What items can be scheduled on an articles floater?
A personal articles floater lets you schedule, specifically list, high-value items so each one is insured for its full appraised or agreed value. Standard homeowners policies cover personal property as a broad category, not as individual items, and they cap payouts for certain classes of valuables regardless of what those items are actually worth.
What sublimits does a standard homeowners policy apply to valuable personal property?
Common caps on a standard homeowners policy: jewelry theft is often limited to $1,500 total, watches and furs to $1,500, firearms to $2,500, and silverware to $2,500. These caps are a sublimit on your personal property coverage. Mysterious disappearance, a ring that slips off at the beach, a watch that vanishes with no sign of a break-in, is typically excluded entirely. Accidental damage is rarely covered either.
What items can be scheduled on a personal articles floater?
A scheduled floater removes those caps and fills in those gaps for each listed item. Items commonly scheduled include:
- Engagement rings, wedding bands, fine jewelry, and loose gemstones
- Watches, including collector pieces and high-end timepieces
- Fine art, antiques, and collectibles
- Firearms
- Coin, stamp, and sports card collections
- Cameras and professional photography equipment
- Musical instruments
- Furs and designer accessories
- Silverware and flatware sets
Coverage follows each item anywhere in the world, which matters for jewelry, cameras, or instruments you carry when you travel. A diamond ring lost on a trip overseas and a camera bag stolen at an airport are both covered under the floater, situations a standard homeowners policy would not pay for.
How does the payout work for a scheduled item?
Each item is scheduled at its individual appraised or agreed value, also called a stated amount, and the floater pays that amount in a covered loss. Most floaters carry no deductible or a very small one. The payout is per-item, not subject to an aggregate cap across the class.
For example, a household in Marietta schedules a $9,000 diamond engagement ring, a $4,500 watch, and two firearms collectively valued at $2,800. Their homeowners policy would have paid a fraction of that after a burglary, and nothing for a misplaced ring. The floater pays the scheduled value for each item, subject to the policy terms.
What documentation does an insurer require to schedule a high-value item?
To add an item, insurers typically require a recent appraisal (usually within the past two to five years) or a purchase receipt. High-value pieces, generally anything above $5,000 to $10,000 depending on the carrier, may need a certified appraisal rather than a receipt alone. Values should be updated when an item is reappraised, since jewelry and art markets move.
For example, a watch purchased for $3,000 five years ago may now appraise at $6,000 due to secondary market appreciation, and an outdated scheduled value means the floater only pays the lower figure at claim time.
How does scheduling differ from a blanket endorsement on a homeowners policy?
A blanket endorsement raises the theft sublimit across a category of valuables without requiring individual appraisals. Scheduling is item-specific and typically provides broader protection, including accidental loss and mysterious disappearance, while a blanket endorsement still focuses on theft and may not cover physical damage or a piece that simply goes missing.
A licensed advisor can confirm which of your valuables sit above standard homeowners sublimits, what documentation each insurer accepts, and what scheduled value is appropriate. Request a free coverage review to go through your valuables list and close any gaps.
For the full picture on scheduling, agreed value, and mysterious disappearance, see the jewelry insurance guide.