Farmers Mutual Insurance of Nebraska
Carrier website links, underwriting access points, mapped product lines, and appetite notes in one place.
This appetite summary is only a guide. Confirm eligibility, submission requirements, restrictions, and binding authority directly with the carrier or underwriter before relying on it.
Carrier appetite summary
Program: Homeowners Program – Underwriting Rules (Rev. 5/18; HO-UND-1-3). Preferred/standard business - Dwellings that meet structural and system standards by form: - Form 1: Pier foundation with skirting/underpinning acceptable; space heaters allowed; galvanized plumbing permitted; fuse panel acceptable; shingle/metal/slate/clay roofs allowed. - Form 2: Continuous solid masonry foundation; acceptable heating includes floor furnace, circulating and baseboard heat; copper or plastic plumbing required; breaker panel required; shingle/metal/slate/clay roofing allowed. - Form 3: Continuous solid masonry foundation; central thermostatically controlled, vented heating with ductwork in each room (including wood furnaces) and system must be ≤25 years old; copper or plastic plumbing; breaker panel ≤25 years old; shingle or metal roof only, ≤25 years old (no rolled or Ondura roofing); single-family occupancy only. - Townhomes acceptable if a proper fire division separates each unit (masonry wall or approved "dead" air space). - Pools acceptable if fully fenced and locked (in-ground) or gated/locked or fenced and properly enclosed (above-ground). - Handrails present on all steps with 4+ risers. - Risks where Farmers Comprehensive Liability is attached when property exceeds 5 acres, using ML29 endorsement with all separate tracts listed. Coverage limits and binding - Agents may bind coverage on risks that fully meet these underwriting rules. - Maximum Coverage A limit for binding: $300,000. - Minimum Coverage A limits: - Form 1: $30,000 - Form 2: $50,000 - Form 3: $100,000 - Form 4: $10,000 - Premium for canceled policies cannot be accepted for reinstatement without prior underwriter approval and a signed no-loss statement. Structure/occupancy criteria - Occupancy: - Forms 1 & 2: One- and two-family dwellings permitted. - Form 3: One-family dwellings only. - Dwellings under construction or in total renovation must be written under the Dwelling Fire program, not this homeowners program. - Hybrid homes (mobile home with room additions) must be written in the Mobile Home Owners program if owner-occupied, or the Dwelling Fire program if tenant/seasonal. - Dwellings held in “estate” status must be written under the Dwelling Fire program. - Electric system standards by form: - Form 1: Fuse panel permitted. - Form 2: Breaker panel required. - Form 3: Breaker panel required, panel must be ≤25 years old. Submission and documentation requirements - Mailed submissions: Completed application with all required signatures, initial premium/payment, and photos of all insured structures. - Online submissions: All system screens completed, payment information entered, and photos of all insured structures; signatures retained in the agent’s office. - When extending liability coverage to other structures, photos of those structures are required. - When individuals are cohabiting, all individuals must be listed as named insureds on the policy. - For locations over 5 acres (in one or multiple tracts, regardless of whether farming is conducted), Farmers Comprehensive Liability is mandatory; ML29 endorsement used and each additional/separate tract location must be listed; additional premium applies for each separate tract. - Wood stoves: - Must be vented to a UL-approved triple-wall or double-wall insulated metal chimney, or via vent pipe extended to the top of a fireplace chimney, or in an external wall chimney built from the ground up with tile/metal liner. - A completed wood stove questionnaire and a photo of the wood stove must accompany the application. Unacceptable / declined risks and exposures - Heating and occupancy: - Dwellings using a wood stove as the sole source of heat. - Dwellings using kerosene space heaters. - Vacant or unoccupied dwellings. - Mobile homes or hybrid dwellings (these must be written in other programs as noted, not the homeowners program). - Liability/hazard features: - Vicious dogs, including any dog that has previously bitten, or any risk with a Rottweiler, Pit Bull, Chow, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Akita, or any mix of these breeds. - Trampolines. - Broken steps, missing handrails, or unfenced pools. - Prior insurance status and loss history: - Applicants canceled, non-renewed, or declined by another carrier within the past five (5) years. - Applicants with a prior total loss or theft claim. - Any applicant with losses should be cleared with underwriting before binding. - Building use: - Structures originally constructed for non-residential occupancies (e.g., converted commercial buildings) are not acceptable for this homeowners program. - Student housing is not acceptable. Underwriter discretion - Farmers Mutual reserves the right to change or alter the underwriting rules for any risk, including adjusting coverage amount, form type, and/or deductible at the underwriter’s discretion. Geographic and broker/producer notes - The rules document is generic program-level guidance and does not list specific state or territory restrictions; agents should follow any separate state filings or bulletins. - Agents have binding authority only for risks that fully comply with these rules; any deviations (e.g., older roofs or systems, unusual occupancies, adverse loss history) should be referred to an underwriter before binding. - Agents must maintain signed applications/acknowledgments (for online submissions) in their offices and ensure required photos and questionnaires (especially for wood stoves and extended liability to other structures) are obtained and submitted.