California Home Insurance Quotes

Looking for California homeowners insurance quotes?

The staff at Insurance Geek is committed to getting homeowners matched with the best homeowners insurance policy for our customers’ respective budgets and needs.

Since we work with multiple carriers, we have made it our mission to lock in the cheapest rate for the customers we work with while providing the best protection available. Let us show you how an insurance policy in California can help protect you!

Before that, here’s some essential information – regardless of your ZIP code in the state.

California Home Insurance: The Basics

Owning a home in California is something people will always gravitate toward, and it isn’t always about the market.

With a temperate climate year-round in the coastal areas, terrain from desert to snow to mountain to lake to forest – and of course, the constant lure of Hollywood – California is a sought-after place to live, even more than its neighboring states of Nevada, Oregon, and Arizona.

It’s also a great time to move. Property crime is down 4.6% over the past two years, with overall violent crimes down by .9%. Owner-occupied housing is 54.5%, with the rest covered by renters.

One of the main things to worry about for people living in the state of California is the crime rate. California is the 36th most dangerous state, with 449 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents.

You’re likely very familiar with the California wildfires, which raged over an entire portion of the state, even displacing some celebrities from their homes. In addition to fires, landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, wind, and hail are all potential devastations in California.

Peril

In the insurance world, we call these types of disasters PERILS. They also refer to sewer and drain backups in your home. Any type of homeowners PERIL, from natural disasters to fire damage that could affect your home in California, should be covered with the right homeowners insurance plan.

If you want to learn more about what perils are included in your home insurance policy, you can consult its declarations page, one of the most important documents of your coverage.

How are Premiums Determined in California?

In addition to your ZIP code, that is, the location of your property, there are many other elements that come into the calculation of home insurance rates for your homeowners policy.

All premiums depend on homeowners’ unique situations and their needs. Here are some examples of deciding factors:

Credit Score

You may not know this, but home insurance companies in California (and elsewhere) will inspect your credit score when determining the home insurance rate.

It’s also important to mention that this isn’t the most paramount factor, but it will surely affect the premium.

The thing is that this piece of information gives home insurers insights into your paying habits and whether you are paying your debts, bills, etc., on time. If not, it is a potential signal to them that you might not be punctual with paying out your home insurance policy premium in the future.

Value of Your House

Homeowners insurance companies also assess the value of your home to determine its replacement cost, i.e., how much it would take to repair or rebuild it. To learn how replacement cost is different from the market value of your home, you can read our article on the replacement cost vs. actual cash value.

For now, it will suffice to say that the insurance company will have a look into the age of your home, its general state, as well as into how expensive the construction materials are.

Previous Claims

Previous claims will again point to the condition of your house. If multiple insurance claims have already been filed on the property, the chances are that it will happen again, so insurance companies may increase the home insurance rates for your homeowners insurance policy.

Insurance Company

There’s a myriad of insurers out there, and it goes without saying that they aren’t equally affordable, so your premium will also depend on the insurance company you choose.

We’ve created quote engine tools that easily generate and compare quotes from multiple insurers for you so that you get the cheapest insurance coverage possible.

Discounts

Various homeowners insurance discounts may be at your disposal.

Paying out your homeowners insurance policy upfront is one of them. Getting multiple policies from the same insurance company is another. So, for instance, if you get home insurance along with life or auto insurance coverage, insurers will give you considerable discounts.

What is the Best Option for Home Insurance in California?

Just like there are plenty of insurance companies out there, there is a wide assortment of home insurance options that they offer.

For starters, let’s distinguish two main types of homeowners insurance policies: named and all-peril ones.

NAMED Policy

Named homeowners insurance policies protect you only against a peril that is clearly stated on the policy.

As such, it is not the most beneficial option out there, but it can come in handy if you need to cover some gaps in your existing policy – for example, you may want to obtain only fire insurance if your existing plan does not cover it.

If you share your policy with us, our agents can help you estimate whether you are covered for all you need to be.

ALL Peril Policy

All peril homeowners coverage is a better option because it encompasses all of the above-mentioned perils for California. A peril is excluded only if it is specifically stated that the policy does not include it.

In our experience, it is the most comprehensive option for California home insurance.

Get Home Insurance Quotes Today

Insurance Geek agents know that the fact that home insurance rates and options may vary so drastically can be overwhelming.

That’s why we’ve come up with the tools that make it easier for you to get the cheapest homeowners insurance quote on products you are looking for.

To compare the quotes, all you need to do is enter some basic information into our tool – things like your ZIP code, address, state of your home. It takes no more than 60 seconds.

Then, we will show you quotes from multiple home insurance companies we work with. All of our carriers are approved by the California Department of Insurance.

Our customer service will assist you with any further questions when it comes to shopping for homeowners insurance in California.

We love working with our homeowners insurance customers to bring the best possible home insurance for you and your family. Let’s talk about how to help you save today!

Discount Types

We know what determines your premiums, but what about discounts?

Carriers always want loyal customers, so they’re willing to give price breaks where they can. Buying several different products (e.g., health insurance, auto insurance + home insurance) can help you get a discount, as well as paying your policy balance in full upfront before the policy starts.

Make sure you check in with us about all your eligible discounts, and we’ll fill you in!

Top Cities & Metro Suburbs in California for Homeowners

 

California home ZIP code

Our California homeowners come from all over the state.

Many of them come from the largest cities:

  • San Francisco
  • Los Angeles
  • San Diego
  • San Jose
  • Sacramento
  • Oakland
  • Long Beach
  • Fresno

In our experience, homeowners insurance in California is significantly cheaper in some quieter suburbs than in the city center.

Here are the top metro suburbs in California that our customers come from:

  • Berkeley
  • Santa Monica
  • Albany
  • Mountain View
  • Manhattan Beach
  • Hermosa Beach
  • Solana Beach
  • Culver City
  • Redondo Beach
  • Piedmont
  • Burlingame
  • Foster City
  • San Carlos
  • Davis
  • Pleasanton
  • South Pasadena
  • Irvine
  • Palo Alto

Wherever your ZIP code puts you in the Golden State, we have the solution.

We offer California homeowners insurance coverage through Nationwide, Safeco, a Liberty Mutual company, and Progressive, all of which can give competitive rates. They are also California Fair Plan member companies.

Who Should Get California Homeowners Insurance?

All homeowners will need this type of insurance to protect their belongings.

It’s not a matter of whether you are a new homeowner or not – if you don’t already have it, you should obtain a homeowners policy as soon as possible.

Home insurance provides peace of mind for any situation you and your family may find yourselves in, and it isn’t limited to your house. You’ll also be insured against accidents that may happen on your property (you can read more about it in the section below). Above all, home insurance guarantees the financial security we all need.

Plus, your mortgage lender will require mandatory homeowners insurance. It’s of prime importance for them that your house can be rebuilt under any circumstances.

What Does Home Insurance Coverage Include?

There are different coverage options, but there are some general structures that are followed for home insurance.

The structure of insurance includes coverage listings, including:

  • Coverage A – Dwelling Coverage

The dwelling coverage is also known as the dwelling amount, and this is what most people think when they say “home insurance.” It accounts for any damages caused to the physical structure of your home itself that occur as a result of covered perils.

Usually, dwelling coverage is based on the current state of the house and the amount of money that would be spent should it be completely rebuilt. Only then can you ensure that you are getting proper coverage.

  • Coverage B – Separate Structures

All those structures that belong to your property but aren’t part of the physical structure of your house are covered under separate structures.

Some examples include gazebos, fences, pools, garages, mailboxes, and so on.

  • Coverage C – Personal Property Coverage

Personal property coverage does not have anything to do with physical structures, but with what’s inside of them.

So, personal property insurance encompasses your personal belongings that can get damaged or stolen – clothes, appliances, dishes, furniture.

Oftentimes, the existing personal property limit may not be high enough to account for all of your high-value items, such as sports or musical equipment, heirloom, jewelry, precious stones, and antiques.

So, you can purchase additional coverage in the form of add-on policies. Nationwide, for example, has the Valuables Plus option, Safeco offers the Valuable Articles Coverage endorsement, and Progressive can assess your valuable items and provide you with higher limits while slightly increasing your premium.

  • Coverage D – Loss of Use

In the event that an accident occurs and your house has to be repaired for a certain period, there’s one more thing you need to deal with: additional living expenses. All of them can be covered by your home insurance, too – more precisely, by your loss of use insurance.

These living expenses are actually costs racked up due to not being able to live in the home, and they run a gamut from renting a place to stay and transportation to restaurant and grocery bills. Just make sure to collect bills as proof of higher incurred costs.

  • Coverage E – Personal Liability Coverage

Personal liability offers coverage in the events of property damage and personal injury to someone else. If you or your family members are found to be legally liable, you can prevent any financial losses for court and defense courts if you use this portion of your coverage.

  • Coverage F – Medical Payments

Medical payments helps pay medical expenses resulting from an accident that happened on your insured property.

Unlike with personal liability coverage, you don’t have to be at fault for the accident in order to file a claim.

People usually file claims under the MedPay coverage for things like minor surgeries, X-ray scanners, costs of ambulance transportation, etc.

What Isn’t Included in Your Home Policy?

Home insurance is a necessity in California. It isn’t just a sort of a financial safety net, but it also means that any unpredictable event cannot present a threat for you and your family.

However, it might not include all that you need to adequately protect every sphere of your life.

That’s why you should consider getting some of the most popular insurance products in California:

Auto insurance (car insurance)

Along with your house, your car is probably one of your most valuable assets. And it is equally vulnerable to the same perils as your home while it is parked outside of it. Not only that, but you need car insurance to protect you and your passengers on the road. Our carriers offer the best auto insurance quotes for all states.

Flood insurance

In its basic form, flood insurance isn’t included in home insurance, and you’d have to purchase it separately via the National Flood Insurance Program. However, you can get various forms of water damage protection endorsements from our carriers. Nationwide, Safeco, and Progressive all offer policies for drain, sewer, and water backup and sump up failure, which are common perils in California, regardless of your ZIP code.

Life insurance

Every individual – not just in California; anywhere, really – needs life insurance. Our carriers are some of the best life insurance companies in the states, and they have a wide variety of options for this type of insurance. You can use our quote calculator to get the most affordable quotes for life insurance. Oh, and as we mentioned, you can save up if you bundle up policies!

Other

Some other kinds of policies you may wish to consider include credit cards insurance that protects you against unauthorized payments, earthquake insurance that typically isn’t a part of homeowners insurance, and identity theft coverage. In fact, as Insurance Information Institute states, cyber risk is on the rise now more than ever, so this cheap option can save you a lot of trouble.

Home Insurance in California: FAQ

Q: How much is homeowners insurance in California?

A: The average cost of home insurance in California is about $1,817 per year, which is above the national average cost. However, how much you will pay for your home insurance in California may vary according to factors such as your credit score, the condition of your house, and other individual factors.

Q: What are the best home insurance companies in California?

A: The best homeowners insurance companies in California are Nationwide, Progressive and Safeco. They vaulted past other customers because of their variety of products, affordability, and excellent customer service.

Final Words

Please tell us your ZIP code and some basic info about yourself so that we can generate the best California insurance rate for your case.

And for any further insurance information or inquiries, Insurance Geek agents have got you covered!