208-609-3511 daniel@bittickinsurance.com

Valuable possessions insurance — also called scheduled personal property coverage — is a standalone policy or policy endorsement that insures specific high-value items for their full appraised or agreed replacement value, rather than the sublimits your standard homeowners or renters policy imposes.

Most home policies cap jewelry losses somewhere between $1,000 and $2,500, regardless of what the piece is actually worth. If you own an engagement ring, a collection of vintage guitars, or original artwork, that cap is a problem. A scheduled personal property policy lists each item individually, assigns an agreed value, and covers it wherever it goes — not just inside your home.

What this coverage includes

Agreed-value replacement, not depreciated payouts

Unlike standard home insurance, which often settles claims at actual cash value (purchase price minus depreciation), a scheduled personal property policy can be written on an agreed-value or replacement-cost basis. You and the carrier agree on the item's value upfront — typically backed by a recent appraisal — and that is the number used at claim time. Regular reappraisals keep the figure current, which matters for items like fine jewelry or art that appreciate over time.

Coverage for accidental damage

Standard home insurance generally covers theft and certain perils, but accidental damage — dropping a watch, chipping a piece of sculpture, cracking a lens on an expensive camera — is usually excluded. Many valuable possessions policies specifically include accidental breakage as a covered cause of loss, which is a meaningful difference for items you actually handle or wear. This is especially relevant for jewelry, musical instruments, and electronics.

Protection away from home

A homeowners policy typically covers personal property inside your residence, with limited or no coverage once items leave. Scheduled coverage follows the item. Your engagement ring is covered at a restaurant in downtown Boise. Your violin is covered on the way to a performance in Nampa. Your camera gear is covered on a backcountry trip into the Sawtooths. Wherever the item travels, the policy travels with it.

A wide range of insurable property types

Scheduled personal property policies cover a broad category of items, including jewelry, fine art, antiques, collectibles, watches, musical instruments, oriental rugs, firearms, sports equipment, and electronics. If an item has meaningful value and would exceed your home policy's sublimit in a claim, it is worth discussing whether it belongs on a schedule. Bittick shops these policies across multiple carriers to match coverage terms to what you actually own.

Pairs well with

Homeowners Insurance

Scheduled personal property coverage works alongside your homeowners policy, not instead of it. The home policy handles the structure and general contents; the schedule handles the items that exceed its sublimits.

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Renters Insurance

Renters policies carry the same sublimit problem as homeowners policies. If you rent in Boise or Meridian and own valuables worth more than those caps, a schedule is the right pairing.

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Umbrella Insurance

A personal umbrella policy adds liability headroom above your home and auto policies. It does not cover physical property, so pairing it with a scheduled property policy gives you both asset protection and liability protection.

Learn more ›

What this coverage protects against

Common risks and how this coverage addresses them. Tap any scenario to expand.

  • Engagement ring slips off at a Boise restaurant and is never recovered.

    The risk

    You wore your ring to dinner, and somewhere between the table and the parking lot it was gone. Your homeowners policy has a $1,500 jewelry sublimit. The ring is worth $9,000.

    How this coverage helps

    A scheduled personal property policy listed the ring at its appraised value and covered it anywhere in the world. The claim pays the agreed replacement amount, not the sublimit, and you replace the ring.

  • A vintage acoustic guitar is damaged on the way to a recording session.

    The risk

    A 1960s Martin guitar in a hard case takes a hard knock loading it into a van. The top cracks. Your home policy excludes accidental damage and in any case caps musical instruments well below the instrument's appraised value.

    How this coverage helps

    The scheduled policy covered the guitar for its full appraised value and included accidental breakage. A luthier's repair estimate is submitted and paid, with no depreciation applied.

  • Watercolor artwork is destroyed in a burst-pipe flood during an Eagle winter.

    The risk

    A freeze-thaw cycle in January splits a pipe behind a wall. By the time the leak is found, water has reached a wall-mounted original watercolor valued at $12,000. The home policy pays actual cash value for contents, not appraised art value.

    How this coverage helps

    The painting was on a scheduled policy at its most recent appraised figure. The claim settles at the agreed value, not at whatever depreciated number the home carrier might have assigned to general contents.

  • A collector's watch is stolen from a vehicle broken into overnight.

    The risk

    A luxury watch left in a car parked in a Meridian neighborhood is taken during an overnight break-in. Home insurance may cover theft of personal property, but the watch sublimit on the policy is far below the watch's retail replacement cost.

    How this coverage helps

    Because the watch was scheduled by name and model with a current retail-replacement value, the claim pays the full replacement cost. The client replaces the watch at today's price, not yesterday's sublimit.

  • Camera and lens kit is lost on a backcountry float in the Salmon River drainage.

    The risk

    A professional-grade mirrorless camera body and two lenses go into the river when a raft flips. Total replacement cost is over $7,000. The home policy covers electronics up to a sublimit and does not extend to property lost in transit away from the residence.

    How this coverage helps

    The camera system was scheduled individually. The policy covered it away from home and paid replacement cost for each listed item, letting the photographer reorder the same kit without a major out-of-pocket gap.

  • An antique firearm collection is undervalued at claim time after a house fire.

    The risk

    A kitchen fire causes significant damage and destroys a locked gun cabinet containing antique firearms. The home insurer applies general personal property valuation and pays well below the collection's actual market value, because no appraisal was on file.

    How this coverage helps

    Had each firearm been scheduled with a current appraisal attached, the agreed values would have controlled the payout. Bittick recommends annual appraisal updates for any collection with appreciating items before binding coverage.

Frequently asked questions

Does my homeowners insurance already cover my jewelry and valuables?
It covers them up to a sublimit, which is typically $1,000 to $2,500 for jewelry and similar amounts for other categories. If a single item or a collection exceeds that cap, you will not recover the full value in a claim. A scheduled personal property policy solves this by insuring each item at its actual appraised value.
How do I find out what my jewelry or art is actually worth?
A certified appraiser produces a written valuation that documents the item's description, condition, and replacement cost. Jewelers, auction houses, and fine art appraisers all offer this service. Bittick recommends getting appraisals updated every few years, especially for gold jewelry and art, which can appreciate significantly. The appraisal document also gives the carrier the information it needs to write agreed-value coverage.
How much does valuable possessions insurance cost for an Idaho homeowner?
Premiums vary by the total scheduled value, the types of items, and the carrier, but scheduled personal property coverage is generally affordable relative to the protection it provides. A $10,000 jewelry schedule might run $100 to $200 per year, depending on the carrier and deductible. Bittick shops coverage across multiple carriers to find competitive rates for your specific list of items.
Do I need a separate policy, or can this be added to my homeowners policy?
Both options exist. Many carriers offer a scheduled personal property endorsement that attaches directly to your homeowners policy, which can simplify billing and claims. Other situations call for a standalone floater policy, particularly if the values are high or the home carrier's endorsement terms are restrictive. Bittick reviews both paths and recommends whichever gives you better terms.
Is coverage limited to my home address, or does it follow me when I travel?
Scheduled personal property coverage typically follows the item worldwide, not just within your home. That means your engagement ring is covered at a San Antonio event, your camera gear is covered on an international trip, and your watch is covered anywhere you take it. Confirm worldwide coverage with your specific policy, because terms can vary by carrier and endorsement type.
What types of items can be scheduled on this kind of policy?
Most carriers will schedule jewelry, fine art, antiques, collectibles, watches, musical instruments, oriental and handmade rugs, cameras and photo equipment, firearms, and high-value electronics. If you own something with meaningful appraised value and your home policy caps payouts below that figure, it is worth asking whether it can be added to a schedule. Bittick works with you to inventory items that belong on a schedule and finds carriers with the appetite to cover them.

Find out what your home policy is actually leaving exposed

Bittick's team in Eagle, Idaho reviews your current coverage, identifies sublimit gaps, and shops scheduled personal property options across multiple carriers to get the right fit.

Don't like forms? Contact us at 208-609-3511 or email us.