Chubb Additional Living Expenses Coverage: The Two Year Limit, the 180 Day Decision, and Where an RV Fits
Published October 7, 2026. Last updated October 7, 2026.
When a covered loss leaves your house uninhabitable, a Chubb Masterpiece policy pays the reasonable increase in your normal living expenses so your household keeps its usual standard of living. Chubb calls this additional living expenses. There is no deductible, and one deadline in the policy deserves your attention early.
Agile RV Housing is an independent temporary housing provider. We are not affiliated with or endorsed by Chubb, and coverage decisions on any claim are made by the policyholder's claim examiner or adjuster.
Chubb additional living expenses: the short answer
Chubb's Masterpiece house coverage pays extra living expenses until the earliest of three points: the home is habitable again, your household has settled elsewhere, or two years from the date of loss, unless Chubb agrees to a later date. Some states add a dollar cap. There is no deductible.
- How long it pays
- Until the earliest of the reasonable time to restore the house, the shortest time to settle elsewhere, or up to two years from the date of loss, or a later date if Chubb agrees.
- The dollar limit
- It depends on your state. The Illinois form we read states no dollar maximum. The Alabama and Florida forms cap all additional living expenses at 30% of your house coverage. Chubb's own comparison sheet lists caps in Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Wyoming.
- Where to find your own limit
- Your Coverage Summary, the Chubb version of a declarations page, together with the additional living expenses section of your Deluxe House Coverage. If anything is unclear, ask your agent or Chubb claim examiner to read it to you.
If you're unsure how these numbers apply to your repair timeline, call us at (614) 655-4286 and we will go through your declarations page with you. To see how other insurers set these limits, compare loss of use time limits across 11 insurance companies.
What does Chubb additional living expenses coverage pay for?
It pays the reasonable increase in your normal living expenses while the house cannot be lived in, so your household can keep its usual standard of living. Chubb names boarding of your pets in the coverage itself. Chubb's claims page also lists additional housing, hotel, dry cleaning, and food above your normal spending.
Here is the extra living expenses clause from Chubb's Illinois Deluxe House Coverage, form 0800012, edition 09/25/17, read in an issued policy filed in a public federal court record:
Extra living expenses. If a covered loss makes your house or other permanent structure uninhabitable, we cover the reasonable increase in your normal living expenses that is necessary to maintain your household's usual standard of living, including the boarding of domestic animals not primarily owned or kept for business use.
Chubb groups three things under additional living expenses: extra living expenses, loss of fair rental value, and forced evacuation expenses. The same section says plainly that there is no deductible for this coverage.
Forced evacuation runs longer on Chubb than on most forms. It applies if you evacuate because of a reasonable threat of a covered loss, or a civil authority orders you out because of a covered peril. Chubb then covers the increase in your living expenses for up to 30 consecutive days, even if the policy period ends during that time. The Florida form we read is narrower: it applies when a civil authority prohibits use because of a loss to neighboring premises.
How long does Chubb pay additional living expenses?
Until the earliest of three points: the reasonable time needed to make the house habitable again, the shortest time for your household to settle somewhere else, or two years from the date of loss, unless Chubb agrees to a later date. Most claims end when the repair does, well inside two years.
From the Illinois form, which ends the coverage at the earliest of the following:
the reasonable amount of time required to restore your house or other permanent structure to a habitable condition; the shortest amount of time required to settle elsewhere if you or members of your household permanently relocate; ... or up to two years from the date of loss, or a later date if agreed to by us.
The form adds that this period of time is not limited by the expiration of the policy.
The 180 day decision
The Illinois and Alabama forms we read add a step most homeowners never hear about. Within 180 days of the loss, or a later date Chubb agrees to, you tell Chubb whether you plan to repair, replace, or rebuild, or to permanently relocate. If you don't tell them by that date, extra living expenses stop 30 days later.
Put your decision in writing well before day 180, even if the details are still moving, and ask for a later date in writing if you need one. If you are near that deadline and unsure where you stand, call us and we will help you work out what to send. The Florida form we read does not include this rule.
One more caution. A Chubb homeowners checklist filed in the same Alabama case summarized extra living expenses as having no time limit, while the policy form sets the two year outer limit. The checklist itself says the policy governs if the two conflict. Go by your policy.
How much will Chubb pay for temporary housing?
It depends on where the house is. The Illinois Masterpiece form we read sets no dollar maximum for additional living expenses. The Alabama and Florida forms cap the total at 30% of your house coverage. Chubb's comparison sheet says coverage is capped in eight states. Your Coverage Summary and policy control.
From the Alabama and Florida forms:
The maximum amount we will pay for all additional living expenses combined for each occurrence is 30% of the amount of house coverage as shown in your Coverage Summary for the location at which the loss occurs.
Chubb's Masterpiece Coverage Comparison, form 02-01-0093, lists loss of use as No Stated Limit for Masterpiece, with a footnote that coverage is capped in Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Wyoming, and that buy-downs are available in some states.
Is your limit enough?
If your state caps the coverage, take the cap, divide it by your contractor's written repair timeline in months, and that is your monthly budget for housing and every added cost. If your form states no cap, the two year limit and the reasonableness standard are what your claim examiner will apply. Either way, have the timeline in writing.
For how limits are sized across carriers, see our guide to loss of use coverage (ALE).
Can you choose your own temporary housing on your Chubb claim?
Yes, as long as the choice is reasonable for your household and approved in writing first. Chubb's claims page says it may help by engaging one of several housing vendors, which can be a real help. A reasonable option you choose, such as an RV on your own property, can be approved under the same coverage.
Your adjuster, or a temporary housing agency working on the claim, may suggest a hotel or a rental. Those suggestions are help, and often good help. They do not decide where your family lives. What the policy decides is what gets paid: the increase in your living costs needed to keep your household at its normal standard of living.
The step that protects you is simple. Get the housing and the nightly rate approved in writing before anyone moves in. We coordinate that approval with your adjuster or the housing agency on your file.
More on how this works, and what makes a choice reasonable: your right to choose reasonable temporary housing.
How do you ask Chubb for an RV?
Ask your Chubb claim examiner early, and confirm it in writing. Say the house is uninhabitable, that your household wants to stay on the property, and that a written estimate for a furnished RV is ready. The form measures housing against your household's usual standard of living.
What to say to your adjuster
Our house is uninhabitable and we want to stay on the property during the repair. Can we use a furnished RV placed here as our additional living expense housing? Agile RV Housing can send you a written estimate today.
What to say if a housing agency is handling your housing
Some Chubb claims hand housing to a national temporary housing agency such as ALE Solutions, Alacrity, Sedgwick, CRS, or National Corporate Housing. Those agencies place families every day, and a household that already knows it wants an RV on its own property makes their job easier. Tell the agency coordinator:
We want to stay on our property during the repair. Please add a furnished RV placed here to our housing options. Agile RV Housing can send you a written estimate today, and they already bill through your system.
What we handle from there
- A zoning check for your property, so the placement is allowed where you live.
- A site walk to plan where the unit sits and how it connects.
- A licensed electrician for the 50 amp outlet.
- The sewer tie-in.
- Delivery, leveling, and setup.
- Billing coordinated with Chubb or the housing agency, with an itemized invoice.
Move-in is usually about four days from approval. The main variable is scheduling the electrical contractor.
Can you ask Chubb for an advance on additional living expenses?
You can ask. Chubb's claims page tells you to keep receipts for these expenses, which points to the usual pattern: you spend, then Chubb reimburses. An advance is a request your claim examiner can consider, not a policy promise, so make it in writing and list what it covers.
United Policyholders, a nonprofit that advises homeowners on claims, tells displaced families to ask the insurer for an advance while noting that "ALE benefits are generally paid on a reimbursement basis." See its property damage claims FAQ.
Put the request in writing, to your adjuster, and say what the money is for: deposits, the first weeks of meals, transportation, pet boarding. A short email is enough:
Our home is not livable and we have moved out. Please consider an advance on our additional living expense coverage to cover our first weeks of displacement costs. We will submit receipts for everything it is used for.
The housing itself is often a separate question. On most of our placements the adjuster approves our written estimate and pays us directly, so the RV is not a cost your family fronts and waits to get back. When a housing agency manages the file, we bill through its system instead.
Why does an RV stretch Chubb additional living expenses further?
Because one unit sized to your household stands in for the hotel rooms your family actually needs. A family of five needs two hotel rooms, and two rooms at typical adjuster-approved rates pass $140 a night before meals, pet fees, and laundry. One unit is $120 to $140 a night, tax included.
That is why an RV placement draws substantially less against additional living expenses each month than an extended hotel stay. Chubb's homeowners page talks about finding a similar home in your school district where one is available. An RV on your own lot keeps the same school, the same neighbors, and the pets at home.
In a state with a 30% cap, the slower burn is what keeps money available for the last months of a long rebuild.
Our placements average about five months, with a 60 day minimum and month to month after that. Delivery and setup are quoted per property. For sourced costs of every option by region, see what temporary housing actually costs, by region.
Chubb additional living expenses facts at a glance
| Item | What the policy says | Source | Date checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coverage name | Additional living expenses: extra living expenses, fair rental value, forced evacuation expenses | Masterpiece Deluxe House Coverage, IL form 0800012 (09/25/17) | 2026-10-07 |
| Extra living expenses | Reasonable increase in normal living expenses to maintain the household's usual standard of living, including boarding of domestic animals | IL form 0800012 | 2026-10-07 |
| Time limit | Earliest of restoration time, time to settle elsewhere, or up to two years from the date of loss, or a later date if agreed | IL form 0800012; AL form 0800001; FL form 0800009 | 2026-10-07 |
| 180 day decision | Tell Chubb within 180 days whether you will repair, rebuild, or relocate, or extra living expenses cease 30 days later. Not in the FL form | IL form 0800012; AL form 0800001 (10/22/18) | 2026-10-07 |
| Dollar limit | IL: none stated. AL and FL: 30% of house coverage per occurrence | IL 0800012; AL 0800001; FL 0800009 (07/01/19) | 2026-10-07 |
| States with a cap, per Chubb | AL, CA, FL, HI, LA, MS, SC, WY | Chubb Masterpiece Coverage Comparison, form 02-01-0093 (Ed. 5/22) | 2026-10-07 |
| Forced evacuation | Up to 30 consecutive days | IL 0800012; FL 0800009 | 2026-10-07 |
| Deductible | There is no deductible for this coverage | IL, AL, and FL forms | 2026-10-07 |
| Policy expiration | Period not limited by the expiration of the policy | IL 0800012 | 2026-10-07 |
Chubb does not publish its Masterpiece policy forms. We read issued policies filed in public federal court records, for Illinois, Alabama, and Florida. Editions and state wording vary, and your Coverage Summary and policy control your claim.
Loss of use guides for other insurance carriers
Each carrier words this coverage differently and sets its own clock. Our loss of use coverage guide by insurance carrier compares all eleven side by side, and our guide to loss of use coverage (ALE) explains how the coverage works in general.
- State Farm loss of use coverage
- Allstate additional living expense coverage
- USAA loss of use coverage
- Farmers loss of use coverage
- Erie additional living expenses coverage
- Liberty Mutual and Safeco loss of use coverage
- American Family loss of use coverage
- Travelers loss of use coverage
- Nationwide loss of use coverage
- Auto-Owners additional living expense coverage
Questions homeowners with Chubb claims ask
Are additional living expenses the same as loss of use with Chubb?
Yes. Chubb's Masterpiece policy calls the coverage additional living expenses, and Chubb's own coverage comparison sheet labels the same coverage Loss of Use Coverage. Most other carriers call it Coverage D, Loss of Use.
How long does Chubb pay for temporary housing?
Until the earliest of the time needed to make your house habitable again, the time to settle elsewhere, or two years from the date of loss, unless Chubb agrees to a later date. Most claims end when the repair is finished.
Is there a limit on Chubb additional living expenses?
It depends on your state. The Illinois form we read states no dollar maximum. The Alabama and Florida forms cap it at 30% of house coverage, and Chubb lists caps in Alabama, California, Florida, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Wyoming.
What is Chubb's 180 day rule for additional living expenses?
In the Illinois and Alabama forms we read, you must tell Chubb within 180 days of the loss, or a later agreed date, whether you will repair, rebuild, or relocate. If you don't, extra living expenses stop 30 days later. Send your decision in writing, and call us if you are unsure.
Does Chubb pay for an RV on my property during repairs?
It can. The policy covers the reasonable increase in living expenses needed to keep your household's usual standard of living and does not list approved housing types. An RV on your own property can meet that standard. Your claim examiner approves it, and we prepare the written estimate.
Does Chubb have a deductible on additional living expenses?
No. Each of the Masterpiece forms we read says there is no deductible for this coverage.
Does Chubb pay if I'm evacuated before any damage?
In the Illinois form we read, yes, for up to 30 consecutive days when you evacuate because of a reasonable threat of a covered loss or a civil authority orders you out because of a covered peril. Florida's form is narrower. Check your own policy.
Sources
- Chubb Masterpiece Illinois Deluxe House Coverage, form 0800012, edition 09/25/17, Chubb National Insurance Company. Issued policy filed as an exhibit in a public federal court record (N.D. Ill.). Checked 2026-10-06.
- Chubb Masterpiece Alabama Deluxe House Coverage, form 0800001, edition 10/22/18, Pacific Indemnity Company. Certified policy filed in a public federal court record (N.D. Ala.). Checked 2026-10-06.
- Chubb Masterpiece Florida Deluxe House Coverage, form 0800009, edition 07/01/19, Federal Insurance Company. Certified policy filed in a public federal court record (M.D. Fla.). Checked 2026-10-06.
- Chubb, Masterpiece Coverage Comparison, form 02-01-0093 (Ed. 5/22). Checked 2026-10-06.
- Chubb, claims FAQs. Checked 2026-10-06.
- Chubb, homeowners insurance, temporary living arrangements. Checked 2026-10-06.
Chubb does not post its Masterpiece forms publicly, so the policy language here comes from issued policies that became public court records. We cite the form, edition, issuing company, and court district rather than the policyholders. Your own Coverage Summary and policy control your claim. Nothing here is legal advice or a coverage determination.
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We prepare the written estimate your claim examiner needs and handle the placement from approval to move-in.