Home & Property
Named Perils
A coverage approach where only the specific causes of loss listed in the policy are covered.
Last reviewed: May 2026 · Editorial methodology
Definition
Under a named-perils policy form, the insurance company owes coverage only when damage stems from one of the explicitly enumerated causes — such as fire, lightning, windstorm, hail, theft, or vandalism. The ISO HO-3 uses named perils for Coverage C (personal property), and the HO-4 and DP-1/DP-2 use named perils throughout. The policyholder bears the burden of proving that a covered peril caused the loss. Standard ISO named-perils forms list 16 perils for personal property; older forms (like the HO-1 and DP-1) cover as few as 11. Any peril not on the list — such as accidental water discharge from a neighbor's unit, mold, or power surge — is not covered under pure named-perils forms. Named-perils coverage is generally less expensive than open-perils coverage but can leave surprising gaps, particularly for water-related losses that fall outside the named categories.
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Cover Forge USA Editorial Team
Editorial Lead
This article was researched and written by the Cover Forge USA editorial team against federal sources (NAIC, CMS, FEMA, DOL, SSA, state DOIs) and standard policy forms. Bylines organize content by topic — they do not assert individual licensure. See our editorial-policy for details.
Reviewed 2026-06-14
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