The four systems, and the assumption
Applications for older homes revolve around roof, heating, plumbing, and electrical — each with an update year, each with a full-vs-partial distinction. The convention every underwriter applies: unless a record shows an update, assume original. Our wizard uses the same rule, with room for partial updates and estimated years, because that's how carriers will read whatever you submit.
| System | What "original" implies to a carrier | The update that resets it |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | Age-related water/fire scoring, ACV schedules. The 20-year line → | Documented re-roof (permits, invoice) |
| Electrical | Knob & tube, fuse boxes, 60-amp service. K&T → | Rewire + panel upgrade, permitted |
| Plumbing | Galvanized supply lines, water-loss frequency. Old pipe → | Repipe (copper/PEX) |
| Heating | Old floor/wall furnaces, gravity systems | Modern central system or documented service |
Hunt down the real years before you apply: permit portals, seller disclosures, your inspection report, the receipts folder. Every documented year moves the home up a shelf; every shrug prices as 1948.
Ordinance or law: the older home's essential endorsement
When an older home suffers a serious loss, it doesn't get rebuilt as-was — it gets rebuilt to today's code: seismic hardware, sprinklers where required, modern electrical service, energy standards. That regulatory delta is ordinance-or-law coverage, and plain replacement cost doesn't include it. On pre-war construction the gap is real money, which is why we treat ordinance/law (alongside extended replacement cost) as near-mandatory on older placements. While you're at it, make sure Coverage A reflects what period details actually cost to reproduce — plaster, casework, and clay tile don't rebuild at tract-home rates.
Old house, real answers
The wizard asks the four systems the way underwriters do — full, partial, or original.
Four minutes to an indication matched to the markets that actually write your home's vintage. No fee, no obligation.
Get a pricing indication →Where unrenovated homes get placed
An older home with original systems is not uninsurable — it's specialty-shaped. Preferred admitted programs want updated systems; standard markets take partial-update stories with inspections; E&S markets write original-condition homes at original-condition prices, often with water-coverage limitations that reflect the pipe in the walls. The strategy writes itself: place the home where it fits today, sequence the updates by underwriting payoff (electrical and plumbing usually lead, roof by age), and remarket after each documented project. Homes climb tiers this way every season. The improvement levers →
Frequently asked
Is there an age where homes can't be insured?
No — there are century-old homes in preferred programs because their systems are young. Age is a proxy; updates are the fact. The application cares about the years you can document.
Do partial updates count?
Yes, honestly reported: "plumbing partial, 2015" is a legitimate answer our wizard and carriers both accept. Rate is set to what remains original, and the partial still improves the story.
My home is historic/designated. Anything special?
Reproduction cost and rebuild constraints deserve extra care in setting limits — bring your broker in early and consider the high-value markets, which handle period reproduction well. No legal advice here; preservation rules are their own conversation with your local authority.
Does an older home need earthquake coverage more?
Older wood-frame homes — especially pre-1980 with cripple walls or unbolted foundations — are where EQ retrofit and coverage conversations matter most. It's a separate policy either way. The EQ guide →