The openIDS Homeowners Working Group has officially kicked off development of the Residential Structure Model v1.0, and momentum is strong. Building on the solid foundation contributed by Cloverleaf’s model, we’re now laser-focused on refining, enhancing, and filling any gaps needed to make this standard a robust, industry-ready resource.
Why the Residential Structure Model Matters
The Residential Structure Insurable Object Template provides a structured way to capture detailed information about an insured risk. In insurance, an “insurable object” is any item covered (or excluded) in a policy. By defining this model for residential structures, we are creating a common framework for insurers to record and analyze critical details about homes, their conditions, and their exposures.
This is essential for:
- Risk assessment – More accurate underwriting with standardized data.
- Regulatory compliance – Faster responses when regulators request information in familiar formats.
- Industry interoperability – Shared definitions that eliminate costly translation between company-specific models.
- Data-driven insights – Stronger analytics for trends, geographic risk analysis, and product development.
What’s Inside the Model
The Residential Structure Model v1.0 aims to define a wide range of attributes that help insurers evaluate residential risks. Some examples include:
- Construction and condition details – Construction type, siding, roof condition, plumbing, electrical, and wiring inspections.
- Occupancy and usage – Number of families, apartments, or household residents, weeks rented, and presence of businesses on premises.
- Risk-reducing and exposure factors – Security systems, sprinkler indicators, fire protection classes, alarm types, and distance to tidal water.
- Property value and features – Year built, purchase price, replacement cost, living area, garage/carport type, and swimming pool exposure.
- Special indicators – Vicious animal presence, ongoing additions, business at residence, or long-term residency.
This comprehensive approach ensures that insurers can capture not just the physical structure, but also its use, condition, and potential exposures.
Call for Collaboration
Right now, our priority is identifying and closing any gaps. This is where the community comes in. If you have resources, insights, or data that can strengthen the Residential Structure Model, your input is needed. Workstream members are providing industry standards/references the group can review and use to consolidate the gap analysis. Before our next meeting our plan is to:
- Review gaps and determine additions or subtractions for openIDS Residential Structure model v0.1.
- Align on standard naming conventions for openIDS Residential Structure model v0.1.
- Confirm logical format/structure for openIDS Residential Structure model v0.1 and subsequent data standards.
Our next Homeowners Workstream call will be on Monday, August 25th at 2:30pm ET and open to anyone who wants to join us. Click here to access the Zoom link for our next meeting.
To get involved, please see:
- Artifact overview (model + tables)
- August 18th call recording and summary wiki
- Zoom links to upcoming meetings:
- Data Standards Working Group Monday, August 25 at 2pm ET
- Homeowners Workstream Meeting Monday, August 25 at 2:30pm ET
The more perspectives and data we gather, the stronger and more adaptable this standard will become for the entire industry. We look forward to working together!