How to read a Nationwide HO-3 policy

Nationwide sells the HO-3 with a set of branded endorsements that change the loss-settlement math meaningfully — Brand New Belongings (full replacement cost on personal property, no depreciation), Better Roof Replacement (upgrade to impact-resistant roofing after a covered loss), Valuables Plus (scheduled jewelry / fine art).

Coverages A–F follow the industry-standard structure. The branded endorsements interact with the base form in ways that are not always obvious from the declarations — Better Roof Replacement, for instance, only applies after a covered total roof loss; partial damage stays at like-kind replacement.

Mold sublimit in the base form is typically $5,000. The Mold Coverage Buy-Back endorsement extends it to $25,000 or $50,000.

Water backup endorsement is sold separately. Ordinance-and-law starts at 10% of Coverage A with buy-up options.

Brand New Belongings is meaningful — it removes contents depreciation entirely on covered losses. Confirm it’s on the declarations and not on a separate endorsement page; carriers sometimes argue it expired or was non-renewed without the homeowner noticing.

On water-damage claims, Nationwide’s typical workflow involves a carrier-engaged mitigation contractor for the first 48 hours and then the homeowner’s preferred restoration vendor for buildback. Coordination issues between the two phases are a frequent supplement source.

Roof supplements involving Better Roof Replacement turn on the "covered total loss" trigger — if the carrier scopes partial replacement, the endorsement doesn’t activate, and the upgrade math doesn’t apply. Disputes over total vs. partial are where standards-cited rebuttals matter.

Declarations page (note all branded endorsements explicitly), policy form, every endorsement, carrier estimate, photos including roof aerials if applicable, and any denial or partial-acceptance letter.