How it works
How We Find Your Coverage
How Darlene Baxter Insurance Agency finds your coverage: we review what you have, shop more than one company, you choose, and we stay with you after.
The short version
Most people call one insurance company and take whatever answer they get. If that answer is no, or the price is too high, it can feel like there's nowhere else to turn. There is. One company's answer isn't the only answer.
At Darlene Baxter Insurance Agency, we start with our main company. If it isn't the right fit, we look at other companies available through our brokerage. For a home in a high fire area, that can mean the California FAIR Plan paired with a wrap policy.
The steps are the same whether you're insuring a home, an auto, your life or a business. Here's how it goes.
Review: We start by listening
Every conversation starts the same way. Darlene's first words are usually "Tell me about your house."
For a home, we'll ask where it is, how old it is and what's been updated. We also ask how old the roof is right away, because insurance companies care a great deal about the roof.
Next, we look at the coverage you have today. Most of the time we can gather those details ourselves. If you have your declarations page handy, it helps, because it shows your current limits and your renewal date.
If you've been canceled or non-renewed, tell us the date on the letter so we know how much time we have. Our post on what to do when you're canceled or non-renewed walks through that first week.
We'll also ask whether it's OK to text you. If it is, we add you to our team text line, so a quick question gets a quick answer.
Shop: We look at more than one company
We start with our main company. When it's the right fit, that's where we place you. When it isn't, we look at other companies available through our brokerage.
Homes in high fire areas take an extra step. We try regular companies first. If none of them will take the home right now, the California FAIR Plan paired with a wrap policy can be the answer, and we set up both policies together. Our FAIR Plan and wrap policy page shows how the two fit.
New companies have been coming into California, so what's available changes from year to year. Some of those companies are not backed by the state's guarantee fund. If one of them is an option for you, we explain what that means before you choose it.
We can't promise approval or a price, because those decisions belong to the insurance companies. You'll always know where things stand.
Choose: You decide, and we handle the paperwork
We lay your options out side by side in plain words: what each one covers, what it leaves out and what it costs.
We go through the coverages with you before you sign anything, not after. The choice is yours.
Once you've picked, we handle the application with you. Most of it can be done by phone, text and email.
You don't have to decide on the spot. As Darlene tells her clients, "I'm not going anywhere."
Right after you say yes
Most of the paperwork is electronic now. The insurance company will send you an email, a text or both, asking you to review and sign. It comes from the company, not from us, so we tell you ahead of time what to look for. If you're not sure a message is real, call us before you click.
An inspection usually follows, typically one to two weeks after the policy is issued. Some companies send an inspector to look at the home inside and out. Others send you directions to take the photos yourself. It can take about a month to hear back.
We prepare you for it. Before the policy starts, we send fact sheets on what can cause an inspection to come back with a problem, so there are no surprises. If the company does find something, it usually gives you a set amount of time to fix it.
If you already have a policy, such as the California FAIR Plan, we advise keeping it in force until the new policy passes inspection. Then we cancel the old one back to the date the new one started.
Stay covered: We're here after the policy starts
We offer a review at every renewal. Insurance companies change what they offer, and your life changes too. A new driver, a remodel or renting out your home are all good reasons to call us.
If something happens, call us first. We'll talk through which policy it falls under, what your deductible is and what filing a claim could mean for your record. Then you decide what to do.
To get started, call the office at (925) 940-6970 or send us a message, and tell us what you're trying to protect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work with only one insurance company?
No. We start with our main company. When it isn't the right fit, we look at other companies available through our brokerage.
What do I need to get started?
A conversation. Tell us about what you're protecting. If you have your current declarations page handy, it helps, but most of the time we can gather the details ourselves.
Can you promise I'll be approved?
No. Approval and price are decided by the insurance companies. What we can promise is that you'll always know where things stand.
Do I have to come to the office?
No. The office is in Pleasant Hill, and we work with clients all over California. Most of it can be done by phone, text and email.
What happens at renewal?
We offer a review at every renewal. If you'd like to go through your coverages again, call the office and we'll set a time.
Keep exploring
Want a second look at your coverage? Talk to Darlene Baxter Insurance Agency.