What is a homeowners insurance declaration page?

The declaration page — also called a dec page — is a one to two page summary of your homeowners insurance policy. It lists your coverage limits, deductibles, premium, covered perils, policy number, and named insured. It is the first document you should locate after a loss.

Where do I find my declaration page?

Your declaration page is mailed to you at the start of each policy year with your renewal documents. You can also find it in your online carrier portal, through your insurance agent, or by calling your carrier and requesting a copy. Keep it somewhere accessible — you will need it on the day of a loss.

What is Coverage A on my declaration page?

Coverage A is your dwelling coverage — the amount your policy will pay to repair or rebuild the structure of your home. This is the most important number on your dec page for a fire, storm, or structural damage claim. Make sure it reflects current construction costs in your area.

What is Coverage B on the declaration page?

Coverage B is other structures coverage — detached garages, fences, sheds, and other structures on your property that are not attached to the main dwelling. It is typically set at 10 percent of your Coverage A limit.

What is Coverage C on the declaration page?

Coverage C is personal property coverage — the limit your policy will pay for damaged or destroyed contents such as furniture, electronics, clothing, and appliances. It is typically 50 to 70 percent of Coverage A. Review whether your policy covers contents at actual cash value or replacement cost value.

What is Coverage D on the declaration page?

Coverage D is Additional Living Expenses or loss of use coverage — the amount available to pay for hotel, meals, and other living costs while your home is uninhabitable. It is typically 20 to 30 percent of Coverage A.

What does the deductible on my declaration page mean?

Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance coverage applies. Some Michigan policies have a separate, higher deductible for wind and hail claims. Read your dec page carefully — if it lists both an all-peril deductible and a named storm or hail deductible, the larger one applies to storm damage claims.

What is the difference between ACV and RCV on a declaration page?

ACV is Actual Cash Value — your carrier pays what the damaged item is worth today, minus depreciation. RCV is Replacement Cost Value — your carrier pays what it costs to replace the item with a new equivalent, without deducting depreciation. RCV policies pay significantly more for older homes and contents.

What should I check on my declaration page right now, before a claim?

Check that your Coverage A limit reflects current construction costs (rebuild costs have risen sharply since 2020). Confirm you have RCV coverage, not ACV. Verify your deductible amounts, especially for hail and wind. Confirm you have Coverage D for Additional Living Expenses. Note any endorsements for jewelry, electronics, or home business equipment.

What is an endorsement on a declaration page?

An endorsement is an addition to your standard policy that modifies or adds coverage. Common endorsements include service line coverage, water backup coverage, ordinance and law coverage, and scheduled personal property riders for high-value items like jewelry. Endorsements appear on your dec page or as attached documents.

What is ordinance and law coverage and should I have it?

Ordinance and law coverage pays for the additional cost of bringing your home up to current building codes during a repair or rebuild after a covered loss. Michigan building codes have changed significantly over the decades. Without this endorsement, you may be required to upgrade electrical, plumbing, or framing to code at your own expense even if your insurance covers the direct damage.

What do I give Phase III Construction from my declaration page?

Before Phase III walks your property, share your Coverage A limit, your deductible amount, your RCV or ACV status, and whether you have ordinance and law coverage. This information shapes how we build your Xactimate estimate and what supplements we know to pursue.

How to Read Your Michigan Homeowners Insurance Declaration Page Before a Claim Hits

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Your homeowners insurance declaration page -- the "dec page" -- is a one or two page summary of your entire policy. It is what your carrier sends you at renewal and what you hand to your mortgage lender at closing. Most Michigan homeowners file it away and never look at it again until they need to make a claim.

By then, it is often too late to understand the gaps. The dec page is the document that tells you, in plain numbers, exactly how much protection you actually bought -- and where you are exposed. Here is how to read it before something happens, while you still have time to fix what's wrong.

What the Dec Page Contains

Nearly every dec page follows the same structure. Once you know what each line means, you can read your own in a few minutes:

Policyholder name and property address
Policy number and effective dates
Dwelling coverage (Coverage A) -- what it costs to rebuild your home from scratch at today's prices
Other structures (Coverage B) -- detached garage, fence, shed; usually 10 percent of Coverage A
Personal property (Coverage C) -- your contents; usually 50 to 70 percent of Coverage A
Loss of use / ALE (Coverage D) -- temporary housing if you can't live in your home
Liability (Coverage E)
Medical payments (Coverage F)
Annual premium and deductible

The Number That Matters Most -- Coverage A

Coverage A is your dwelling replacement cost limit. If your home burns to the ground, this is the maximum your carrier will pay to rebuild it. Everything else on the page tends to scale from this number, which is why it deserves the most attention.

The problem: most Michigan homes are underinsured on Coverage A. Construction costs have risen significantly since 2020, and most homeowners haven't updated their limits since their policy was first written. If your Coverage A is based on a 2019 valuation, it may be 20 to 40 percent short of what it actually costs to rebuild your home in 2026 -- a gap you would pay out of pocket after a total loss.

How to check: ask your contractor or a licensed appraiser to estimate your current rebuild cost per square foot, then compare that to your Coverage A limit. If the limit is lower than the rebuild estimate, call your agent before you ever file a claim.

Your Deductible -- The One You Don't See Coming

Most Michigan policies now carry two separate deductibles, and the second one surprises people:

Standard deductible -- applies to most claims (fire, water, theft), usually a flat dollar amount
Wind/hail deductible -- often a percentage of Coverage A (1 to 2 percent), not a flat amount

The percentage structure is where the cost hides. If your Coverage A is $400,000 and your wind/hail deductible is 1 percent, you pay $4,000 out of pocket before insurance touches a storm damage claim. This is often buried in the dec page or the endorsement schedule. Find your wind/hail deductible before storm season, not after a tree comes through your roof.

ALE Limit and Time Limit

Find Coverage D on your dec page and note both numbers: the dollar limit (often 20 to 30 percent of Coverage A) and any time limit listed on the endorsements. Together these determine how long you can be displaced and still have your housing costs covered.

If Coverage A is $400,000 and ALE is 20 percent, you have $80,000 in temporary housing coverage. That sounds like plenty -- until a full gut-and-rebuild takes 14 months and you are running both a rental and a mortgage. Knowing the limit in advance lets you plan the rebuild timeline against it.

Endorsements That Change Everything

Endorsements are policy additions that expand or restrict coverage. They are easy to overlook because they are often listed as codes or a separate schedule, but a few of them are decisive in Michigan:

Replacement cost on personal property (versus actual cash value) -- a major difference for older furniture and electronics, which lose most of their cash value but cost full price to replace
Water backup and sump overflow rider -- a standard policy does NOT cover sump pump failure; this endorsement does
Ordinance or law coverage -- pays for code upgrades required during repair, which is critical for older Michigan homes that no longer meet current code
Extended or guaranteed replacement cost -- raises your Coverage A limit if actual rebuild costs exceed the stated number, protecting you against the underinsurance problem above

If you don't see these endorsements on your dec page, you probably don't have them. Ask your agent which ones apply to your home -- the cost of adding them is small compared to the gap they close.

The Bottom Line

Five minutes with your dec page today can prevent a five-figure surprise after a loss. Check Coverage A against current rebuild costs, find both deductibles, note your ALE limits, and confirm which endorsements you carry.

Phase III reviews coverage scope alongside our damage assessment on every job. If your carrier's estimate seems to be hitting policy limits or running into deductible math that doesn't add up, we'll tell you. Call (734) 237-7322.

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