Stormy Skies Ahead: Do You Have Enough Insurance If Disaster Strikes?

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — After the fires and the pandemic, home prices and the cost to rebuild are much higher.

With incoming weather, it's the perfect storm for as many as 20 to 30 percent of Californians who are underinsured.

"That's probably a modest assessment," said McClatchy insurance agent Harold Newbill.

Federal numbers from August show the cost of building materials was up 19.4 percent year-to-year. The median home listing in Sacramento 13.9 percent higher according to realtor.com

So how do you know if you have enough insurance?

"Really, one of the best people to ask is, ask a contractor what the cost to build per (square) foot that they're seeing," Newbill said.

In our area, he's seeing $200 to $250 per square foot.

"You can just quick math your home and say, 'It's this big, and it's insured for $175 a (square) foot.' That's probably not enough," Newbill said.

Homeowners insurance usually covers damage from the sky. Damage from the ground, like mudslides and flooding, require flood insurance.

Adding any protection today usually takes 30 days to take effect.

"Think of all those things when you're building homeowners insurance so that, should disaster strike, you're going to be OK," Newbill said.

More coverage could drive up premiums by several hundred dollars. If money's tight, consider raising your deductible.

The Insurance Commissioner also is recommending you record a home inventory with your smartphone and scan important documents so they're all in one place if you need them.