Four out of ten people with home insurance made no change to their policy in over a year, according to a new survey from VIU by HUB, conducted by The Harris Poll. Another two out of ten haven't touched their policy since the day they bought it.

The numbers on the provider side tell a similar story. 56% of policyholders say their insurance provider hasn't checked in on their coverage in over a year. 21% say that check-in has never happened at all. Meanwhile, 88% say they'd want their provider to flag it when their coverage no longer fits their life.

Insurance companies aren't required to call and ask whether your coverage still makes sense for your home. Most homeowners aren't opening that file until something forces them to. Life gets busy, especially in a market like DC Metro where home values, renovation costs, and rebuild costs have all moved meaningfully in the past couple of years.

Is my home insurance coverage still enough? Most homeowners find out the answer only after filing a claim, which is the worst possible time to learn it. A quick annual review, checking your dwelling coverage against today's rebuild costs, confirming any endorsements you actually need, and asking what's changed since your last update, can catch a gap before it costs you.

So consider this your friendly annual reminder to give your policy a look. Here's exactly what to check.

The Coverage You Think You Have vs the Coverage You Actually Have

The Hanover's 2025 Homeowners Coverage Awareness Report, a separate Harris Poll survey of homeowners aged 30 and up, found a wide gap between what people believe they're covered for and what their policy actually includes:

• Umbrella coverage: 83% have heard of it. Only 39% have discussed it with an agent.
• Valuables coverage: 87% know it exists. Only 26% carry it.
• Cyber coverage: 46% know it's an option. Only 7% have it.

Knowing a coverage type exists isn't the same as being protected by it. That same report found 66% of homeowners said they'd want to add umbrella coverage once someone explained what it actually does.

This isn't people skipping coverage on purpose. Most don't know it applies to them until someone walks them through it, which is exactly what an annual review with your agent is for.

What It Looks Like When the Gap Catches Up With You

Back to the VIU by HUB survey: one in three homeowners who filed a claim said their coverage fell short of what they needed. Within that group, 14% said none of their claim was covered.

There's no convenient time for that kind of news, and it's especially rough when it shows up after a pipe bursts or a storm tears into your roof, only to find out the policy you've paid into for years doesn't cover the repair.

The same survey found 67% of policyholders said covering a surprise $1,000 expense would be a real struggle for their household. A coverage shortfall means money you may not have, at the exact moment you need it most.

A Five-Minute Check You Can Do This Week

A policy review doesn't have to turn into a research project. Pull up your current policy and check these four things:

• Your dwelling coverage limit, and whether it reflects what it would actually cost to rebuild your home today, not what you paid for it, and not its current market value. These are three different numbers, and confusing them is one of the most common coverage gaps.
• Any named endorsements on the policy, like added coverage for jewelry, art, or water backup.
• The date your policy was last reviewed or updated.
• Any changes to your home or life since that date: a renovation, a new roof, a home office, a big purchase.

If any of those raise a question you can't answer off the top of your head, that's your sign to take a closer look. A policy review is about knowing where you stand before you ever need to file a claim.

Five Minutes Now Beats a Bad Surprise Later

None of this means your policy is wrong. Coverage is built around the home and the life you had when you bought it, and both of those tend to change more than most policies do, especially somewhere like DC Metro, where a kitchen renovation or a rebuild-cost jump can outpace an unreviewed policy fast.

The homeowners in these surveys who found out their coverage fell short didn't do anything unusual. They just hadn't looked at their policy in a while, same as most people haven't.

A five-minute check now costs you nothing. Finding out your coverage isn't enough after a loss costs you money, and a lot of stress you don't need. Taking the time to check this month puts you ahead of it before anything happens.

FAQ: Reviewing Your Homeowners Insurance

How often should I review my homeowners insurance policy?

Once a year at minimum, and any time your home or life changes meaningfully: a renovation, a new roof, a major purchase, or a shift like starting to work from home.

What's the difference between dwelling coverage, market value, and rebuild cost?

Market value is what your home would sell for. Rebuild cost is what it would actually cost to reconstruct your home today, including materials and labor. Dwelling coverage should match your rebuild cost, not your market value, these numbers can differ significantly.

What happens if my coverage isn't enough when I file a claim?

Coverage shortfalls are common. Recent survey data shows roughly one in three homeowners who filed a claim found their coverage fell short of what they needed, and some found nothing was covered at all. This is why a proactive review matters more than a reactive one.

What coverage types do homeowners commonly overlook?

Umbrella coverage, valuables coverage, and cyber coverage are three of the most commonly known-about but rarely carried protections, often because homeowners assume their standard policy already includes them.

Not sure your coverage keeps up with your home's current value in DC, Maryland, or Virginia? Edward Slavis and the team can help you think through what your home is actually worth today, so your policy review starts with the right number.