plan protects you financially if you unintentionally cause bodily injury or property damage to others—at your home or anywhere in the world. For example:

  • A babysitter slips on a spill on your kitchen floor and injures her back.
  • Your toaster oven catches fire, damaging your home/unit and part of your neighbour’s home/unit.
  • You throw a baseball on the beach while on vacation in Florida and you accidentally knock out a bystander’s tooth.

Insurance coverage for water damage depends on a number of things, like where you live and how your home was constructed. Insurance for some types of water damage may be included automatically in your policy, and some may need to be purchased as extra.

Examples of causes of water damage that aren’t covered under most standard home insurance plans are flooding and seepage:

  • Flooding results in damage from water that flows into your home from natural sources like lakes and rivers, or large amounts of pooled water.
  • Seepage refers to the slow movement of water or other fluid through small openings, cracks or pores in your home.

Causes of water damage that are usually covered by most standard home insurance plans (or can be added by endorsement) include:

  • Sewer back-up: Water is forced through the sewer system back into your home, or your sump pump fails. (Sewer back-up can be added by endorsement)
  • Water Escape: This covers water damage that may be caused when your bath or sink overflows or a pipe or hose inside your house breaks.

Not automatically. However, you can purchase earthquake coverage for an additional premium. For details, see Endorsements for Your Property.

Most property insurance will protect your belongings when you travel. For example, if your luggage is stolen from a hotel room or your car, you may be covered for the loss.

Remodeling your home may change the valuation placed on your property. If you build a major addition or swimming pool, you will need to update your insurance policy.

Overland water is fresh water that accumulates on land which is usually dry, resulting from torrential rain or snow melt or the overflow of lakes, streams and rivers.

We’ve made the Overland Water endorsement available for purchase in response to the effects of changing weather patterns and the increasing number of severe storm events that often cause property damage.

If you purchase this additional protection, you will have coverage for damage caused by overland water entering your property from torrential rains, rapid snow melt, or overflow of lakes, streams and rivers. This includes coverage for loss or damage from the sudden and accidental entry of overland fresh water through foundations, basement walls or basement doors. This coverage is not included in the Sewer Back-up Coverage endorsement.

The Sewer Back-up Coverage endorsement also provides very important coverage. This includes the sudden and accidental backing up of water or sewage through:

  • Drains, waste and sewer pipes that are underground or outside the building
  • Septic tanks, septic systems or connected piping located outside the building
  • Retention tanks or holding ponds, sump pits, sump pumps and their attached piping or equipment
  • Eaves troughs or downspouts

This endorsement does not cover:

  • Damage from coastal flooding of salt water, including spray or storm surge
  • Seepage through basement walls, doors or foundations that is not caused by overland water
  • Loss or damage from water resulting from the intentional breaches of structures such as dams, dykes and levees

The Home Repair Bundle includes three services for $125 per year:

  • Home Repair Assure to fix a minor issue before it leads to a large claim.
  • Claim Prevent to help prevent a further claim occurring from the same cause after a claim has already occurred.
  • HALO Assist for free access to phone advice from legal and home repair experts.

In addition to the home repair service, you have access to unlimited information about covered repair issues in your home. You can call the toll-free number any day, any time and a service representative can answer questions you may have about home issues and repairs. If your home repair issue is not covered under the program, you can choose to be referred to a trusted service provider in your area. You can then arrange and pay for service directly with them.

This depends on the service:

  • 1. Claim Prevent can be used immediately after a covered claim.
  • 2. The services in HALO Assist can be used immediately after the date your coverage starts.
  • 3. For the Home Repair Assure portion of the endorsement, there is a 45-day waiting period from the date your coverages starts.

The services cannot be purchased separately.

Deductible and premiums

The deductible is the amount you must pay out-of-pocket for each claim before your insurance policy pays.

The standard deductible amount is $1,000 for homeowner, condominium owner or tenant insurance policies. You may be eligible to increase or decrease your deductible amount, which may impact your insurance premium. Since the deductible amount is what you pay out-of-pocket for a claim, it is important you choose an amount that you can afford if you ever need to make a claim.

In most cases for property loss or damage, a deductible will apply. However, there are certain instances when you will not have to pay a deductible for property losses.

Here are some of the best tips for saving through RBC Insurance®.

  • Lower your premium by choosing a higher deductible
  • Combine your insurance through us
  • Install a home security system

You have several choices for paying your home insurance including: a major credit card (Visa, MasterCard or American Express) or preauthorized withdrawals from your bank account. Your Advisor will work with you to set up the payment plan method that works best for you.

You may use a Visa debit or MasterCard debit for your initial payment, but have to select one of the options above for any future payments.

Using any of the services provided under the Home Repair Bundle won’t affect your claims history or claims-free discount therefore will not increase your premiums.The Home Repair Bundle is designed to help you proactively reduce and prevent the same claims from occurring and provide further protection with assistance services.

If you make a claim under this endorsement, your premium, claims history and claims-free discount will not be affected therefore will not increase your premiums. You do not have to pay your policy deductible if you have an Identity Theft claim.

Still have questions? Contact us.