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Most people think earthquake insurance should be an easy sell in California. But a lot of agents and brokers in the state know that this isn’t always the case. It might surprise some people to learn that, even though California has a 99% chance of experiencing a 6.7-magnitude earthquake or larger within the next three decades according to the US Geological Society, only about 12% of homeowners in the state have earthquake insurance.

So why don’t more people buy earthquake insurance? Here are a few reasons—and some strategies to counter these objectives in a sales situation.

It’s expensive. Prospects are often primarily concerned about the cost, both in terms of premiums and deductibles. Meet all the below objections perfectly, and you’ll still have to contend with the fact that earthquake insurance is expensive, and many prospects can’t afford it. Or they think they can’t.

There are ways to reduce costs, however. Insureds should consider the following:

• The CEA will provide a 5% discount to those who make certain earthquake safety upgrades to their homes, such as bolting the home to its foundation.

• Some insurers will also give discounts to homeowners who install sprinkler systems in their homes, attach metal straps to stabilize the walls and roof, or make other safety improvements.

• Premiums are usually cheaper for wooden homes than for brick and masonry homes, as brick and masonry buildings are more rigid and prone to damage in a quake.

• Homes constructed after 1979, when more stringent building codes were introduced, also cost less to insure.

My homeowners insurance will cover it. This is a common misconception. Homeowners’ policies do not automatically provide earthquake coverage. Agents and brokers can make headway by making sure their prospects know that homeowners’ insurance is usually specific in excluding earthquake damage.

The last big quake didn’t damage my home, so I’m probably safe. Another reason many Californians go uncovered? Because they’ve been through a quake before. It might sound counter-intuitive, but it’s not unusual for prospects to believe that because their home survived the last major quake in their area, it will come through the next one without damage as well.

All earthquakes are different. Just because the insured’s home survived the last one doesn’t mean that it will come through the next one without a scratch.

I’m not in a high-risk zone. In addition, some homeowners and commercial property owners don’t carry earthquake insurance because they’ve seen the maps of California’s seismic zones, and they aren’t located in one of the “red zones”—so they don’t believe they’re at risk.

Those maps can be misleading, however. The state of California is the most earthquake-prone in the country; everywhere in the state is at risk. Scientists don’t come close to knowing where all the fault lines are state-wide, and new ones are being discovered all the time. Those zone maps represent a best guess, and not always an accurate one. The next big quake could happen anywhere, even in an area designated “low-risk.”

FEMA will cover me. It isn’t unusual for insureds to believe that government emergency aid programs will step in to compensate them for their losses in case of an earthquake. The aid and loans available through FEMA are designed to get people back into their homes, but not to restore those homes to their original value. People who didn’t buy insurance before the earthquake will still suffer huge financial setbacks.

However, FEMA is designed for emergency expenses, not to restore homeowners’ losses. The emergency grants for homeowners have limits that are much less than the cost of most homes; low-interest loans are available to those who qualify, but must be repaid—and nothing will reduce a homeowner’s mortgage payment.

The truth is that when it comes to earthquakes in California, it’s not an “if” question—it’s more of a “when.” Insurers know that a quake will strike eventually—and those who go uninsured will suffer the most. Keep these points in mind when building your marketing programs for earthquake insurance or talking about it with insureds—and hopefully, you’ll be able to sell more.