Your declarations page — sometimes called a dec page — is the first page of your insurance policy. It is a one-page summary that lists everything that matters about your coverage: your name, your property address, the policy period, every coverage type you carry, the dollar limit on each one, your deductibles, and your insurer's name and contact information.

Most people have one. Most people have never read it.

Why it matters

Your declarations page tells you what you are actually covered for, not what you think you are covered for. The difference between those two things is where most claim surprises come from. If your dwelling coverage limit is $320,000 and your home would cost $480,000 to rebuild today, your dec page shows that gap. If you have a $2,500 wind and hail deductible but assumed it was $1,000, your dec page shows that too.

Reading your dec page takes five minutes. What you find in those five minutes can change a coverage decision before a claim happens rather than after.

Where to find your declarations page

Your insurer sends it at the start of every policy period, usually by email or through their mobile app. It is also in your insurer's online portal under Documents or Policy Summary. If you cannot find it, call your insurer's customer service line and ask them to email it to you.

What to look for

When you pull up your dec page, check four things: your dwelling coverage limit (Coverage A) — does it reflect what your home would cost to rebuild today? Your deductible — is there a separate wind or hail deductible expressed as a percentage? Your liability limit — is it $100,000 or $300,000? And your coverage types — do you see flood listed? If you do not, flood damage is not covered.

If you find something on your dec page that you do not understand or that looks different from what you expected, send it to us. We review declarations pages free and tell you exactly what you have, what you are missing, and what it costs to fix it.