Is an Enhanced Owner's Policy Worth It?
What's the difference between a Standard and Enhanced Owner's Title Insurance Policy?
Both Standard and Enhanced Owner's Title Insurance policies help protect your ownership rights—but an Enhanced Owner's Policy provides broader coverage for additional title-related risks that may arise before or even after you purchase your home.
For many homeowners, their property is one of the largest financial investments they'll ever make. Enhanced Owner's Title Insurance offers expanded protection and added peace of mind for that investment.
What Does an Owner's Title Insurance Policy Do?
An Owner's Title Insurance Policy helps protect you from certain covered title issues that may not be discovered until after you've purchased your property.
Unlike homeowners insurance, which protects against future events like fire or storms, title insurance protects against issues tied to the property's ownership history.
A Standard Owner's Policy provides important protection, while an Enhanced Owner's Policy expands that protection to cover additional risks.
Standard vs. Enhanced Coverage
Standard Owner's Policy
A Standard Owner's Policy generally provides protection against common title issues such as:
- Unknown ownership claims
- Forgery or fraud in the chain of title
- Recording errors
- Existing liens
- Unmarketable title
- Certain mechanic's liens
These protections help establish a strong foundation for property ownership.
Enhanced Owner's Policy
An Enhanced Owner's Policy includes all of the protections found in a Standard Policy while adding expanded coverage for many additional situations homeowners may encounter.
Enhanced coverage may include protection for:
- Post-policy forgery
- Post-policy encroachments by neighbors
- Post-policy adverse possession
- Easements created by prescription
- Building permit violations
- Zoning violations (subject to policy conditions)
- Lack of vehicular or pedestrian access
- Boundary wall and fence encroachments
- Restrictive covenant violations
- Structural damage resulting from mineral extraction or easement use
- Subdivision law violations
- Post-policy inflation protection (subject to policy terms)
- Living Trust coverage
Coverage is subject to the terms, conditions, exclusions, deductibles, and limits outlined in the policy.
Why Consider an Enhanced Owner's Policy?
Your home is more than just a financial investment—it's where you build your life.
An Enhanced Owner's Policy provides broader protection against issues that may arise after closing, helping homeowners avoid unexpected legal expenses and ownership disputes that could otherwise become costly.
Many homeowners choose Enhanced coverage for the added confidence it provides throughout their years of ownership.
When Is an Enhanced Policy Especially Valuable?
Enhanced Owner's Title Insurance may be particularly beneficial if:
- You're purchasing your forever home.
- You're buying a newly constructed home.
- The property has been renovated or expanded.
- The property has multiple easements.
- The home has boundary walls or fences near property lines.
- You simply want the highest level of title protection available for your investment.
Side-by-Side Coverage Comparison
Below is a comparison of the protections available under the Standard Owner's Policy and the Enhanced Owner's Policy.
The comparison illustrates how the Enhanced Policy expands coverage beyond the Standard ALTA Owner's Policy, including additional protections related to post-policy events, building and zoning matters, easements, subdivision violations, boundary issues, inflation coverage, and Living Trust ownership.