Texas homeowners insurance quotes

Texas is one of the hardest states in the country to insure a house in. Hail, wind, hurricanes along the coast, wildfire in dry years, and foundation problems in expansive clay soil all show up in the loss numbers — and all of it shows up in your premium.

That's exactly why the details of your policy matter more here than in most states.

The parts of a homeowners policy

• Dwelling coverage. What it costs to rebuild the structure. Not what you paid for the house, and not what a realtor could sell it for.
• Other structures. Detached garage, workshop, fence, barn.
• Personal property. What's inside. Usually a percentage of dwelling coverage by default, which may or may not match what you own.
• Loss of use. Hotel and meals if a covered loss makes the house uninhabitable.
• Personal liability. If someone is injured on your property or you damage someone else's.
• Medical payments. Smaller injury costs regardless of fault.

The three things that trip Texas homeowners up

The separate wind and hail deductible

Many Texas policies carry a percentage deductible for wind and hail damage that is separate from and larger than the flat all-other-perils deductible. A one or two percent deductible on a three hundred thousand dollar dwelling limit is three to six thousand dollars out of pocket on a hail claim. People find this out after the storm. Find it out before.

Flood is not included

Standard homeowners policies exclude flood. In Texas that matters more than almost anywhere — serious flooding regularly happens well outside mapped high-risk zones. Flood coverage is a separate policy, usually through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private carrier, and it typically has a waiting period before it takes effect. Buying it the week a storm is named is too late.

Replacement cost versus actual cash value

Replacement cost pays to replace damaged property with new. Actual cash value pays replacement cost minus depreciation. On a fifteen-year-old roof, that difference can be tens of thousands of dollars. A number of Texas policies have shifted roofs specifically to actual cash value or to a roof payment schedule. Check which one you have — it is one of the most consequential lines in the whole policy.

What we review on a home quote

Square footage and year built, roof age and material, construction type, distance to a fire hydrant and fire station, prior claims, and any updates you've made to the roof, wiring, plumbing or HVAC. Updates matter: carriers price a house with a five-year-old roof very differently from the same house with a twenty-year-old roof.

Renters and landlords

If you rent, your landlord's policy covers the building and nothing of yours. Renters insurance is one of the least expensive policies in the business and covers your belongings plus liability. If you own a property you rent out, you need a landlord policy — a standard homeowners policy on a rental is a coverage gap waiting to be discovered at claim time.