Alaska • Insurance non-renewal or spike
Your Alaska condo insurance and the earthquake nobody's covering
Alaska's insurance story isn't a non-renewal wave — it's a coverage gap. The state's defining risk, earthquake, is the one most master policies leave out.
The short answer
Alaska is the most seismically active US state, yet earthquake is excluded from standard master and HO-6 policies and bought separately at 10–20% deductibles — so most buildings are effectively self-insured for their biggest peril. Glacial-outburst flooding (Juneau) adds exposure. CondoSignal reads your master policy and HO-6 against the Alaska market. Free.Alaska at a glance
Earthquake
Excluded
Bought separately at 10–20% deductibles.
Seismicity
Most active US state
~40,000 quakes/year.
Flood
Excluded
Glacial-outburst risk in Juneau.
Master standard
Common risks
Excludes quake & flood (AS 34.08.440).
The earthquake exclusion
Alaska records ~40,000 earthquakes a year and the 2018 M7.1 alone caused $75M+ in damage — yet earthquake is a standard exclusion from master and HO-6 policies, purchased separately as an endorsement with 10–20% deductibles. Many associations and owners forgo it on cost, leaving the building effectively self-insured for its single largest peril, with reserves and special assessments as the only backstop.
Flood and glacial outburst
Flood is also excluded, and parts of Alaska face real exposure: Juneau's Mendenhall Valley has seen record glacial-outburst flooding in 2023, 2024, and 2025 (about 300 residences damaged in 2024), and Mat-Su sees riverine and snowmelt flooding. A building in these areas needs separate NFIP or private flood coverage that many lack.
What's required
Master policies must cover 'all risks commonly insured against' (AS 34.08.440) — which conventionally excludes earthquake and flood. So the master policy can be fully compliant and still leave the two biggest Alaska perils uncovered. Confirming whether earthquake is carried at all is the key step.
Your rights in Alaska
Alaska master policies must cover 'all risks commonly insured against' (AS 34.08.440) — which excludes earthquake and flood. None of this is legal advice — confirm against AS 34.08 and an Alaska-licensed broker.
What to check
- Confirm whether the master policy carries earthquake at all.
- If it does, find the (10–20%) earthquake deductible.
- Check reserves as the de facto earthquake fund.
- For Juneau/Mat-Su, confirm separate flood coverage.
- Establish whether the master or your HO-6 changed.
- Confirm your HO-6 loss-assessment coverage.
Sources
Educational only — not legal, financial, or engineering advice. Confirm against the current statute and, where it matters, a Alaska-licensed professional.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
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