Homeowners insurance protects your largest asset from costly hazards and lawsuits at a time when weather losses and rebuild costs are elevated. Regulators report the latest official national average homeowners expenditure was in the low-$1,400s per policy (2022 data), while rate filings show broad increases through 2023–2024, with some moderation expected as reinsurance markets eased at the 1/1/2025 renewals (NAIC; Gallagher Re). Record catastrophe activity also underpins pricing: the U.S. saw 28 separate billion‑dollar disasters in 2023 (NOAA). Use this step‑by‑step guide to match coverage to your risks and budget in today’s market.
Why You Need Homeowners Insurance
One severe event can upend your finances. Home insurance can pay to repair or rebuild after fire, wind/hail, or theft; replace belongings; cover additional living expenses if you can’t stay in your home; and defend you if someone is injured on your property. Losses have been unusually frequent and costly—NOAA documents a record 28 U.S. billion‑dollar disasters in 2023 with about $92.7 billion in damages and 492 deaths (NOAA). In this environment, carrying the right limits and endorsements is critical.
How to Shop for Homeowners Insurance in 8 Steps
Step 1: Understand homeowners insurance
Homeowners insurance coverage depends on the policy type and the property you insure. As you review types of policies, note the difference between “named perils” (only listed events are covered) and “open perils” (everything is covered except listed exclusions). Typical policies include the dwelling, other structures, personal property, liability, and loss of use. Standard HO policies exclude flood and earthquake—you generally need separate policies or endorsements for those (FEMA/NFIP). In higher‑risk areas, insurers may apply peril‑specific deductibles (e.g., hurricane or wind/hail) and roof settlement limits as loss trends—especially wind/hail—have remained elevated since 2019 (LexisNexis). Read your policy forms carefully so you know exactly what is and isn’t covered.
Types of Homeowners Insurance Coverage
- Dwelling protection: Helps pay to repair or rebuild your home (and attached structures) when damaged by covered perils such as fire, lightning, wind, or hail—up to your policy limit and subject to your deductible. Be aware of how your roof is settled (replacement cost vs. ACV) and consider code‑upgrade (Ordinance or Law) coverage for older homes, as rebuilding must meet current codes.
- Other structures protection: Covers detached structures like a garage, shed, or fence, typically a percentage of the dwelling limit; you can adjust this if you have higher exposure.
- Additional living expenses coverage: Pays for temporary housing, meals, and related costs if a covered loss makes your home uninhabitable while repairs are made.
- Personal property coverage: Covers belongings if they’re destroyed or stolen; many policies include off‑premises coverage (e.g., a laptop stolen from a dorm or hotel). Default settlement may be actual cash value unless you add replacement cost coverage.
- Liability coverage: Pays damages and legal defense if you’re legally responsible for injuries or property damage to others—crucial protection in the event of a lawsuit.
- Medical payments coverage: No‑fault coverage that helps pay smaller medical bills if a guest who doesn’t live with you is injured at your home.
Homeowners Insurance Premiums
Insurers price premiums based on where you live, home characteristics, your claims history, and current reconstruction costs. The latest official benchmark places the national average expenditure in the low‑$1,400s per policy (2022), with significant state variation (NAIC). Rates climbed broadly through 2023–2024 due to high catastrophe losses, elevated repair costs, and expensive reinsurance, though 1/1/2025 reinsurance renewals showed improved capacity and generally stable‑to‑softer pricing that should help moderate (not reverse) increases (NOAA; Gallagher Re). Hotspots include Florida (state‑backed Citizens approved another mid‑teens average increase for 2024), wildfire‑exposed parts of California, and hail‑belt states such as Colorado (Citizens Florida; LexisNexis).
Here are some homeowners Insurance factors that insurers will consider to price your premiums:
- Location (including catastrophe exposure, proximity to coast/brush, local hail/wind history, and fire protection)
- Square footage
- Neighborhood and crime rate
- Homeowner’s past claims
- Homeowner’s credit (where permitted by state law)
- Past claims on property
- Homeowners personal belongings and selected coverage amounts/valuation
- Potential dangers at the home, such as an unfenced pool or a trampoline
- Year of construction
- Type of construction
- Roof type and age (some insurers use roof‑age limits or ACV settlements in hail/wind zones)
- Number of rooms
- If applicable, garage type
- Foundation type
- Security systems, burglar alarms and smoke detectors (many carriers offer credits for monitored alarms and sprinklers)
- Type of heating and air conditioning systems
How Much Coverage Do You Need?
- Actual cash value (ACV): Pays replacement cost minus depreciation—lower premiums but smaller claim payouts, especially for older roofs or belongings.
- Replacement cost value (RCV): Pays what it costs to repair or replace with new materials of like kind and quality at today’s prices—higher premiums but reduced out‑of‑pocket after a loss.
- Guaranteed replacement cost/value: May pay above your stated limit to rebuild when costs spike (availability varies by insurer/state); premiums are higher but can protect against underinsurance in volatile markets.
Step 2: Find out what your insurance needs are
Coverage is customizable—set limits and deductibles to match your risks and budget. Start with a current reconstruction estimate for your home, an inventory of belongings, and then align coverages and endorsements to the perils you actually face. There’s no single right answer to how much home insurance you need, but right‑sizing Coverage A and adding targeted endorsements (e.g., water backup, service line) are best practices (LexisNexis).
You can start by taking a look at the most common policy known as the HO-3. The six core coverages are dwelling, personal property, personal liability, medical payments to others, loss of use and other structures. An HO‑3 typically covers the dwelling on an open‑perils basis (subject to exclusions) and personal property for named perils, with options to broaden with endorsements.
But even with an open perils policy like the HO-3, there may be risks specific to your home’s location or your individual situation that will require you to add other coverages. An example of that are earthquake and flood insurance, which are not usually included in the basic policy.
We recommend adding an endorsement for earthquake insurance for those who live in areas with frequent seismic activity. If you live in an area that is prone to flooding, you may have to get a separate flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) since many insurers won’t offer this coverage.
You may also want to add extra protection for valuable items such as jewelry and art pieces that exceed the policy’s coverage limit.
Step 3: Decide if you want to buy online or with a agent
The next step is to decide if you want to buy your policy online or call an agent to help you out. When shopping around, you should look for insurers that allow multiple ways to reach them and file a claim. Whether you decide to buy your homeowners insurance with an agent or to do it yourself online, we recommend comparing companies, which is our next step.
Step 4: Get quotes
Shopping around takes a longer time, but it will assure you that you won’t miss a great deal or discount and have the right coverage. If you are ready to start comparing rates, you should compare quotes and diversify your options with a list of nationwide companies and local insurers. If you prefer using an agent or broker, ask for at least three quotes from different companies. Getting more than one estimate not only allows you to compare, but could also help you have leverage to negotiate for a better price and coverage.
Pro tip: if you already have a car insurance company, we recommend calling them to ask for bundling options with your homeowners insurance, to see if they are a good fit for your needs. This could also save you some money.
Information that you will need to get homeowners insurance
- Identifying information such as social security number, birthdate and occupation (and consent for a credit‑based insurance score where permitted)
- Property history (claims/losses, prior carriers)
- Home address and contents (construction details, roof age, updates, major systems)
- Liability questions (dogs, pools, trampoline, short‑term rentals)
- Renovations and repairs, if any (permits, code upgrades)
- If you are under a mortgage, lender requirements (minimum coverages, mortgagee clause, escrow)
- Assessment of home value with current condition and amenities (reconstruction estimate, photos/roof measurements)
- Insurance inspection reports (some carriers inspect or require roof imagery)
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Step 5: Compare price and policies
Now that you have more than one company and coverage it’s time to compare them. But make sure that you are not only evaluating the price. Make sure that you are comparing similares coverages, and take a good look into what is included in each coverage as there might be some exclusions in the cheaper options.
Remember that in step 2 we recommended understanding what your needs were? Here it is where you get that list of requirements to check that the policy you choose meets those needs. The most comprehensive option may come with a higher premium, but it gives you the right amount of protection.
Step 6: Choose your insurer
If you’ve narrowed it down to two or three providers, now you evaluate their financial strength, customer service and satisfaction, as well as how they handle claims. Questions such as can you file a claim online, how easy it is to do so, do you need an agent to complete the request and the average time it takes to do so are important.
Once you decide the best insurer for you, check for discounts to see if they apply to you. Some home insurers, for example, will give you a discount if you pay the annual premium in advance. Before you finalize the process on how to buy homeowners insurance, those details could be an essential determinator.
Step 7: Finalize details
So you already chose a company and selected your policy, you are ready to complete the steps to get your homeowners insurance. If you have a mortgage, you will be asked to revise the following:
- Premiums: Lenders could require you to pay for your home insurance in advance to close your mortgage.
- Deductibles: Lenders need to know how much you would have to pay out of pocket before the insurance company pays you for your loss. Consider that the higher the deductible, the lower your premium.
- Choosing coverage limits: Lower limits minimize your deductible but be mindful of how much you’d be able to pay out of pocket to cover your costs. Get enough coverage to rebuild your home, replace your personal property, cover injuries and damages on your property and reimburse your living expenses if you lose your home.
- Effective day: When the coverage starts covering your property.
Step 8: Be ready for an inspector to visit your property
Some insurers might need to inspect your home to assure that what you reported is legit. If something were not reported, the inspector would take notes and you might see a change on your next bill. So it is best to make sure that you documented everything needed to get the right premium.
But if you forgot to mention things such as having a security system or fire extinguisher, you may be in for a pleasant surprise, as these two things might get you discounts on your policy for lowering risks. You should double-check with the inspector if there might be other deals that you did not consider when asking for a policy.
What’s Next?
Now that you are aware of everything you need to know about the homeowners insurance buying process, we recommend checking out the best homeowners insurance companies and cheapest homeowners insurance companies to start analyzing your options. If you are ready to get a quote, check out our comparison tool.
