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
Homeowners Program – key underwriting guidance (Rev. 5/18, current as published): Preferred / acceptable structures - Coverage A limits up to $300,000 may be bound by agents when all rules are met. - Minimum Coverage A by form: Form 1 $30,000; Form 2 $50,000; Form 3 $100,000; Form 4 $10,000.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) - Structure requirements by form: - Foundation: Form 1 – pier with skirting/underpinning acceptable; Forms 2 & 3 – continuous solid masonry required. - Heating: Form 1 – space heaters allowed; Form 2 – floor furnace, circulating or baseboard heat acceptable; Form 3 – central heat, thermostatically controlled, vented, with ductwork in each room, system age 25 years or less (includes wood furnaces).([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) - Roof: Forms 1 & 2 – shingle, metal, slate, or clay acceptable; Form 3 – shingle or metal only, roof age 25 years or less; rolled or Ondura roofing not permitted under Form 3.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) - Plumbing: Form 1 – galvanized acceptable; Forms 2 & 3 – copper or plastic required. - Electric: Form 1 – fuse allowed; Form 2 – breaker; Form 3 – breaker panel, 25 years old or less.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) - Occupancy: Forms 1 & 2 – one- or two-family dwellings acceptable; Form 3 – one-family only. - Townhomes are acceptable if a proper fire division separates each unit (masonry wall or approved dead-air space). Dwellings under construction or total renovation must be written in the dwelling fire program. Hybrid homes (mobile homes with room additions) are written under mobile homeowners (owner-occupied) or dwelling fire (tenant/seasonal).([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) Risk criteria / submission requirements - Mailed submissions: fully completed and signed application with payment and photos of all insured structures. - Online submissions: all screens completed with payment information and photos; signatures retained in the agent’s office.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) - Extending liability to other structures requires photos of those structures. - When unrelated individuals cohabitate, all must be shown as named insureds. - Properties exceeding 5 acres (single or multiple tracts, whether or not farming is conducted) must carry Farmers comprehensive liability using endorsement ML29; each separate tract requires additional premium and location details.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) - Handrails are required on all steps with four or more risers. In-ground pools must be fenced and locked; above-ground pools must be enclosed with railing, gated and locked, or fenced. - No more than two mortgages per policy; dwellings titled in an estate must be written in the dwelling fire program.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) Wood stove and heating notes - Acceptable only as supplemental heat. Wood stoves must: - Vent to UL-approved triple-wall or double-wall insulated metal chimney; or - When vented into a fireplace, the vent pipe must extend to the top of the chimney; or - When in a chimney on/within an exterior wall, chimney must run from ground up with tile or metal liner. - Application must include completed wood stove questionnaire and photo when a wood stove is present.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Agency_Manuals/Introduction.pdf)) Unacceptable / declined risks (without exception unless underwriter approval explicitly noted) - Dwellings using a wood stove as the sole source of heat or using kerosene space heaters. - Vacant or unoccupied dwellings. - Mobile homes or hybrid dwellings (must be placed in other appropriate company programs instead). - Liability exposures involving vicious dogs, including any dog with prior bite history or any risk with Rottweiler, Pit Bull, Chow, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Akita, or mixes of these breeds.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) - Trampolines; broken steps; missing handrails; or unfenced pools. - Applicants canceled, nonrenewed, or declined by another carrier within the past 5 years. - Applicants with a prior total loss or any prior theft claim; any prior loss must be cleared with an underwriter. - Structures originally constructed for non-residential purposes and any student housing.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Underwriting_Guidelines/homeowners.pdf)) General underwriting philosophy / producer notes - Company emphasizes four underwriting considerations: physical risk (construction, condition, location, protection, age, loss history), moral risk (honesty, illegal or immoral activities), attitude toward loss prevention and cooperation, and financial risk (financial stability). Risks with frequent address/job changes, high crime/vandalism exposure, or unusually high valuables are to be avoided; policies should be issued only to prospects whose honesty and integrity are unquestioned.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Agency_Manuals/Introduction.pdf)) - Agents may bind only when all manual rules are met. Farmers Mutual reserves the right to change coverage limits, form, or deductible at the underwriter’s discretion for any given risk. - Agent support, forms, and claim reporting are handled via the secure Agency Support Center on the company website; agents are expected to report all claims promptly and use prescribed online or email processes.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Agency_Manuals/Introduction.pdf)) Geographic scope - The company operates under West Virginia law and functions as a domestic farm mutual for West Virginia residents; homeowners underwriting rules appear tailored to West Virginia properties and exposures. Agents should confirm state eligibility and licensing before binding risks outside the company’s core territory.([farmersmutual.com](https://www.farmersmutual.com/pdf%20files/FMIC_Agency_Manuals/Introduction.pdf))