The association's master policy covers the building structure, common areas, and shared systems-but it stops at your unit's walls (or at the original interior finishes, depending on the policy type). Your HO-6 fills the gap: it covers your interior walls-in, personal property, personal liability, and additional living expenses after a covered loss. In Montana, master policies and bylaws vary considerably between ski resorts and urban developments, so reading both documents together is the only way to know exactly where the association's coverage ends and yours must begin.

The answer is in two documents: the master policy certificate and the insurance section of your condo bylaws or master deed. A bare-walls (studs-out) policy covers the structure up to the unfinished interior surface-drywall, flooring, cabinets, and fixtures are your responsibility. An all-in (single-entity) policy covers standard original finishes too, leaving you responsible only for upgrades and personal property. A modified all-in sits in between, with specific carve-outs. We'll read these documents with you and size your Coverage A accordingly.

Loss Assessment coverage pays your share of a special assessment levied by the HOA after a covered loss that exceeds the master policy's limits or triggers its deductible. For example, if wildfire damage affects the complex and the master policy deductible is $100,000, the association may spread that cost among unit owners-your Loss Assessment coverage absorbs your portion up to your chosen limit. In Montana, many associations carry higher deductibles due to remote locations and wildfire risks, so we typically recommend a limit that at minimum matches the master policy deductible. Ask your board or property manager for that figure before selecting a limit.

Water backup from drains, sewers, or sump pump overflow is excluded from most standard HO-6 policies but can be added as an endorsement. Montana's harsh winters mean freezing pipes and snowmelt backups are common, especially in mountain condos. Water damage from a backed-up drain in a neighboring unit can affect your unit even if your own plumbing is in good shape. We recommend higher sub-limits for properties with known winter exposure. Note that water backup is separate from flood-flood requires its own NFIP or private policy.

Standard HO-6 covers fire damage from within your unit, but wildfire (wildfire from outside) may have limitations or require special endorsements. The master policy typically covers the building structure from wildfire, but your interior improvements and contents need HO-6 protection. Montana faces significant wildfire risk, especially in western mountain areas. We assess your property's Wildland-Urban Interface exposure and can add appropriate wildfire endorsements or debris removal coverage if needed.

When a covered loss triggers repairs to your unit's interior, local building codes may require upgrades beyond simply restoring what was there before-updated wiring, plumbing to current code, snow load requirements, or seismic retrofits. Ordinance or Law coverage pays the cost of those code-mandated upgrades. In Montana, where many condos must meet modern snow load and wildfire codes, this endorsement can make a material difference in what you recover after a loss. It should be on every HO-6.

Not adequately. A standard HO-6 is written for owner-occupants; once a tenant moves in, coverage gaps open up-particularly around liability and loss of rental income. We'll rewrite the policy on the appropriate landlord or condo-landlord form, which adds loss of rents coverage and reflects the correct liability exposure. Montana law sets minimum liability requirements for rental properties. We'll align your policy with those requirements and issue any certificates needed by the city, your lender, or the association.

$300,000-$500,000 per occurrence is a common starting point on an HO-6. If you host guests regularly, have recreational activities, rent the unit, or have significant assets to protect, consider a Personal Umbrella policy that adds $1M-$10M of liability protection above your HO-6 and other underlying policies. The umbrella is typically modest in cost relative to the additional protection it provides. Your HO-6 liability also covers incidents affecting neighbors-a water leak from your unit that damages the unit below, for example.