Home and condo insurance in British Columbia
Earthquake, flood, wildfire, wood heat, rental suites: BC homes come with BC questions, and the answers change what you should buy.
Nikki Tehara is a licensed BC insurance broker who quotes and places home insurance across all of British Columbia, entirely by phone, email and e-signature. Nikki compares multiple insurers through InsureBC, prices the add-ons BC homes actually need, and flags gaps such as unreported suites before they become claim problems.
What is home insurance in BC?
Home insurance pays to repair or rebuild your house, replace your belongings and cover your legal liability after an insured loss such as a fire, theft or windstorm. No law in BC requires it, but nearly every mortgage lender does, and going without it leaves the most expensive thing you own unprotected.
Buying it through a broker changes the process, not the product. Nikki places policies through InsureBC, which means one conversation about your home gets compared across multiple insurance companies rather than shaped to fit a single company’s appetite. That matters most for the homes that are not standard: older builds, wood heat, suites, acreage.
What it typically covers
- The dwelling itself, up to the rebuild limit on your policy
- Detached structures such as a garage, shop or shed
- Personal belongings, at home and often while temporarily away
- Additional living expenses if a covered loss forces you out during repairs
- Personal liability if someone is injured on your property or you accidentally damage the property of others
- Common perils such as fire, smoke, theft, vandalism and wind, subject to the policy form
What it commonly excludes
- Earthquake, unless you add the optional coverage
- Overland flood and sewer backup, unless added by endorsement
- Wear and tear, gradual seepage, rot and maintenance issues
- Damage occurring while the home is vacant beyond the period the policy allows
- Business or rental use the insurer has not been told about, including short-term rentals
- Amounts above special limits on items such as jewellery or collections, unless scheduled separately
Home insurance in British Columbia: what actually matters here
Most of a home policy looks the same across Canada. These are the parts where BC is different, and where the right answer depends on your postal code.
Earthquake is optional, and priced separately
No standard BC home policy includes earthquake. It is a separate coverage with its own premium and, usually, a deductible set as a percentage of your limit, and its cost varies a lot between the coast and the Interior. Nikki quotes it on every home so the decision is made with numbers in front of you, not by default.
Overland flood and sewer backup are add-ons
The coverages that respond to the most damaging water losses, overland flood and sewer backup, are optional endorsements in BC rather than standard policy parts. Limits, deductibles and eligibility differ noticeably between insurers, which is exactly the kind of thing a broker comparison surfaces. The Insurance Bureau of Canada publishes plain-language material on flood coverage if you want background reading. A sump pump and a backwater valve help your claim record and, with some insurers, your price.
Wildfire and the interface
Fire is a covered peril on standard forms. The practical wildfire issues are pricing and timing. Homes in interface areas of the Interior and Okanagan can cost more to insure, insurers weigh your distance to a fire hall and hydrant, and some restrict new policies in an area while a fire is actively burning nearby. If you are buying a home in fire season, start the insurance conversation early, before subject removal.
Older homes: wood stoves, oil tanks, wiring and Poly-B
A few features narrow the insurance market for BC homes faster than anything else: solid-fuel heating without a WETT inspection, oil tanks, especially older or buried ones, knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring, and Poly-B plumbing. None of them makes a home uninsurable on its own. All of them affect which insurers will quote and on what terms, and updates you have already made often lower what you pay once the insurer knows about them.
The most common gap: the unreported suite
Rental suites are common across BC, and an unreported one can reduce or complicate a claim payout. An insurer that does not know about a suite has not priced a tenant, a second kitchen or a second set of appliances into the risk. Declare it. The premium change is usually modest, and the alternative is arguing about coverage after a loss.
What Nikki needs to quote you
A home quote is only as good as the details behind it. Have as much of this as you can, and Nikki will help fill in the rest:
- The property address and dwelling type
- Year built, square footage and construction
- Roof type and the year it was replaced
- Primary heating, plus the age and location of any oil tank, or the WETT inspection for a wood stove
- Electrical panel type and amperage, and any knob-and-tube or aluminum wiring
- Plumbing material and the year it was updated
- Whether the basement is finished, and whether there is a sump pump or backwater valve
- Distance to the nearest hydrant and fire hall, and any monitored alarm
- Occupancy, including any rental suite or short-term rental use
- Any home-based business run from the property
- Your mortgage lender, if any
- Estimated rebuild cost
- Detached structures, and any pool or hot tub
- High-value items you want scheduled, such as jewellery or art
- Claims in the last 10 years
- Your current insurer and renewal date
Common questions
Is earthquake coverage included in BC home insurance?
No. Earthquake is an optional coverage in BC and it is priced separately, usually with its own deductible calculated as a percentage of your coverage limit rather than a flat dollar amount. Whether it is worth buying depends on where you live, what you owe on the home and what you could absorb. Nikki will price it on every home quote so the decision is yours, made with real numbers.
Does home insurance cover flooding?
Not automatically. Water damage from a burst pipe is typically covered, but overland flood and sewer backup are add-ons in BC, not standard parts of a policy. Many homeowners only discover this at claim time. If your home has a finished basement, a sump pump or any history of water in the neighbourhood, ask for both endorsements to be quoted so you can see what they cost.
Do I have to tell my insurer about a basement suite?
Yes. A rental suite changes the risk the insurer is taking on, and an unreported suite can reduce or complicate a claim payout. It can complicate or reduce a claim payout badly. Declaring the suite usually means a modest premium adjustment and sometimes a requirement that your tenant carry their own insurance. That is a far better outcome than finding out at claim time.
Will a wood stove affect my home insurance?
Often, yes. Many insurers ask for a WETT inspection before covering a home with a wood stove or other solid-fuel heating, and some charge more for it. An undisclosed wood stove is a much bigger problem than a disclosed one, because it can put a fire claim at risk. Tell Nikki about the stove up front and have the inspection paperwork handy if you have it.
Can I insure an older home with knob-and-tube wiring or Poly-B plumbing?
Usually, but the market is smaller and some insurers will ask for updates as a condition of coverage. Knob-and-tube and aluminum wiring, 60-amp panels, Poly-B plumbing and older oil tanks all narrow your options. A broker who knows which insurers will still write these homes matters here. If you have already updated wiring or plumbing, say so, because it can meaningfully change what you pay.
How does wildfire risk affect home insurance in BC?
Fire itself is a standard covered peril, so wildfire damage is typically covered. The bigger issues are price and availability. Homes in interface areas of the Interior and Okanagan can cost more to insure, and many insurers stop issuing new policies in an area while a wildfire is actively burning nearby. If you are buying a home in fire season, start the insurance conversation early.
Do I need to live nearby to work with Nikki?
No. Nikki is licensed for all of British Columbia and handles everything by phone, email and e-signature, through InsureBC (Squamish) Insurance Services Ltd. Whether the home is in Victoria, Prince George, Kelowna or Fort St. John, the quoting process is the same: a conversation about the property, quotes from multiple insurers, and documents signed electronically.
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