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What is the difference between fire insurance and home insurance? Do you have to buy it? | Compare the coverage and applicable persons of home insurance and fire insurance

Author

Cassidy Wong

Created On

2025-07-25

Edited On

2026-05-18

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Insurance

When considering home insurance, many people are confused about fire and home insurance, but in fact, the coverage and applicable objects of the two are different. Kwiksure explains in detail the differences between fire insurance and home insurance to help everyone choose an insurance plan that meets their needs and ensures the safety of their homes.

Table of contents

What is fire insurance?
What is home insurance?
Does home insurance include fire insurance?
Home Insurance vs. Fire Insurance
Frequently Asked Questions

What is fire insurance?

Fire Insurance is the full name of "Building Structure Insurance" or "Building Comprehensive Insurance". It mainly protects the building structure, including walls, floors, ceilings, doors and windows, and the decoration that the insured owner has when purchasing the property. When the owner buys a house and applies for a mortgage, the bank will require the owner to purchase fire insurance to protect the safety of the building structure. If the building encounters losses caused by accidents such as flooding, fire, typhoon, etc.,Fire insurance will compensate for the cost of replacement or even reconstruction due to damage to the building structure。

Violation of the Building Ordinance may invalidate fire insurance
Since fire insurance mainly covers the structure of the building, if the structure of the unit is altered in a way that violates the Building Ordinance, such as demolishing the main wall, the insurance company may terminate the fire insurance coverage of the unit. Therefore, before carrying out renovation work, the owner should consult professionals in advance to avoid losing the insurance.

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What is home insurance?

Home Insurance (Contents Insurance or Home Insurance) protects against loss and damage to home contents caused by accidents, such as money, collectibles, furniture, household appliances, and general home repair issues, such as water leaks, typhoon, and fire. Some home insurance policies also cover the loss of property of the homeowner, such as damage to home appliances or deterioration of decoration, and even property that is not lost at home may also be covered.

Third-party liability protection in home insurance

Generally, home insurance provides third-party liability protection, which is compensation for personal injury or property damage caused to third parties due to negligence of members of the living unit, such as water pipe burst in the unit causing flooding in the neighbor's unit. However, the specific coverage and compensation amount will vary from insurance company to insurance company. When purchasing insurance, you should pay special attention to the terms and conditions to ensure that the insurance plan meets your personal needs.

Does home insurance include fire insurance?

Home insurance does not cover fire insurance. Many people confuse fire insurance with home insurance. Although both protect property, fire insurance mainly protects the building structure, which is the "shell" of the residential unit; home insurance mainly protects home contents, which is the "inner room" of the unit. The former is only available to owners, while the latter is applicable to owners, tenants, and other individuals in need.

Home Insurance vs. Fire Insurance

Fire	Home Insurance
Coverage	Provides coverage for damaged residential building structures such as floors, ceilings, doors, windows, walls and water pipes only, but shall be caused by fire, lightning, explosion, collapse, landslide, etc	1. Expenses for repairing or rebuilding buildings caused by natural disasters such as fire, storm or typhoon, or man-made disasters such as explosion, burst water pipe, etc. 2. Property loss, such as electrical appliances, furniture, clothes, etc. Property insurance compensation 3. Provide third-party liability protection to compensate for personal injury or property damage caused to third parties due to the negligence of members in the residential unit
Target customers	owner	Owners and Residents
Protection Objects	Owners, protect the building structure of the unit	The insured person protects the household contents in the unit
Is it necessary to buy?	When banks approve property owners' mortgage loan applications, they usually require them to purchase fire insurance for the properties they purchase in order to reduce the approval risk.	Not necessary, based on personal needs

Frequently Asked Questions

If a fire occurs in your home and your aluminum windows are damaged, should you claim from the fire insurance or the home insurance?

If the damaged aluminum window is an original decoration, it is part of the building structure and is covered by fire insurance. The insured can inquire about the claim details from the insurance company through the fire insurance. If the aluminum window has been reinstalled or modified, it is considered household property, and the insured should inquire about the claim from the home insurance.

My unit is leaking and my neighbor’s property is damaged. Which insurance can I claim compensation from?

For leaks in units, if the cause of the leak involves the structure of the building, you can inquire from the insurance company about the compensation terms of the fire insurance. Home insurance, on the other hand, provides third-party liability coverage to compensate for property losses caused by the residence to third parties.

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The above information is for reference only. Kwiksure takes no responsibility for the accuracy and timeliness of the information. For the coverage, mode of compensation, benefit limit and premium levels of any specific insurance plan, please refer to the relevant policy terms.

Author

Cassidy Wong

Cassidy is a content creator at Kwiksure. She mainly writes about cars and travel. She has previously worked in advertising creation and online media editing. She loves writing and is keen on discovering the latest topics. She is committed to bringing fresh, interesting and practical information to readers.

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