Insuring an Older Home in BC: The Wiring, Plumbing and Oil Tank Questions Insurers Ask

This is general information, not a guarantee of coverage. How an insurer treats an older home varies by company, property and policy, so confirm the details with an advisor before you rely on any assumption.

Quick answer: older homes are not uninsurable, but insurers ask more detailed questions about them, especially about electrical wiring, plumbing materials, heating and any oil tank. Air1's home application asks about each of these directly, including whether the wiring is aluminum or knob and tube and whether the plumbing includes Poly B. The best preparation is to know what you actually have, document any updates with dates, and answer accurately.

Why older homes get more questions

Air1's Langley home guide says it plainly: older homes may need closer review of electrical, plumbing, roofing and rebuilding assumptions, all of which can affect premium and eligibility. The materials and systems used decades ago are not the ones used today, and an insurer wants to understand what is behind your walls, not just what you see.

That does not mean a problem. It means the application will ask for specifics, and the more precisely you can answer, the smoother the process is likely to be.

What Air1's Home Insurance Application asks

Air1's application is the form an advisor works from. These are the sections that matter most for an older property. Have the answer to each ready before you apply.

The basics

•        The year built, and the year you moved in

•        The replacement cost of the home and the date that estimate was completed

•        The foundation and basement type, and the exterior and roof materials

Plumbing

•        The type of plumbing, with options that include copper, copper and PVC, iron, Poly B (polybutylene), copper and ABS, galvanized steel, PEX and ABS

•        The hot water tank type

•        Whether there is a sump pump and a backup for it, a backflow valve and a check valve, an alarmed sump, a water shut-off system and a leak detection system

Electrical

•        The service size, from below 60 amp to over 100 amp

•        The panel: breakers, fuses or unknown

•        The wiring: copper, aluminum, knob and tube, a mix, or unknown

Heating and fuel

•        Primary and auxiliary heat type, including wood burning units, fireplaces and stoves

•        Whether the heating unit was professionally installed and is ULC, CSA or WH approved

•        For an oil tank: whether it is inside, underground or outside, whether it is reinforced, how it is constructed (fibreglass, metal, single-walled or double-walled steel), the year it was installed, and whether an oil containment system is installed

Updates

•        A grid headed "Dwelling Upgrades" that asks, for each of roof, electrical, heat, hot water tank, sewer backup and plumbing, whether the update was full or partial and the update year

History

•        Losses or claims in the past five years

•        Whether any insurer has cancelled, declined, refused to renew or restricted your coverage in the past five years

Why the update year matters

Of everything on that form, the "Dwelling Upgrades" grid may be the most useful for an older home, because it is where you get credit for work you have done. A 1960s house with a recently updated panel, plumbing and roof tells a different story from the same house with its original systems.

Keep records that back up each date: invoices, permits, and any inspection or electrician reports. When you cannot remember a year, find it before you apply instead of guessing, because the form carries a consent and disclosure clause. Like Air1's other applications, it states that if an applicant gives false particulars or fails to disclose a required fact, a claim can become invalid.

Aluminum wiring: what is known and what to ask

Aluminum wiring is one of the options named on Air1's form. A 2009 notice from Prince Edward Island's electrical inspection office, which is old and from another province, makes a point worth knowing: it says aluminum wiring is safe and permitted under the Canadian Electrical Code when maintained, links problems to overheating and failure at the wiring terminations, and says each home must be assessed individually, ideally by a qualified electrical contractor experienced with aluminum wiring.

For insurance, that translates into questions rather than answers:

•        How does the insurer treat aluminum wiring in my home?

•        Would they want an inspection or documentation of how connections have been dealt with?

•        Does a partial update count, and how is it recorded on the application?

Knob and tube wiring and Poly B plumbing

Air1's form lists knob and tube among its wiring options and Poly B among its plumbing options. This article does not describe how long these materials last, what replacing them costs, or how any particular insurer responds, because those facts are not confirmed in a source that could be verified. What is certain is that the form asks, so the sensible approach is:

1.     Find out what you have. A home inspection report may identify wiring and plumbing materials. For an uncertain answer, a licensed electrician or plumber can confirm.

2.     Ask early. Tell your advisor what the materials are before you apply, so there are no surprises. Ask whether the insurer would want an inspection, a replacement plan, or different terms.

3.     Document any updates and their dates.

4.     Do not start expensive work just to satisfy a guess. Ask the advisor what the insurer would actually accept before you commit.

Note that the form lets you answer "unknown" for the panel and the wiring. That is better than guessing, but it is better still to find out.

Oil tanks

If your home has an oil tank, the application has a set of questions of its own, including where the tank is, how it is built, when it was installed, and whether a containment system is in place. Gather what you know: the tank's age, location and type, and any service or removal records. If a tank has been removed or decommissioned, keep the paperwork.

Rebuilding costs in an older home

Older and character homes often have details that cost more to rebuild than their age suggests. Air1's Langley guide lists rebuilding assumptions among the things to review for older homes, and the application asks for the replacement cost and the date the estimate was completed. A guaranteed replacement cost line also appears on the form's coverage table. Ask your advisor how the replacement cost was estimated and whether it reflects the actual materials and finishes in your home.

A simple five-step plan

1.     List what you know: year built, major updates and the year of each.

2.     Fill the gaps: use an inspection report, or ask a licensed electrician or plumber to confirm wiring, panel and plumbing types.

3.     Collect the paperwork: invoices, permits, inspection reports, and any oil tank records.

4.     Talk to an advisor before you apply, and describe the home exactly, including anything you are unsure about.

5.     Answer the application accurately, and ask what the insurer would want to see if any answer changes the terms.

If you are buying an older home

Insurance questions are easier to handle before the purchase is final. Consider asking an advisor what an insurer is likely to want to know about the home while you still have time to read the inspection report, rather than after you have committed. Ask the seller for any documents about updates and tank records.

What to have ready for a quote

1.     The year built and a summary of major updates with years

2.     The plumbing, wiring, panel and heating types, as precisely as you can

3.     Any oil tank details

4.     A recent home inspection or contractor report, if you have one

5.     The replacement cost estimate

6.     Safety features: smoke and fire alarms, sprinklers, water shut-off, leak detection

7.     Claims in the past five years, and your current insurer and expiry date

8.     Any mortgage lender that needs to be named

FAQ

Can I get home insurance with aluminum wiring?

It depends on the insurer and the home. Air1's application asks about the wiring type, and a 2009 Prince Edward Island inspectors' notice says each home with aluminum wiring must be assessed individually. Ask an advisor how the connections and any updates would be treated.

Can I get home insurance with knob and tube wiring?

‍Air1's application lists knob and tube among its wiring options. How a particular insurer responds varies, so tell an advisor what you have before you apply and ask what they would want to see.

What is Poly B plumbing?

Poly B, or polybutylene, is one of the plumbing materials named on Air1's home application. If your home might have it, a plumber or home inspector can confirm, and your advisor can tell you how it affects your application.

Does updating my wiring or plumbing help with insurance?

Air1's application has a "Dwelling Upgrades" grid asking whether each update was full or partial and the year, so documented updates are part of the picture an insurer sees.

What if I do not know what is in my walls?

The form allows "unknown" for the panel and wiring, but it is better to find out. A home inspection report or a licensed electrician or plumber can usually identify the materials.

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If you own or are buying an older home, you can look at Air1's home insurance options, fill in the Home Insurance Application (save the editable file to your computer first), or request a quote and tell the advisor exactly what you have.

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