Home Insurance Quotes For The Place You Call Home

Have these ready and most quotes take a few minutes:

• The address, year built and square footage
• The roof's age and material, plus any updates to wiring, plumbing or heating
• Construction type, such as frame or brick
• Safety features like smoke detectors, deadbolts or a monitored alarm
• Any claims you've made in the last few years
• The coverage limits and deductible you want

More than one. Each insurer weighs risk differently, so the same home can be priced very differently. Get quotes for the same dwelling limit, liability limit and deductible, then compare the total annual cost.

Not your credit scores. Where insurers check credit, they typically use a soft inquiry, which the CFPB explains doesn't affect your credit scores. Insurers in many states do use a credit-based insurance score in pricing, which we cover further down.

Covero isn't an insurer or an agency. We point homeowners to licensed partners: you see quotes on the partner's own site, and the partner and its insurers set the price and decide on coverage. There's no cost to use Covero and no obligation to buy.

Enough to rebuild the house, not what it would sell for. The Insurance Information Institute stresses that your dwelling limit should match the cost to rebuild, which is different from the purchase price, the market value or your mortgage balance. Land doesn't burn down, so it isn't part of the number.

Other structures are commonly covered at about 10% of the dwelling amount.

Belongings are usually covered at 50% to 70% of the dwelling amount, according to the Insurance Information Institute, and loss of use at about 20%. Expensive jewelry, art or collectibles often have low limits unless you add extra cover for them.

A home inventory makes a claim far easier. The NAIC suggests photos or video of every room, and it offers a free app for exactly this.

Policies usually start at $100,000 of liability coverage. The Insurance Information Institute suggests considering $300,000 to $500,000, and an umbrella policy can add more on top if your savings and income would be at risk in a lawsuit.

It pays small medical bills for guests hurt at your home, such as a visitor who trips on the stairs, whoever is at fault. Limits are modest, which is why it sits alongside liability coverage rather than replacing it.

An HO-3 covers the house against all risks except those it specifically excludes, often called open perils. Your belongings are covered against a list of named perils, such as fire, theft and windstorms. It's the standard choice for a single-family home.

An HO-5 extends open-perils cover to your belongings too, so more kinds of loss are covered without being listed. It costs more: the NAIC's latest report put the average HO-5 premium at $1,891 a year, against $1,737 for an HO-3, using 2023 data.

These averages are illustrative, from the NAIC's Homeowners Report, and aren't quotes. Your price depends on your home, location and coverage.

The Insurance Information Institute describes the other common forms:

• HO-4: renters insurance, covering belongings and liability, not the building
• HO-6: condo insurance, covering your unit's interior and belongings
• HO-7: mobile and manufactured homes
• HO-8: older homes where rebuilding to the original standard would cost far more than the home is worth

Replacement cost pays what it costs to replace or repair at today's prices. Actual cash value pays replacement cost minus depreciation, as the NAIC explains, so a ten-year-old sofa pays out far less than a new one costs. The Insurance Information Institute estimates replacement cost cover for belongings costs about 10% more, and extended replacement cost on the house typically adds 5% to 25% above your limit if rebuilding costs spike.

No. FEMA is clear that standard homeowners policies don't cover flood damage, and just one inch of floodwater can cause around $25,000 of damage. Flood cover comes from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private insurers. NFIP policies cover up to $250,000 for the building and $100,000 for contents, and there's usually a 30-day wait before a new policy starts. The Congressional Budget Office has cited research estimating that only about 4% of single-family homes have flood cover.

Sudden and accidental water damage, like a burst pipe, is generally covered. Slow leaks and damage from poor maintenance usually aren't. The Insurance Information Institute notes that sewer and drain backup is excluded unless you add it with an endorsement, which is often inexpensive.

If a covered event damages the roof, such as hail or a fallen tree, your policy pays for repairs after the deductible. A roof that's simply worn out isn't covered, and some policies pay older roofs at actual cash value rather than replacement cost, so check how yours treats roof age.

Earthquake damage is excluded from standard policies and needs separate cover. Mold cover is usually limited, and wear and tear, pests and general maintenance are never covered. If a repair can't wait while you sort out the rest, our page on emergency loan options explains how people bridge that kind of gap.

Mostly because rebuilding costs more and severe weather is causing bigger losses. The NAIC's 2026 analysis of the market found inflation-adjusted premiums per policy rose 18.3% to 43.3% between 2018 and 2024, depending on the region, while insurer-initiated non-renewals rose sharply too.

Risk is local. The US Treasury's Federal Insurance Office found that homeowners in the highest-risk ZIP codes paid an average of $2,321 a year between 2018 and 2022, 82% more than in the lowest-risk areas, and faced far more non-renewals.

You can usually pay the insurer yearly or in installments. If you have a mortgage, many lenders collect the premium in your monthly payment and pay it through an escrow account, which is why an insurance increase can push your mortgage payment up.

Where the home is drives the price more than almost anything else: exposure to wildfire, hurricanes, hail and crime, and how close the nearest fire station and hydrant are. The cost to rebuild matters too, which depends on size, materials and local building costs.

A newer roof, especially one built to resist wind or hail, can lower your price. Old wiring, plumbing or heating can push it up or limit which insurers will offer cover.

Insurers check the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE), a database of past claims on you and the property. The CFPB explains that it holds up to seven years of home claims and that you can get a free copy of your report every 12 months.

In most states insurers can use a credit-based insurance score, though a few, including Maryland, restrict it for home insurance. Here's how credit scores are calculated. A higher deductible lowers the premium. In 18 states plus Washington, D.C., the Insurance Information Institute says hurricane deductibles apply, typically 1% to 5% of the insured value, so a 2% deductible on a $200,000 home means paying the first $4,000 of a hurricane claim.

That deductible example is illustrative. Check your own policy's deductibles before choosing one.

The Insurance Information Institute lists these common ways to save:

• Raising your deductible, which can save up to 25%
• Bundling home and car insurance with one insurer, typically 5% to 15%
• Smoke detectors, deadbolts and alarm systems, usually 5% or more
• Staying with the same insurer for several years
• Upgrading the roof or the home's systems

Discounts help, but the final price is what counts, so compare totals, not discount lists.

Homeowners insurance usually isn't required by law, but mortgage lenders generally require it. If your cover lapses, the CFPB explains that the lender can buy force-placed insurance for you, which is usually more expensive and generally protects only the lender. Servicers have to send you notices 45 days and 15 days before charging you for it.

In high-risk areas, some homeowners can't find cover on the regular market. Many states run a FAIR plan or similar residual-market plan as an insurer of last resort; the Treasury's Federal Insurance Office counts 34 states plus Washington, D.C. with one. Cover is usually more basic, so it's worth checking the regular market at every renewal.

The NAIC's Consumer Insurance Search shows an insurer's license status, confirmed complaints and financial overview. Your state insurance department can confirm the license too. And shop around at renewal, because prices and each insurer's appetite for your area change over time.