How much homeowners insurance do you need in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island doesn’t legally require home insurance. But it’s often a lender requirement if you have a mortgage.
It’s important to choose enough coverage to protect your home and your liabilities and understand what your home insurance policy covers. Depending on your situation, you may need to supplement your home insurance with endorsements.
You should choose a dwelling insurance coverage limit that will cover the full cost of rebuilding your home back to its prior condition in the event of a covered loss. Most home insurance policies cover your personal belongings at 50%–70% of your dwelling coverage limit, but you may need to add an endorsement if you keep valuables in your house, like art or fine jewelry.
For liability insurance, you should choose a coverage limit based on your personal assets that could be at risk in a lawsuit. This includes real estate, vehicles, boats, money in retirement accounts, and savings.
Most home insurance companies provide several coverage limit options for medical payments insurance and loss of use insurance. Choosing higher coverage limits will provide more financial protection, but your premium will be more expensive.
Due to Rhode Island’s coastal geography, some homes in the state are near or in flood zones. Standard home insurance policies don’t cover flood damage, so you might need to purchase a separate flood insurance policy to protect your home from flooding.
What are some of the biggest risks when owning a home in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island homeowners face some risks that can cause serious property damage, like severe weather. Here are some of the most notable perils for Ocean State residents: