Farmers Mutual of Osage
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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 is written by Farmers Mutual Insurance Company and agents may bind coverage only if all underwriting rules in the manual are met. Maximum Coverage A limit is $300,000; minimum Coverage A varies by form (Form 1: $30,000; Form 2: $50,000; Form 3: $100,000; Form 4: $10,000). Premium on canceled policies cannot be accepted without underwriter approval and a signed no‑loss statement for reinstatement. Preferred structure / eligibility: - Foundation: Form 1 may be on piers with skirting/underpinning; Forms 2 and 3 require continuous solid masonry foundation. - Heating: Form 1 may use space heaters; Form 2 may use floor furnace, circulating or baseboard heat; Form 3 must have central heat (including wood furnaces) that is thermostatically controlled, properly vented, with ductwork in each room and 25 years old or newer. - Roof: Forms 1 and 2 accept shingle, metal, slate, or clay; Form 3 must have shingle or metal roofing not more than 25 years old. Rolled or Ondura roofing is not allowed for this package. - Occupancy: Forms 1 and 2 may be one‑ or two‑family; Form 3 is one‑family only. - Plumbing: Form 1 may have galvanized plumbing; Forms 2 and 3 require copper or plastic plumbing. - Electrical: Form 1 may use fuses; Form 2 requires breakers; Form 3 requires breaker service that is 25 years old or newer. - Dwellings under construction or in total renovation must be written in the dwelling fire program, not the HO program. Hybrid homes (mobile with room additions) must be written under mobile homeowners if owner‑occupied, or dwelling fire if tenant/seasonal. Townhomes are acceptable if separated by an approved fire division (masonry wall or approved dead air space). Dwellings in estate status must be written in the dwelling fire program. Risk criteria and submission requirements: - Mailed applications must be fully completed with required signatures, payment, and photos of all insured structures. - Online applications must have all screens completed, include payment information, and include photos; signatures are retained in the agent’s office. - Photos are specifically required when extending liability coverage to other structures. - When unrelated individuals co‑habitate, all must be listed as named insureds on the policy. - If the insured premises totals more than 5 acres (one or multiple tracts, farmed or not), Farmers Comprehensive Liability is mandatory, and additional premium applies for each separate tract using endorsement ML29; each tract’s location must be listed. - No more than two mortgages may be listed on a single policy. - Handrails are required on all steps of four or more risers. In‑ground pools must be fenced and locked; above‑ground pools must either be enclosed with railing, gated and locked, or fully fenced. Wood‑stove guidance: - Acceptable if vented into a UL‑approved triple‑wall or double‑wall insulated chimney, or into a fireplace with the vent pipe extended to the top of the chimney, or into a properly built and lined chimney on or within an exterior wall. - A completed wood‑stove questionnaire and a photo of the stove must accompany the application whenever a wood stove is present. Unacceptable / declined risks: - Dwellings where a wood stove is the sole heat source, or where kerosene space heaters are used. - Vacant or unoccupied dwellings. - Mobile homes or hybrid dwellings for this HO program (must be written in the designated mobile home or dwelling fire programs instead). - Any risk with vicious dogs, including any dog with a prior bite history or any risk with Rottweiler, Pit Bull, Chow, Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd, Akita, or any mix of those breeds. - Trampolines, broken steps, missing handrails, or unfenced pools. - Applicants canceled, non‑renewed, or declined by another carrier within the past 5 years. - Applicants with a prior total loss or theft claim (other loss history requires discussion with underwriting). - Structures originally built for non‑residential occupancy and student housing. Broker/producer notes: - Agents have binding authority only up to Coverage A $300,000 and only for risks that fully comply with the manual. Any deviation, elevated loss history, or prior cancellation/non‑renewal must be referred to underwriting before coverage is accepted. - Underwriting retains the right to change or modify coverage amount, form, and/or deductibles at its discretion for any risk, even if it otherwise meets manual rules. - Ensure all required photos (main dwelling, other structures, wood stoves, pools, etc.) and questionnaires are obtained and retained or submitted as specified, since they are explicit conditions of acceptable binding. Geography: The manual does not specify territory restrictions for homeowners in this document; apply state/territory eligibility as established separately by the company and confirm with underwriting for questions on multi‑tract acreage or unusual exposures.