For most people, their home is their largest asset, and replacing it on their own would be nearly impossible. That’s where homeowners insurance comes in. Home insurance coverage protects homeowners from the financial risk of loss or damage to their home in the event of a natural disaster, fire, or other hazards.
But insuring your home does add to the cost of homeownership, and the price can be considerable. The average price of home insurance increased by 9% in 2024, making the average annual premium $2,584 by the end of the year, Insurify data analysts found. And home insurance rates may continue rising in 2025.
That’s why it’s so important to compare home insurance policies from several insurers to find the best coverage for you.
Here’s what you need to know about this vital insurance.
How different types of homebuyers can compare quotes effectively
Each homeowner has unique priorities and coverage needs. Thankfully, home insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. After meeting any requirements from your mortgage lender, you can customize your coverage to suit your needs and budget.
Here, you’ll learn how a few different types of homeowners can compare quotes.
Compare home insurance quotes by state
Many factors affect home insurance costs, but your location is a big one. Regional or even hyper-local factors like state regulations, insurance litigation, inflation, supply chain disruptions, severe weather risk, and how close your home is to a fire department can influence rates significantly.
Florida, Louisiana, and Oklahoma have the most expensive average home insurance premiums in the country. In particular, residents of hurricane-prone Florida and Louisiana pay thousands of dollars more than the national average, at $5,640 and $5,136 per year, respectively, for $300,000 of dwelling coverage. The national average annual premium is $2,377.
Vermont, Hawaii, and Alaska have the least expensive national average rates. Vermont’s average rate is just $936 per year, for $300,000 of dwelling coverage. But as climate risk, inflation, reinsurance costs, and other factors shift, those rates could begin climbing.
Here are the average homeowners insurance rates for $300,000 worth of dwelling coverage in each state.
Compare homeowners insurance quotes by company
Just like home insurance premiums vary by where you live, rates can also vary among insurance companies. Some insurers sell policies only in certain areas, while others cover the entire U.S. And each has a different formula for calculating premiums.
Everything from the age of your home to its construction materials can affect rates. Comparing quotes from multiple insurers for the amount of coverage you need, or your dwelling coverage limit, will help you find the best rate.
These tables outline the average monthly home insurance rate for four different dwelling coverage limits from 31 insurance companies.
Step-by-step guide to comparing home insurance quotes
Here’s how to get down to business and compare quotes so you can secure good coverage fast. Going through each step will help you get through the process as smoothly as possible.
1. Choose how you want to purchase a home insurance policy
Before you decide how you want to buy an insurance policy, you need to gather some information to ensure you get accurate quotes.
Here’s a list of what you need to have available
Personal information (date of birth, Social Security number, etc.)
The home’s address
How long you’ve lived there
How many people and pets live with you full-time
Whether this is a primary or secondary home
The year the home was built and the age of the roof
When heating and plumbing systems were last updated
The home’s total square footage and number of stories
Any upgrades or renovations you’ve made
Whether there are any other structures, like a separate garage or shed
Any safety features, such as burglar or fire alarms
The distance to fire services
Your home’s accessibility to fire services
Whether your home is outside city limits
Name of last or current home insurer, if applicable
Your home insurance claims history for the last five years
The dates of when you last had coverage
Your coverage start date, if you know it
2. Consider your coverage needs
Calculating your home’s replacement cost, or how much it would cost to rebuild it to its original condition, is a great place to start. To do that, multiply your home’s square footage by the average cost per square foot to rebuild a similar house in your area.
The contractor price per square foot varies nationwide, but the median in 2023 was $162 per square foot for new single-family detached homes, according to the National Association of Home Builders’ most recent report.
Next, consider any special historical features or material upgrades since those might increase the replacement cost per square foot. Account for those in your estimate. This will add up to your estimated dwelling coverage limit. Then, focus on your personal belongings and assets to determine how much it would cost to replace the items in your home.
Expand these topics to learn more about important terms and what exactly home insurance does and doesn’t cover.
Actual cash value vs. replacement cost
When you’re selecting a home insurance policy, make sure you’re aware of the difference between actual cash value (ACV) and replacement cost (RC).
With ACV coverage, your insurer pays you the depreciated cost of repairing or replacing your damaged property. Age and wear and tear can cause your home and belongings to depreciate, which means they lose value over time. ACV coverage pays you what your home and belongings are worth today, not what it costs to finance building a new home and replacing your possessions.
With RC coverage, your insurer pays you the cost of replacing your home and belongings today, without deducting any depreciation. Extended replacement cost coverage goes even further and pays you more than the RC to give you an extra cushion of protection.
Most insurers require policyholders to have home insurance coverage equal to at least 80% of their replacement cost to qualify for full replacement cost coverage. Some may require 100%. But the amount your insurer will pay you is the coverage limit you bought, not the cost to repair or rebuild if it exceeds that amount.
With both kinds of coverage, your deductible and coverage limits apply. Calculating the replacement cost for your home and belongings accurately will help you secure the right amount of coverage to protect you from unexpected damages.
3. Receive at least three quotes
“It pays to shop around” isn’t just a catchy saying when it comes to home insurance. Comparing multiple quotes from different insurance companies is the best way to save money on your coverage, according to Triple-I.
Once you determine at least the basics of what home insurance coverage you need, it’s time to compare costs. You can ask friends for recommendations, contact your state insurance department, or check consumer guides. But the fastest way to compare quotes is with an online insurance quote-comparison tool.
Comparing quotes online with a comparison platform saves you time and energy because you only have to input your information once. You also won’t miss out on insurer discounts. For example, you can bundle your home and auto policies when you compare quotes and buy coverage through Insurify.
4. Research insurer reputation
Comparing quotes can help you save, but finding the cheapest rate isn’t the only factor to consider. Ideally, it’s best to also feel confident in the customer service, claims satisfaction, and reliability of your chosen home insurer.
Consumer insights agency J.D. Power puts out customer satisfaction rankings of home insurance companies each year. It scores companies based on interaction, policy offerings, price, claims, billing process, and policy information. You can also find user reviews on online forums and sites like Trustpilot.
AM Best, a credit-rating agency, grades insurers on their financial strength and long-term credit. That score can help tell you if they’re able to pay out claims on the policies they insure.
Insurify’s ratings are based on the Insurify Quality (IQ) Score, which considers an insurer’s financial strength, customer and claims satisfaction, the cost of premiums, coverage options, availability, and more.
Here’s a look at some national insurers and how they rank.
5. Review policy details
Before you sign anything, it’s always good to review it carefully. Home insurance is no different, but there might be a few concepts and terms you’re still getting familiar with.
Here are a few more important terms to know:
Claim: Your request to your insurer for reimbursement after a covered loss.
Declarations page: The page in your policy that shows your insurer’s name and address, the policy period, premium amount, and coverage amount.
Deductible: The amount you have to pay after a loss before your coverage kicks in.
Endorsement: Also known as a rider, this is a written agreement accompanying a policy that limits or expands policy benefits.
Loss: The amount your insurer pays on a claim.
Policy period: The time during which the policy is in force, or active.
Premium: The amount you pay to your insurance company for coverage.
6. Take out a home insurance policy
If you find a policy you like through a quote-comparison platform, you can contact an agent or the insurer and express your interest in moving forward. This is also a good time to ask any final questions and ask again about discount and bundling opportunities. The insurer should also be able to help you understand whether the policy you’ve selected is appropriate for your home, where you live, and your needs.
Not all companies require a home insurance inspection before confirming a policy, but some do. Whether you need one could depend on the age of your home and how recently you’ve had an inspection done. Insurers typically complete this within a few weeks after you confirm your policy. The results may affect your rates, but hopefully only slightly if you’ve already provided the most accurate and updated information available.
Be sure to confirm when your home insurance policy takes effect. For example, if you’re closing on a new home, your coverage typically takes effect the day you close. If you’re switching insurers, coordinate the effective date with the day you cancel your old policy to prevent gaps in coverage. You might be able to get same-day home insurance coverage, but it’s more likely to take a few days.