Glossary

Personal property (Coverage C)

Coverage for the movable things you own, such as furniture, clothing, electronics and tools, whether they are at home or elsewhere in the world.

Also called: Coverage C, contents coverage, belongings coverage

Personal property coverage, or Coverage C, pays for your belongings when a covered peril damages, destroys or steals them: furniture, clothing, electronics, tools and other movable items. It follows you anywhere in the world, though on the standard ISO form property usually kept at another residence of yours, such as a second home or a college dorm room, is limited to 10% of Coverage C or $1,000, whichever is greater.

The default limit is 50% of the dwelling coverage limit, so $200,000 on a $400,000 house. Treat that as a starting estimate, not a measurement of what you own. Two details catch homeowners. On an HO-3, contents are covered for named perils only, and many policies pay actual cash value for them unless you add replacement cost coverage. And special limits of liability cap cash, jewelry theft, firearms and a few other categories at low dollar amounts.

A home inventory is the best tool you have. Photos and receipts speed up a claim, and the exercise tells you whether 50% is enough. The guide to filing a personal property claim shows what insurers ask for.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Dwelling coverage (Coverage A) The part of a homeowners policy that pays to repair or rebuild the house itself, including attached structures such as a garage, porch or deck. Special limits of liability Low dollar caps on categories such as cash, jewelry, firearms, silverware and business property that apply no matter how high your belongings limit is. Scheduled personal property Individually listed valuables, such as jewelry, art and collectibles, insured for a stated amount each, with broader protection than standard contents coverage. Named perils Coverage that applies only to the causes of loss listed in the policy, so a claim is paid only if the damage came from one of them. Replacement cost What it would cost to repair or rebuild with materials of like kind and quality at today's prices, with no deduction for age or wear. Contents inventory An itemized list of belongings that were damaged, destroyed or stolen, with quantity, description, age and cost, used to support a personal property claim.

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Related tools

Home inventory builder Build a room-by-room list of belongings and replacement costs, compare the total with your personal property limit, and flag items over the standard limits. How much homeowners insurance do I need? Set a target for each coverage in a homeowners policy, from rebuild cost to liability, then compare it with your current limits. Valuables coverage checker Compare what you own in jewelry, firearms, cash, boats and business property with the special limits in a standard homeowners policy and see what to schedule.