An HO-1 is the most bare-bones homeowners policy there is. You'll mostly meet it in glossaries like this one, because almost nobody sells it anymore.

Who this is for: honestly, almost no one today. It's worth understanding mainly so you know what the other policy forms improved on.

What an HO-1 covers

HO-1 is a "named perils" policy. That means it only pays for damage caused by the specific events listed in the policy, and nothing else. The list is short. It typically includes:

  • Fire and lightning
  • Windstorm and hail
  • Explosion
  • Riot or civil commotion
  • Damage from aircraft
  • Damage from vehicles
  • Smoke
  • Vandalism
  • Theft
  • Volcanic eruption

If your home is damaged by something that isn't on the list, the policy doesn't respond. The burden is also on you to show that a named peril caused the loss.

What it doesn't cover

Everything not on the list. That includes common problems like falling objects, the weight of ice and snow, frozen or burst pipes, and accidental water damage from plumbing or appliances. Broader forms pick those up; an HO-1 doesn't.

Why you'll rarely be offered one

Most insurers have stopped writing HO-1 policies, and many states no longer allow them because the coverage is too thin to be useful. Mortgage lenders often won't accept them either. The industry moved on to the HO-2 broad form and the HO-3 special form, which cover far more for a price that usually isn't much higher.

So if you're shopping for homeowners insurance today, you'll almost certainly be quoted an HO-3, and that's a good thing. It flips the logic of an HO-1: instead of covering only a short list of events, it covers your home against everything except a list of exclusions.

Where an HO-1 might still come up

A few insurers in a few states still offer basic forms, sometimes for homes that are hard to insure any other way. If that's your situation, an HO-8 (designed for older homes) or a state FAIR plan may be a better fit than a true HO-1. It's worth asking what the alternatives are before settling for the thinnest option.

The short version

HO-1 is the historical floor of homeowners insurance: a short named-perils list, no frills, and largely discontinued. Knowing what it leaves out helps you appreciate what a modern policy actually does for you.

If you're comparing policies, a quick look at quotes for broader forms will usually show the extra protection costs less than you'd expect.