Question
Is the type of siding on a house, like vinyl, a rating factor for insurance premiums?
We are building a house and are trying to decide what type of siding. We prefer brick or hardie board but it is very expensive so we are looking into vinyl. Does having vinyl raise your policy rate more than brick or hardie board?
Answer
There is no straight-forward answer to what building materials you use for your house and the homeowners insurance rate you will end up with. Here's a tip to keep in mind that may help you make a decision: brick, stucco, and concrete are preferred by most insurers because they tend to be flame-retardant so the risk of losing the whole building decreases. The reason it may not directly save you money versus a vinyl siding is because of the cost of the materials — typically a brick house is going to have a higher cost associated with it so your overall policy limits would proportionally increase, and so does your premium. So it definitely ends up being a balancing act between those two things on the insurance end. If you have any other questions, don't hesitate to ask.