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Earthquake deductible: what it means

An earthquake deductible is the deductible on an earthquake insurance policy: the part of a covered loss you pay yourself. Regular homeowners insurance does not cover earthquake damage (except fire), so this insurance is bought separately.

In Spanish it is

Deducible de terremoto (earthquake deductible)

Also written as: earthquake insurance deductible

Verified on October 17, 2026

2 official sources

See the whole dictionary

The full explanation

On California Earthquake Authority (CEA) policies, the deductible for the house is not a fixed amount: it is a percentage of the dwelling coverage limit, and you choose among several options. Some CEA coverages, such as the cost of living elsewhere while your home is repaired (loss of use), have no deductible.

An example

Mario buys CEA earthquake insurance and chooses his deductible percentage. If an earthquake damages his home, the insurer subtracts that deductible from the covered damage and pays the rest.

You will see it in…

The written earthquake insurance offer from your insurance company
Your earthquake policy's declarations page
CEA quotes

Words that go with it

You will rarely see this word alone. These are the ones that show up with it on the same papers.

Still confused by a paper?

A HUD-approved housing counselor can walk you through it. Agencies usually charge little or nothing, many work in Spanish, and they do not sell you anything.

What a housing counselor does See free help

Official sources

We sum up what these official sources say, in plain words. We add no rules they do not state; when a rule changes, the definition and its date change.

1. California Earthquake Authority · CEA Homeowners Policy Coverages & Deductibles (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026
2. California Department of Insurance · Earthquake Insurance (consumer guide) (external site) · in English · Verified on October 17, 2026