You probably shouldn't park your motorboat in your front yard. But if you do, and some rogues cart it off in the night, you definitely shouldn't expect your homeowner's insurance policy to pay for the loss.

A lot of homeowners don't precisely understand what their dwelling insurance will cover, a new survey by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners found.

You often can pay for extra coverage against a loss that isn't addressed by the standard policy. You can either buy a new policy that covers a specific peril — that's insurance chatter for bad things — or purchase what's known as an endorsement on your existing policy.

A separate policy would extend to motor vehicles and boats. The same is true for flood insurance, which is handled by the federal government.

Endorsements could include coverage for things ranging from sewer backups and earthquakes, to collectibles and valuables such as jewelry, furs and baseball cards.

John Crivaro Jr., owner of the Crivaro Insurance Agency in Des Moines, Iowa, recommended that you get appraisals of the value of individual items, photograph them and then store that information away from your home.

Some coverage just isn't available. Take termites. Crivaro said he's never seen a homeowner's policy that covers termite damage.

With all of those exclusions, Susan Voss, Iowa's insurance commissioner, said it's important for consumers to closely examine their policies.

She advised consumers to quiz their agents about what is covered. Crivaro said he typically runs through a list with customers to make them aware of what is covered and what additional coverage they can purchase.