It kind of depends on where you live too, no? I’ve studied the fault lines near us and feel pretty comfortable not having it. The premium seemed too high compared to the likelihood an earthquake would do major damage.
There are some structural/ foundational things we plan to do to better protect our old house, but haven’t exactly gotten around to it, yet...
Not just where you live, but the type and age of construction. Setting prices the same across the state would be grossly unfair, would never work. Detailed USGS surveys document soil types (
https://earthquake.usgs.gov/hazards/urban/sfbay/soiltype/), topology, and proximity to known fault zones. We also have a pretty good idea of the statistical likelihood of a major earthquake for each fault zone, and approximately how different types of structures hold up. Premiums are based on these factors plus desired deductible, and other features of the policy. The CA Earthquake Authority has an online calculator you can play with:
https://www.earthquakeauthority.com/california-earthquake-insurance-policies/earthquake-insurance-premium-calculatorOur premium is fairly reasonable (like $60/month last I checked) even though we are close to a major fault, however, we have new-ish construction on slab foundation, on flat land rather than a hill, and our geology (sandstone) is pretty good in an earthquake.
If you have an old house with post and pier foundation on artificial fill...yeah, you're going to pay a lot more. But you're also
way more likely to suffer catastrophic losses.