Hollay Ghadery Last Updated On: August 23, 2023

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Here’s How to Find Affordable Homeowners Insurance in Georgia

Living in Georgia isn’t always a peach. The state sees a number of intense weather events that can impact homeowners, and there’s nothing sweet about those repair bills.

This is where home insurance comes into play. It’s a way to protect your home and your wallet, so that if Mother Nature wakes up on the wrong side of the bed, you’re not scrambling to pay for repairs and rebuilds.

Home insurance is there to protect you, and we want to too. Keep reading for everything you need to know about getting great home insurance in Georgia, no matter your budget or zip code.

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Is Homeowners Insurance in Georgia Required?

Home insurance is not legally required in Georgia, but that doesn’t mean you should dismiss it. Home insurance is there to protect you should the worst happen.

If you have a mortgage, it’s often a requirement of the mortgage agreement that you have home insurance in place. This is to help protect the bank’s investment. You can find out more here.

Every homeowner should have some form of home insurance, no matter their budget or age of the home. Next, we’ll explore the weather events that are most hazardous to your home, which underscores the importance of home insurance.

Severe Weather in Georgia & Your Home Insurance

Georgia is no stranger to severe weather events, given its proximity to the coast. If you live in Georgia, you’re probably well aware of the types of intense weather you’ll see throughout the year, but you might not realize that it also impacts your home insurance.

So, what should you be looking out for?

Tornadoes: Georgia sees a fair number of tornadoes each year, especially during the March to May months. Tornadoes can level homes, or at the least cause serious damage to the roof, windows and siding.
Flooding: Georgia sees a ton of thunderstorms each year, and these can lead to severe flooding that can quickly add up in terms of repair costs.
Hurricanes: Georgia sees a number of hurricanes each year because of the state’s proximity to the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricanes can lead to strong winds and flooding, both of which can greatly impact a home.
Winter Storms: North Georgia is susceptible to winter storms that can leave homeowners with downed power lines, extreme cold, and heavy snow.

This isn’t meant to scare homeowners, but rather educate them about the risks to their homes. The good news is, insurance is designed to help. Severe weather events can quickly lead to thousands of dollars in repair costs, but if the damages are covered under insurance, you’re in the clear.

Keep reading for more info about home insurance in Georgia and what it covers.

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Georgia Home Insurance Coverage

Home insurance doesn’t just protect your actual house. In fact, it’s quite comprehensive coverage that protects you and your belongings too.

Here are the main buckets of coverage included in home insurance policies:

Dwelling: This covers the structure of your house, including walls, roof, and foundation.
Other Structures: This covers additional structures on your property, like a shed, garage, fence, etc.
Personal Property: Of course, your belongings are also protected from covered perils. This means your clothing, appliances, jewelry, furniture, and more.
Liability: If someone is injured on your property and sues you, this coverage provides you a legal defense. It also protects you if you damage someone else’s property.
Medical Payments to Others: If someone outside your family is injured on your property, this covers their resulting medical costs.
Loss of Use: If your home is damaged from a covered peril and can’t be lived in while being repaired or rebuilt, this covers your temporary lodging costs elsewhere, including food and transportation.

Not too shabby for a homeowners insurance policy, right? Home insurance encompasses so many angles and protects you from the unexpected, which is why it’s such a good idea for every homeowner. Click here for more details.

What Does Home Insurance Protect You From?

Now that you know what’s included in the coverage, it’s helpful to know what your home insurance policy actually protects you from. Policies can vary, but these perils (or dangers) are typically included in most insurance policies:

Fire or lightning
Smoke
Weight of snow, sleet or ice
Windstorms
Hail
Theft
Vandalism
Power surge
Falling objects
Damage from aircraft or vehicles
Volcanic eruption
Explosions
Water overflow or freezing from plumbing, air conditioning and appliances
Sudden tearing, cracking or bulging of a hot water system, steam system, air conditioning or fire protective system

That’s a pretty extensive list. But what’s missing?

Here’s what your policy typically won’t cover you from:

Flooding
Drain or sewer backup
Earthquakes
Landslides
Sinkholes
Neglect
Wear and tear
Infestations
Mold
Nuclear hazard
Government action, like war
Power failure

Many of these can be mitigated by the homeowner, such as mold, wear and tear, neglect, and infestations, which is why they’re not covered.

You might have also noticed that flooding tops the list, which is coincidentally a big cause of concern for Georgia homeowners. The fact is that flooding can be so expensive in terms of damage and it’s quite common, so it can’t be included on most home insurance policies. If you want flooding coverage, you have to purchase separate flooding insurance. For many Georgians, it’s well worth the extra cost.

P.S. Planning to throw a wedding at your gorgeous home? Read this before sending out those invites.

The Average Cost of Homeowners Insurance in Georgia

Your home insurance costs will vary depending on a number of factors, including:

Your zip code
Your home and roof’s age
The cost to rebuild your home
High risk items, like a swimming pool or old wood stove
Claims history
Proximity to fire station

This means that quotes can vary significantly from person to person. However, we’ve been able to pull an average cost to help give you an idea on what to expect for home insurance costs in the Peach State.

What’s the damage? Home insurance on average costs $1,394 per year in Georgia for $250,000 in coverage. This clocks in at lower than the national average, which is good news for Georgia homeowners.

Where you live in the state plays a part in how much you pay. For example, cities like Athen, Bethlehem, and Nicholson are known for lower rates, while homeowners in Eden, Pelham, and Nahunta will pay more in insurance premiums.

But don’t worry: we haven’t yet gotten to the good part, which is how to save on home insurance costs. Keep reading for that next.

If you’re eager to know what you can expect to pay, try our free home insurance calculator now.

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How to Find More Affordable Homeowners Insurance in Georgia

Every homeowner wants to save on insurance. It’s a no brainer. But luckily, saving is easier than you might think.

Here are our top tips for putting a little more money back in the bank when it comes to home insurance:

Compare Multiple Quotes: You already know that quotes vary person to person, but they also vary provider to provider. By getting quotes from multiple insurance providers, you’ll be able to find the most inexpensive option.
Use Discounts: Insurance providers offer discounts on insurance, which can save you anywhere from 5-30% on your premiums. These discounts can include:
- New homeowner
- Loyal client
- Claims free
- Multi-policy bundle
- New roof
- Automated/paperless billing
Prevent Wear and Tear: Wear and tear on your home can lead to a claim being denied, if it’s determined that it was the root cause, versus weight of snow. Maintaining your home can save you big down the line.
Avoid Small Claims: It’s tempting to use your insurance if something happens to your home (that’s what it’s there for after all!), but too many claims can cause your insurance rates to spike. Avoid filing a claim for minor damage if you can handle it yourself, so that you save money in the long run.
Increase Your Deductible: By increasing your deductible, your premiums drop. Keep in mind, you’ll need to pay out your deductible each year before a claim can be paid, so make sure you can manage the increase.
Review Your Coverage: It’s easy to set your coverage and then forget it, but this could be costing you. Did you forget to tell your insurance provider you got a new roof? Did you let them know when you ditched the old swimming pool? Did you sell your collection of antiques? You might be paying for more coverage than you need, or missing out on valuable discounts, so stay on top of your coverage.

At the end of the day, how much you save on home insurance is up to you. An hour of research into quotes and discounts can save you big, which means more money back in your pocket to do what you love. Whether that’s indulging your inner foodie in Atlanta or road tripping to the Golden Isles, you earned it.

Get access to free quotes fast here, because there are so many more interesting things to do in Georgia than researching home insurance. We’ve got you covered.

Top Home Insurance Companies in Georgia

You have options for your home insurance coverage, which is great. By getting quotes from multiple providers, you’ll be able to better find savings on your premiums.

Here are the top insurance companies to consider in Georgia when shopping for home insurance:

Allstate
Chubb
StateFarm
Country Financial
Auto-Owners Insurance

Be sure to compare coverage, customer service reviews, financial strength ratings, and policy cost before choosing a provider. This will help you ensure you know who you’re dealing with should you ever need to file a claim, instead of just going with the cheapest option.

Find the Best Home Insurance in Georgia

Now it’s time to take the next steps and shop for your new home insurance policy. Whether you’re renewing a policy or taking out a policy for your new home, the sooner you find a policy, the better; disaster can strike at any moment, and you don’t want to be caught without home insurance in place to help protect you.

The good news is, getting a policy is easier than you might think. Start by getting access to free quotes fast by clicking here, and you’ll be well on your way to a customized policy that meets your needs and budget. Happy saving!

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Hollay Ghadery Hollay Ghadery is a writer and editor who is passionate about financial literacy as a means to personal fulfillment. Hollay has over 18 years of experience creating content about a range of topics related to personal finance, including insurance, investing, banking, and credit cards. When Hollay isn't writing, she's spending time with her four children, two dogs, and three goats.