Top 3 Reasons Homeowners Can Expect a 3% to 30% Rate Increase

There is a good chance that your homeowners insurance premium will be headed up this year. According to a recent S&P Global Market Intelligence report,  homeowners should expect a 3% to 30% rate hike across all major home insurance providers. The report found that State Farm will have the largest rate increase among major insurers and the state of Texas will see the most significant increase in homeowners insurance rates compared to other states.

Review Average Cost of Home Insurance Per State for 2022 

The Insurance Information Institute (Triple I) cited a number of reasons that are leading to more expensive homeowners insurance premiums. Here are the top three:

• Extreme weather and natural disasters: Severe weather and natural disasters are a major reason for the spike in homeowners insurance premiums. Data from the Triple I show that the number of claims from natural disasters has skyrocketed 700 percent since the 1980s. If you filed a claim due to a natural disaster, or for any reason, you will most likely be seeing a substantial premium increase, claims always result in a higher premium. 
• Population shifting: As people move to areas where the risk of severe weather is high, homeowners insurance costs will rise. As an example, from 2016 to 2020 the 50 counties that currently facing the highest share of heat risk saw 4.7% population growth. In addition, the counties with the highest drought, fire, flood, and storm risk are seeing 3.5% population growth according to Redfin. If you need flood insurance, call us now for quotes at 888-620-1954.
• Rising labor and construction costs: Inflation, supply chain issues and the pandemic have led to dramatic increases in the cost of materials and labor. All of this leads to higher repair or rebuilding costs if your home is damaged or destroyed by a covered peril. As insurance companies must pay more to fix or replace your home, they will pass that cost onto policyholders. 

Tips to Lower Your Home Insurance Cost

If your homeowners premium has gone up, there may be ways to save a bit of money and lower your insurance costs. Here are a few tips to help keep your insurance affordable:

• Shop your coverage: Insurers rate risk differently which can result in dramatic differences in premium quotes. Shop at least 5 national insurance companies and make sure you are comparing apples to apples when it comes to coverage levels and deductibles. Our quoting process is free, easily compare up to 12 home insurance quotes now.
• Discounts: Insurance companies offer a variety of discounts, and your job is to make sure you are getting every discount you are qualified to receive. Ask your agent to do a discount review to make sure all available discounts are being applied to your policy. 
• Upgrade your home: Upgrading your home can lead to additional discounts that will help you save money on your premium. Replacing your roof with wind and hail resistant materials can lead to a discount as can installing a monitored security system or even a fire suppression system. Anytime you upgrade your home you should notify your insurer to see if a new discount can be applied to your policy. 
• Change your deductible: The higher your deductible, the lower your premium. If you can afford to double your deductible, you should see some dramatic savings. Always choose a deductible that you can easily afford in the event you have to make a claim on your policy.