What is an insurance rider?

Written by

Elizabeth Rivelli

Contributing writer | Home insurance

Elizabeth Rivelli is a contributing writer at Kin and an insurance expert whose work has appeared in CNN, Forbes, Bankrate, and elsewhere.

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Edited by

Jennifer Lobb Jennifer Lobb

Jennifer Lobb

Lead editor | Home insurance

Jennifer Lobb is a former lead editor at Kin and a home insurance expert. Previously, she was an insurance editor at USA Today, U.S. News & World Report, and Forbes Advisor.

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Updated Mar 16, 2026

A home insurance rider, commonly called an endorsement, is a legally binding modification to your homeowners insurance policy. Riders often enhance your policy, but they can also exclude coverage or otherwise make changes to your standard home insurance contract.

Understanding how home insurance riders work, when they are applied, and how they may impact your coverage can help ensure your home is adequately protected and that your policy accurately reflects your needs.

How do insurance policy riders work?

Riders alter your standard homeowners insurance policy. These modifications can include:

Adding or extending coverage, such as extending policy limits under certain circumstances or adding coverage for a specific peril, like flooding, that may otherwise be excluded from your policy.
Limiting or excluding coverage, such as changing the way an insurer pays out on a roof claim or opting out of a specific type of coverage, like personal property insurance.
Modifying your policy, such as increasing or decreasing your home insurance deductible.

Common home insurance riders (and how they work)

Exactly how policy riders work will depend on the type of rider, your policy, the insurer, and the state in which you live. Here are some common riders you may come across or benefit from as a homeowner.

Flood insurance

Standard home insurance policies typically exclude coverage for damage caused by flooding. However, some insurers offer a flood insurance rider, which extends coverage to include damage from flooding or water surges.

Earthquake insurance

Damage from earthquakes or tremors is typically excluded from a standard homeowners policy. If your property is vulnerable to this type of damage, ask your insurer about adding an earthquake rider to extend coverage.

Extended replacement cost coverage

Extended replacement cost coverage is an optional homeowners insurance upgrade that pays above your dwelling coverage limit by a specific percentage, such as 20%, if rebuilding your home costs more than your policy limit after a covered loss.

Scheduled personal property coverage

Although most homeowners' insurance policies include coverage for personal belongings, they may not always provide enough coverage for high-value items, such as fine art, jewelry, collectibles, and firearms. You can often enhance coverage for those items by scheduling personal property coverage.

Roof payment schedule

A roof surfacing payment schedule, also known as a roof surfacing payment schedule, alters the way your insurer pays out roof claims. While insurers often pay out the replacement cost for roof repairs, a roof payment schedule gradually reduces policy limits for roof damage under certain conditions, such as windstorms.

A roof payment schedule endorsement can reduce your homeowners insurance premium and may make it easier to secure coverage if your home has an older roof.

Water backup coverage

Damage caused by water backups, such as those resulting from sump pump failures or sewer backups, is typically not covered by homeowners insurance. A water backup endorsement extends coverage to those issues. It can help you pay for repairs to your dwelling (home’s foundation, walls, flooring, ceiling, etc.) and your personal property (furniture, clothes, electronics, etc.).

This endorsement can add an extra layer of protection to a standard home insurance policy, which only covers water damage that is sudden and accidental. Damage caused by water backups is usually an excluded peril.

Ordinance or law coverage

If a covered peril damages your home, your home insurance policy covers related repairs or replacements, but it won’t cover the cost to upgrade your home to meet local building codes. Ordinance or law coverage, also known as building code coverage, provides financial protection if you have to make updates to your home to meet current building standards.

Benefits of adding an insurance rider

If you’re a homeowner, riders can supplement or modify your standard homeowners insurance to help you secure coverage to fit your unique needs. Below are some of the most common benefits of insurance riders.

Higher coverage limits for specific items. Many home insurance riders can increase your coverage limits, either for your dwelling or personal property.
Customized coverage for your needs. Home insurance riders allow you to tailor a policy to your specific needs and circumstances. You can typically add or remove riders at any time to adjust to your needs.
Cheaper than getting a standalone policy. Oftentimes, adding a home insurance rider to your policy is more affordable than getting a standalone policy. For example, if you want to purchase water backup coverage or service line insurance, it may be more cost-effective to add a rider than to buy a standalone policy.
Easy to manage. Adding endorsements to an existing policy can simplify the payment process and policy management. Instead of purchasing and paying for stand-alone policies from other providers, adding riders to your policy allows you to make a payment and manage that policy in a single place.

How to add a home insurance rider to your policy

Adding a home insurance rider to your homeowners insurance policy is usually a simple process. Though the exact process may vary based on the rider you choose, here are the basic steps to follow.

Contact your insurance company or agent to request that the rider be added to your policy.
Request a quote. Ask your insurer for a quote that reflects how the rider will affect your premium.
Get an appraisal, if needed. Depending on the rider you add, you might need to get an appraisal or inspection. This is a common feature of scheduled personal property coverage.
Approve the rider. Once you’re sure you want to proceed with the new rider, confirm your decision with your insurer so they can update your policy accordingly.
Pay an additional premium. Though not always necessary, you may need to pay an additional premium.
Review your new policy documents. Your insurer should send you an updated declaration page that reflects the changes to your policy. Review that document to ensure the policy was updated correctly.