Your homeowner’s insurance policy provides coverage to replace damaged property to its pre-loss condition. Oftentimes your insurance company will pay to repair a covered loss rather than replace the damaged property to save money, even though California law requires replacement if the repair cannot restore the damaged property to its pre-loss condition. As a policy holder you are entitled to “replace the property with like kind and quality within a reasonable time after the loss.” (In Fire Ins. Exchange v. Superior Court, 116 Cal. App. 4th 446, 459)
For example if your hardwood floors have a beveled edge that provides a distinct appearance, yet the insurance company wants to sand the floors as a repair, if the sanding takes away the beveled edge you are entitled to replace your floors. Don’t settle for less!