Personal Insurance
Earthquake coverage in Missouri, without the scare story.
Earthquake is excluded from standard homeowners policies. In the Kansas City area the risk is modest and the premium usually follows — but the percentage deductible is the part worth understanding before you decide.
No obligation. Starting a review does not change or bind any coverage.
What's going on
You have noticed that your homeowners policy excludes earthquake, or someone mentioned the New Madrid fault, and you are trying to work out whether this is something you should actually be doing anything about in the Kansas City area.
Why it matters
Earthquake is excluded from standard homeowners policies and is added either by endorsement or as a separate policy. Whether it is worth buying here is a genuine question rather than an obvious yes, and the honest answer depends more on how the deductible works than on how likely a quake is. Earthquake deductibles are usually calculated as a percentage of the coverage limit rather than as a flat dollar amount, which makes them far larger than people expect.
Things worth considering
Points we would talk through with you. Which of them apply depends on your situation, and what you do about them is your decision.
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The deductible is a percentage, not a dollar figure
This is the single most important thing to understand. Earthquake deductibles are typically set as a percentage of the dwelling limit — and a percentage deductible on a $400,000 dwelling limit is tens of thousands of dollars. It means the coverage is built to respond to a serious structural loss, not to cracked plaster.
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The deductible may apply more than once
Some policies apply the percentage separately to the dwelling, to other structures, and to personal property. Ask how many deductibles could apply to a single event, because it changes the arithmetic considerably.
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Where Missouri's real earthquake risk actually sits
The New Madrid Seismic Zone is in the southeast corner of the state, several hundred miles from Kansas City. The 1811–1812 sequence there was among the largest recorded in eastern North America. Kansas City is not in that zone, and pretending otherwise would be fear-selling — the risk here is real but materially lower, and the premium generally reflects that.
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The region is not seismically silent either
South-central Kansas and northern Oklahoma recorded a notable rise in felt earthquakes through the 2010s, widely associated with wastewater disposal rather than natural fault activity. Events there have been felt across the wider region.
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How your house is built matters
Wood-frame construction generally performs better in a quake than unreinforced masonry. A brick home, a brick veneer, or an older masonry foundation are all relevant details when discussing whether and how to cover it.
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What earthquake coverage does not do
It is not a general ground-movement policy. Landslide, sinkhole, settling and flood — including flooding caused by a quake — are handled differently or excluded outright. Read what the endorsement actually says rather than assuming "earth movement" is one idea.
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What it tends to cost here
Because Kansas City is well away from the highest-risk zone, earthquake endorsements in this area are often among the less expensive things you can add to a homeowners policy. That is exactly why it is worth asking for the number rather than assuming it is out of reach.
Information on this website is general in nature and is not a complete description of any insurance policy or every coverage option that may be available. Coverage availability, terms, conditions, limits and exclusions vary by insurer, policy and individual circumstances. The issued insurance policy and applicable endorsements control coverage. Beacon Point Insurance Group may provide information regarding available insurance options and discuss coverage considerations based on information you provide, but customers are responsible for selecting the carrier, coverages, limits and deductibles they wish to purchase. No insurance coverage is bound, changed, or canceled through this website unless confirmed by Beacon Point Insurance Group or the applicable insurer.
How this tends to come up
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A homeowner who assumed they already had it
The exclusion is standard and rarely discussed at the point of sale, so the first time many people learn earthquake is not included is when they go looking for it in the policy. Finding out during a review is considerably better than finding out during a claim.
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A quote that settles the question either way
Someone asks what earthquake would cost, sees both the premium and the percentage deductible written down, and decides. Sometimes that decision is no. A decision made on the actual numbers is the point — not the purchase.
We Learn. We Compare. We Explain. You Decide.
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We Learn
We ask questions about your situation and the insurance you currently carry.
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We Compare
Based on the information you provide, we can obtain and compare available options from the insurance companies we represent.
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We Explain
We help you understand important differences in coverage, limits, deductibles, policy terms, and price.
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You Decide
You select the company, coverages, limits, deductibles, and options you want to purchase.
What working with us is like
The part people tend to mention is that someone explained it and then let them decide.
More personal coverage
Let's find the options that work for you.
No obligation. Starting a review does not change or bind any coverage.