ACORD 80 — Homeowners Application

Edition 2013/03 · PDF format

Standard application for homeowners insurance. Collects information about the dwelling, personal property, liability exposure, prior claims, and desired coverage levels.

What is ACORD 80?

ACORD 80 (Homeowners Application) is the standard application form for personal-lines homeowners insurance. It captures the dwelling characteristics, personal property valuation, liability exposure, and prior claims history that homeowners carriers underwrite.

Most modern personal-lines submissions go through carrier-specific online portals or comparative raters that produce ACORD-compliant data, but the underlying field structure remains. ACORD 80 is the lowest common denominator.

Who needs this form

Any homeowner applying for primary residence, secondary home, rental dwelling, or condo coverage.

When to use it

Submit at new business, renewal, and any material change to the dwelling or coverage requested.

Key Fields on ACORD 80

The information the form captures, in the order it typically appears:

Applicant name, contact information, social security number
Mortgage information
Dwelling address, year built, square footage, construction type
Number of stories, number of families, occupancy
Roof type and age
Heating, electrical, plumbing systems and ages
Protection class, distance to fire hydrant and station
Coverage A (dwelling), B (other structures), C (personal property), D (loss of use), E (liability), F (medical)
Deductibles requested
Endorsements: scheduled personal property, water backup, earthquake, etc.
Prior claims history (typically 5 years)

Common Mistakes

Recurring errors that delay processing or expose brokers to E&O claims:

Insuring to market value instead of replacement cost

Coverage A should be set to the dwelling's replacement cost, not market value. Use a replacement cost calculator (e.g., 360Value or carrier tool) to determine the correct limit.

Forgetting scheduled personal property

Standard policies have sub-limits on jewelry, fine art, firearms, etc. High-value items should be scheduled separately to avoid coverage gaps.

Underreporting claims

Carriers run CLUE (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) reports. Omitted claims are discovered and result in declinations or rescissions.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between HO-3 and HO-5?

HO-3: open perils on dwelling, named perils on personal property. HO-5: open perils on both dwelling and personal property. HO-5 is broader and slightly more expensive, often the better choice for higher-value homes.

Do I need flood insurance with my homeowners policy?

Standard homeowners policies exclude flood. Flood coverage requires a separate NFIP or private flood policy. Whether it's required depends on the property's flood zone designation and your lender's requirements.

Related ACORD Forms

ACORD 27