Home insurance in BC, including high-value custom homes
For houses anywhere in BC, from the one you live in to a high-value custom home. Rentals, suites and second homes included.
Get your home insurance quote started
Tap through 5 quick questions. No long forms.
What I look at for you
- Rebuild value: set from the actual build, not an average per square foot. Custom work is where estimates go wrong.
- The right insurer: above a certain rebuild cost, specialty insurers fit better than a standard home policy.
- Earthquake: optional in BC, priced separately, with a percentage deductible. I price it on every quote.
- Water: flooding from outside and sewer backup are extras, not standard. I check both for your address.
- Suites and rentals: a suite or a rented house has to be on the policy, ideally with cover for lost rent.
- Older systems: wood stoves, oil tanks, old wiring and older plumbing change which insurers will quote.
- Wildfire: insurers can pause new policies near an active fire, so I set up cover well before you need it.
- Valuables and liability: jewellery, art and wine listed at an agreed value, and liability limits lined up across your homes and vehicles.
- Empty homes: most policies limit cover once a home sits empty for a while. Tell me if yours will.
Before you call
Rough answers are fine to start. I confirm anything that matters before a policy begins.
- Your current policy or renewal notice
- The years your roof, wiring, plumbing and heating were last updated
- A rebuild estimate or appraisal, if you have one
- A WETT inspection report if you heat with wood
- Details of any suite or tenants
- Appraisals for jewellery, art or collections
- Your mortgage lender, if you have one
Questions people ask me
Do I have to tell my insurer about a basement suite?
Yes. A suite changes the risk, and one your insurer doesn't know about can reduce or complicate a claim. Tell me about it and I'll make sure the policy is written for it.
What counts as a high-value home?
There's no fixed dollar line: what matters is the rebuild cost, not the market price. Once custom finishes push that cost past what standard insurers like, a specialty insurer usually fits better. I can tell you quickly which side your home is on.
Why isn't my market value the same as my rebuild cost?
Market value includes the land, which is a large part of most BC prices. Rebuild cost is only the construction: materials, labour, demolition and the custom work. The two can be far apart, so I ask for both.
Tell me about your home, from a first house to a custom build, and I will come back with clear options from several insurers.