PDF
Plano Home Inventory Worksheet
A room-by-room template for documenting belongings before a claim. Filled out, it speeds adjuster conversations by weeks.
Request the fileKnowledge base
Insurance, in plain English.
Tools, definitions, plain-English coverage reads, and a small library of long-form articles. Built for North Texas households and businesses.
Widget · Personalized checklist
Build your coverage checklist.
Four short questions. We assemble a starting list, tailored to your facts.
Step 1 of 4
Who are you covering?
Widget · Glossary
Insurance terms, in plain English.
The vocabulary most quote conversations assume you already know. Written for buyers, not adjusters.
15 terms
30/60/25TX minimum
Personal Auto →The Texas minimum auto liability requirement: $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 total per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. These are the bare minimums set by the Texas Transportation Code, not the limits we usually recommend.
HO-3
Homeowners →The standard homeowners policy form used across the United States. Covers the dwelling on an open-perils basis (anything not specifically excluded) and personal property on a named-perils basis. The default form most North Texas homeowners carry.
TWIA
Homeowners →The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. A state-created insurer of last resort for windstorm and hail coverage in 14 designated Tier 1 coastal counties where private carriers will not write. Relevant only for clients with coastal property.
TDI
The Texas Department of Insurance. The state agency that regulates insurance in Texas. TDI publishes consumer guides, maintains a complaint line at 1-800-252-3439, and is the authority we cite for any statement about Texas coverage law.
Umbrella policyExcess liability
Umbrella →A liability policy that sits above your auto and home liability limits, typically in $1M increments. Pays after the underlying policy reaches its limit. Important for households with assets to protect or higher-than-average liability exposure.
Deductible
Homeowners →The amount you pay out of pocket before the policy pays anything. Higher deductibles lower your premium but raise your exposure on a claim. Most North Texas wind/hail deductibles are a percentage of the dwelling coverage, not a flat dollar amount.
Replacement cost vs ACVRC vs ACV
Homeowners →Replacement Cost pays what it takes to replace a damaged item at today's prices. Actual Cash Value pays the depreciated value. The difference can be substantial on a roof. Always ask which basis your policy uses for both the dwelling and personal property.
NFIP
Homeowners →The National Flood Insurance Program. Run by FEMA. Flood damage is excluded from standard homeowners policies, so flood coverage runs as a separate policy through NFIP or a private flood carrier. North Texas flood exposure varies wildly by property.
BOPBusiness Owners Policy
Commercial Property →A bundled commercial policy combining general liability, commercial property, and business interruption coverage for small and mid-size businesses. The right starting point for most DFW small businesses with a physical location.
SR-22
Personal Auto →A certificate of financial responsibility filed with TDI by a driver's auto insurer, typically required after a major moving violation, DUI, or driving uninsured. Confirms the driver carries at least the state minimum liability coverage.
UM/UIMUninsured / underinsured
Personal Auto →Uninsured Motorist and Underinsured Motorist coverage pay when you are hit by a driver who has no insurance or not enough. Texas does not require it but the Texas Department of Insurance recommends it, and we usually do too.
Wind/Hail deductible
Homeowners →A separate deductible on a homeowners policy that applies only to wind and hail claims. In North Texas this is often 1% to 2% of dwelling coverage, which can be a much larger out-of-pocket than the regular all-perils deductible.
Named perils vs Open perils
Homeowners →Named-perils coverage pays only for losses caused by specific perils listed in the policy (fire, theft, hail, and so on). Open-perils, sometimes called all-risk, covers anything except what is specifically excluded. HO-3 dwellings are open-perils; personal property is named-perils.
Comprehensive coverage
Personal Auto →Auto coverage for non-collision damage: theft, vandalism, hail, falling objects, hitting a deer. Optional under Texas law, but the only auto coverage that pays for hail damage to your vehicle. North Texas hail exposure makes this worth carrying.
Collision coverage
Personal Auto →Auto coverage for damage to your vehicle from a crash, whether with another vehicle or an object. Optional under Texas law unless required by a lender. Required if your vehicle is financed or leased.
These definitions are general information, not coverage advice. Specifics depend on your policy and your carrier.
Understand your quote
Your quote, line by line.
A sample declarations page for a Texas auto and homeowners policy. Tap any coverage to see what it does and why it matters in North Texas, the way we walk clients through it in Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and Allen.
Interactive sample · Personal Auto policy summary
A sample personal auto declarations page.
Tap any line to see what it covers and why it matters in North Texas. Limits are illustrative.
The Texas minimum: 30/60/25
Bodily injury & property damage liability
Sample limit100 / 300 / 100
Liability pays for the harm you cause to other people and their property in an at-fault accident. The 30/60/25 minimum means $30,000 per injured person, $60,000 total per accident, and $25,000 for property damage. It does not pay for your own car or your own injuries.
In North Texas
Texas sets this minimum under the Transportation Code, and the Texas Department of Insurance openly recommends carrying more. On the Dallas North Tollway or US-75 at rush hour, a single collision with a newer vehicle can blow past the $25,000 property cap before injuries are even counted.
A new full-size truck can total well past $25,000, and anything above your limit is your personal responsibility.
Interactive sample · Homeowners policy summary
A sample homeowners declarations page.
Tap any line to see what it covers and why it matters in North Texas. Limits are illustrative.
The cost to rebuild, not the price you paid
Dwelling (Coverage A)
Sample limit$400,000
Coverage A pays to repair or rebuild the physical structure of your home after a covered loss. The number that matters is replacement cost, what it takes to rebuild today, not your purchase price or market value.
In North Texas
In a fast-appreciating market like Plano and Frisco, market value and rebuild cost have drifted apart. We make sure Coverage A reflects current North Texas construction costs so you are not underinsured at claim time.
A home that sells for $500,000 might cost $380,000 or $560,000 to actually rebuild, and Coverage A tracks the latter.
Coverage reads
Each line, in two paragraphs.
Six lines of coverage, six short reads, then the full page if you want the depth.
01
Personal Auto
Texas requires 30/60/25 liability at minimum, and the minimum is rarely enough. We unpack the right limits, comprehensive for hail, and how rate increases work at renewal.
Read the page02
Homeowners
HO-3 is the default form. Wind and hail deductibles, replacement cost versus ACV, and flood as a separate policy are the four moving parts most homeowners do not understand until claim time.
Read the page03
Commercial Auto
Personal auto policies typically exclude business use. If a vehicle is on the road for work, including occasional trips, commercial auto is the coverage that responds.
Read the page04
Commercial Property
Covers the building, equipment, inventory, and the income you lose when a covered event interrupts operations. Most small DFW businesses run a Business Owners Policy that bundles this with liability.
Read the page05
Umbrella
Liability coverage above your auto and home limits. Cheap relative to what it protects. The right coverage for families with teen drivers, homeowners with pools, or anyone with assets to lose.
Read the page06
Life
Term and permanent options. The right amount depends on income replacement, debts, and the people who depend on you. We work the math; we do not sell a policy nobody needs.
Read the pageResource library
Tools, briefs, and one annual reference.
Downloadable references we hand to clients during onboarding, released here for anyone reviewing their own coverage.
PDF
Hail Damage Claim Checklist
What to photograph, when to file, how to read the adjuster's estimate, and the four reasons most North Texas hail claims get underpaid.
Request the filePDFComing soon
Texas Coverage Quick Reference
30/60/25, HO-3, TWIA, NFIP, BOP. The vocabulary buyers should walk in already knowing, in one printable sheet.
Notify me when publishedPDFComing soon
Annual Coverage Review Worksheet
The questions we walk through with every client once a year. Useful even if you do not work with us yet.
Notify me when publishedSample resources. Available references download via the contact form; "Coming soon" items publish on the dates noted in our editorial calendar.
Article archive
Deep-dives, published as they are written.
Long-form on coverage, claims, and the mechanics of how a Plano household actually buys insurance.
March 15, 2026 · 6 min
What hail damage actually means for your roof claim
Most North Texas roof claims get underpaid on the same four points. We work through what an adjuster looks for, what counts as functional damage, and where the difference between RC and ACV shows up.
Read the articleFebruary 28, 2026 · 5 min
When 30/60/25 is not enough for Plano households
Texas minimum liability covers a fender-bender, not a serious accident. We work the math on a realistic claim and walk through how higher liability limits usually cost less than people expect.
Read the articleJanuary 22, 2026 · 4 min
Bundling: when it actually saves you money, and when it does not
Carriers love the bundling pitch because it locks two policies in. Sometimes it saves you real money. Sometimes you are paying for the privilege of one bill. Here is how to tell the difference.
Read the articleMore deep-dives in progress, one per coverage line. Subscribe via the contact form to be notified as they publish.