Cost & Financing · FAQ

What’s ‘ordinance and law’ coverage and why does it matter?

Ordinance and law (sometimes ‘building ordinance’) is a policy add-on that covers the cost of code upgrades required when repairing damage. Example: a 1990s home with a partial roof claim where the city requires the entire roof to meet current code. Without ordinance and law, you pay for the upgrade portion out of pocket; with it, the carrier covers the additional cost.

Most Madison County policies include $10,000 to $25,000 of ordinance and law coverage by default. For homes built before 2000 it’s worth verifying with your agent and possibly increasing the limit. The upgrade portion of code-compliance work can easily reach $5,000 to $15,000 on a partial-claim job; you don’t want to discover the coverage gap after the carrier issues the initial settlement. Trill flags ordinance and law explicitly when reviewing claim documentation with customers.