<p>A standard modern house built to code should withstand 99% of all significant earthquakes with minimal damage - not enough to exceed the deductible. If the 1% hits, insurance probably won’t matter. We live in California, and our house was built in 1990. We don’t have earthquake insurance. If we had an older home, or one made of unusual materials, I might have a different attitude.</p>
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<p>I am wondering also if the insurance will have enough money to pay out. Mom has a house near the Chrystal Spring Fault and we are paying $3500/year for 80% of the “rebuild” value, That is almost 1% per year…</p>
<p>The 89 quake came, but nothing happened.</p>
<p>“A standard modern house built to code…” if only. Our Bay Area house was built in 1896 and only the small remodeled parts are up to code. My H likes to think that since it survived the 1906 quake, it’s very sturdy. A contractor explained to him that that is like saying that your grandmother took a fall when she was 10 years old and was fine. Now that she’s 105, the same fall might kill her. We do have quake insurance, I think it has a $100,000 deductible.</p>
<p>I am scared to death that we pay a high premium for the insurance and at the end, they nickle and dime you and/or refuse to pay.</p>
<p>My client’s commercial building was burned down and the insurance company told her that she was under insured, so they refused to pay altoghther… she is fighting that in the court but that does not help the rebuild…</p>
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<p>Did your policy clearly states that home is not up to the code? What if a small quake hit and they say your damages are the cause of below code structure and refuse to pay?</p>
<p>CSU East Bay has abandoned the landmark - Warren Hall, because it is seismically uninsurable.</p>
<p>I was on the 10th floor of a downtown SF office building for the earlier quake. I think it must have been built recently enough to be engineered to sway. We felt it quite strongly, and I did have a moment of looking for the safe spot. It’s my first week in a new job after 2.5 years at home, so I hadn’t yet oriented to the surrounding.</p>
<p>artloversplus, I don’t know the answer to your very excellent question. We do have new electrical and plumbing but I doubt that any house this age is built to modern codes regarding foundations and so forth. For example, our house is lathe and plaster and that certainly isn’t standard or up to code in a new house. I had understood that our house or any old house is not considered to be in violation of code until changes are made - that we are grandfathered. But again, your question is a very good one.</p>
<p>I was sitting in the living room during the evening earthquake this week and got quite a jolt. I flew out of my chair and stood in the doorway - that’s what we were always told to do when I was a kid and it’s my first instinct. I’m told now that it isn’t the safest place, that in fact I should hide under a sturdy piece of furniture. Old habits are hard to break when you’re scared.</p>
<p>Who is your quake insurance company? Is it Cal Earthquake Authority? I don’t think they have a set deductable. I was told that government entity has a better funding for claims, but no one that I know of really had an experience with the claims.</p>
<p>Insurance companies will be glad to recieve payments, but filing claims is another matter.</p>
<p>I’ve written myself a note to discuss this with the hubby when he gets back from a business trip. All very good points, thanks. </p>
<p>I hate earthquakes. I was in LA during the San Fernando earthquake of 1971 and I’ve never quite recovered from it. I just panic when the shaking starts.</p>
<p>Puzzled88, I was in the Sylmar quake too!!! That one lasted a loooong 60 seconds. I remember “quaking” with fear during the night after that one. I got a grip on myself after a while. There’s nothing like that primal fear, though… School was out for a week, we didn’t have electricity or clear water from the tap for a few days too. And the aftershocks! I remember walking by the liquor store - all the bottles had broken, and the alcohol fumes were quite overwhelming! Few highrises in my neck of the woods, so we didn’t have to experience glass falling from high above.</p>