In simple terms, the coinsurance clause forms part of a commercial property insurance policy and is imposed by insurers to encourage the policy holder to carry a limit of insurance that is equal to the value of property being insured or at least equal to a specified percentage of the value of the property. If the value the insured reports to the insurance company does not meet the specific threshold they will not receive full payment should they incur a loss.
If there’s a claim, the formula to determine the recovery is based on the property’s replacement value at the time of loss. If the replacement amount is less than the coinsurance percentage, a penalty is applied, reducing the claim payment. For example, a policyholder has $600,000 of property insurance and a fire causes $200,000 in damages. The claim is calculated by dividing the amount of insurance purchased ($600,000) by the value at time of loss ($800,000). This factor (75 per cent) is multiplied by the amount of the loss ($200,000 x .75 = $150,000). In this example, the policyholder would receive $150,000 (less any deductible) for a $200,000 claim.