Dwelling Coverage (Coverage A)
The part of your homeowners policy that covers the structure of your house itself.
Dwelling Coverage (also called "Coverage A") is the limit on your homeowners policy that pays to repair or rebuild the physical structure of your home — including the roof, walls, floors, built-in appliances, attached garage, and permanent fixtures. It does NOT cover the land, the contents inside the house, or detached structures (those are separate coverages).
The dwelling limit should equal the cost to rebuild your home from scratch at current prices — NOT the market value. Market value includes the land and demand premium; rebuild cost is just labor + materials. In most parts of IL/IN/WI, rebuild cost runs $150-$250 per square foot for standard construction, more for high-end finishes.
Geneva uses replacement-cost estimator tools at every quote to make sure your dwelling limit matches actual rebuild cost. Your home's market value is irrelevant for insurance purposes — what matters is what it would cost to replace if a tornado leveled it tomorrow.
Most policies include "Extended Replacement Cost" (typically 25-50% above your dwelling limit) as a safety net for cases where rebuild costs spike from a regional disaster (e.g., everyone in the county trying to hire contractors at the same time after a tornado).
Related terms:Replacement Cost·Personal Property Coverage (Coverage C)·Loss of Use Coverage (Coverage D)
Related Geneva services:Home Insurance