Common Questions
Honest answers to the questions we hear most. No fluff, no sales pitch.
Homeowners Insurance
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
It depends on the source. Sudden and accidental water damage, like a burst pipe or an appliance leak, is typically covered under a standard HO-3 policy. Flooding from outside, including storm surge, overflowing rivers, and surface runoff, is not covered and requires a separate flood insurance policy. Gradual leaks or water damage from lack of maintenance are also excluded. This distinction catches a lot of homeowners off guard at claim time.
How much dwelling coverage do I actually need?
You need enough to rebuild your home from the ground up at current local construction costs, not its market value or purchase price. In Georgia, construction costs have increased significantly since 2020. Most homeowners are underinsured because their dwelling limit reflects what they paid for the home years ago, not what it costs to rebuild today. We use replacement cost estimators and carrier tools to get this number right.
What is a deductible on a homeowners policy?
Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before the insurance company pays the rest of a covered claim. Georgia homeowners policies often have two deductibles: a standard flat-dollar deductible for most claims, and a separate wind and hail deductible that is usually a percentage of your dwelling coverage (commonly 1% to 2%). A $400,000 home with a 1% wind deductible means you pay the first $4,000 of any wind or hail claim.
Can I save money by raising my deductible?
Yes, but be careful about how high you go. Raising your deductible from $1,000 to $2,500 might save $150 to $250 per year, but you are taking on $1,500 more out-of-pocket exposure per claim. A better question is whether you have that amount accessible in savings. If you do, a higher deductible makes sense. If a $2,500 deductible would be a hardship after a claim, it is not worth the premium savings.
Auto Insurance
What are Georgia minimum auto insurance requirements?
Georgia requires 25/50/25: $25,000 per person for bodily injury, $50,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage. These minimums are low. A single serious accident can easily exceed them, and your personal assets are exposed to any judgment above your policy limits. Most drivers in North Atlanta should carry at least 100/300/100, and anyone with meaningful assets should also carry an umbrella policy.
Do I need uninsured motorist coverage in Georgia?
Yes. Georgia has a relatively high rate of uninsured drivers. Uninsured motorist coverage pays for your medical bills and damages if you are hit by a driver who has no insurance or not enough insurance. Without it, you would need to sue the at-fault driver personally, which is often a dead end. We recommend carrying UM coverage equal to your liability limits.
What is the difference between comprehensive and collision?
Collision covers damage to your vehicle from hitting another car or object. Comprehensive covers everything else: theft, vandalism, hitting a deer, hail, fire, and flooding. Both are optional if you own your car outright, but lenders require them if you have a loan or lease. Whether they make sense depends on the value of your vehicle and your deductible amount.
Why does my auto rate change at renewal even with no claims?
Insurance rates are based on the risk of the entire pool of policyholders, not just your individual history. If claims in your zip code or state increased, your carrier may raise rates even if you had no claims. Georgia has seen significant auto rate increases since 2021 due to rising repair costs, medical costs, and litigation trends. If your renewal is meaningfully higher, it is worth a comparison across carriers.
Umbrella Insurance
What does a personal umbrella policy cover?
A personal umbrella policy adds a layer of liability coverage above your home and auto policies. If you are found liable for a serious accident that exceeds your auto limits, your umbrella policy pays the excess up to its limit (usually $1M to $5M). It also covers liability claims not included in standard home or auto policies, such as certain lawsuits. Most $1M umbrella policies cost $150 to $300 per year.
Who actually needs umbrella insurance?
Anyone with assets worth protecting. If you own a home, have savings or retirement accounts, or earn an income that could be garnished, you have exposure. In North Atlanta, most homeowners should have an umbrella. If you have teenage drivers, a swimming pool, a trampoline, or significant assets, the case is even stronger. The cost is low relative to the protection.
Does umbrella insurance cover business liability?
A personal umbrella typically excludes business-related liability. If you run a business from home or have clients visit your property for business purposes, your personal umbrella will likely not respond to those claims. You need a commercial umbrella or excess liability policy for business exposure. This is a gap that comes up often in home-based businesses and side businesses.
About Olive Cover
What does it mean to be an independent insurance agent?
An independent agent represents multiple insurance carriers rather than just one. When you work with Olive Cover, we submit your information to multiple A-rated carriers, compare the results, and recommend the coverage that fits your situation. A captive agent, by contrast, can only offer products from the one company they represent. If that company is not competitive for your risk profile, the captive agent has nothing else to offer you.
Is the coverage review really free?
Yes, completely free with no obligation. We review your current dec page, identify any gaps, and tell you what it would cost to address them. If your coverage is already right, we will tell you that too. You are never obligated to make any changes or purchase anything.
Is Olive Cover a licensed insurance agency?
Yes. Olive Cover is the brand name of Olive Insurance Services, LLC, a licensed Georgia property and casualty insurance agency. Agency NPN: 22116940. Producer: Mahesh Anand, NPN: 2790083. We are an independent agency representing multiple carriers. We are not affiliated with any single insurance company.
What states do you write insurance in?
We are a Georgia-based agency primarily serving Georgia residents and businesses. Our focus is North Atlanta and the surrounding metro counties, but we write coverage for clients across all 159 Georgia counties. If you are outside Georgia, contact us and we can discuss what options are available.
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