Washington • Insurance non-renewal or spike
Washington condo insurance non-renewed or spiking — and is earthquake even covered?
Washington doesn't have Florida's hurricane drama, so insurance surprises here tend to be about what's not covered — earthquake, flood — and how big the deductible is. A non-renewal or a spike is worth reading carefully for those gaps.
The short answer
Washington's market is steadier than the coasts, but earthquake exposure is the quiet problem: quake coverage is optional and often excluded, with deductibles of 5–15%, and master deductibles of $25K–$100K shift loss to owners. CondoSignal reads your master policy and HO-6 against the Washington market to find the gap. Free.Washington at a glance
Property floor
80% RCV
Plus liability (RCW 64.34.352).
Earthquake
Optional
Often excluded; 5–15% deductible when carried.
Master deductible
$25K–$100K
Often passed to the responsible owner.
FAIR Plan
Fire only
Last resort, not a master-policy substitute.
The earthquake gap
The Cascadia subduction zone makes earthquake the defining Washington risk, especially for Puget Sound high-rises — yet quake coverage is optional, expensive, and frequently excluded from the master policy, with deductibles of 5–15% when it is carried. If your association's master policy has no earthquake line, that's a large uninsured exposure that won't show until you read the declarations.
Deductibles that land on owners
To hold premiums down, many Washington associations carry master deductibles of $25,000 to $100,000, and declarations often allow passing a deductible to the responsible unit after a loss. A deductible that size can become a per-owner charge — and one above 5% of value can complicate conventional financing.
What's required and what's not
Condos must carry property insurance at 80% of replacement cost plus liability (RCW 64.34.352), but earthquake and flood are optional. The Washington FAIR Plan is a last-resort fire option, not a substitute for a master policy. Reading the master policy against your individual HO-6 shows where the real gap sits.
Your rights in Washington
Washington condos must carry property insurance at 80% of replacement cost plus liability (RCW 64.34.352); earthquake and flood are optional. Insurance terms must appear on the condo resale certificate. None of this is legal advice — confirm against the current statute and a Washington-licensed broker.
What to check
- Establish whether the master policy or your HO-6 changed.
- Confirm whether earthquake is covered and at what deductible.
- Find the master deductible and whether it passes to owners.
- Check whether flood is covered if you're in a flood zone.
- Confirm your HO-6 loss-assessment coverage.
- Check whether the deductible exceeds the 5% financing cap.
Sources
- RCW 64.34.352 — condominium insurance(High)
- Washington FAIR Plan(High)
- RCW 64.34.425 — resale certificate(High)
Educational only — not legal, financial, or engineering advice. Confirm against the current statute and, where it matters, a Washington-licensed professional.
Related guide
Washington insurance risk — the full guide →This page answers what to do right now. For how insurance risk works in Washington — the law, the process, and what to check before you buy or sell — read the full state guide.
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