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Texas homeowners insurance: what you need to know

The average cost for home insurance in Texas is $2,207 per year or $184 per month. This means Texans pay 37% more for home insurance than the national average. The easiest way to acquire cheap homeowners insurance in Texas is to get quotes from a variety of insurance companies.

Unlike car insurance, homeowners insurance isn't controlled by state legislation. Even so, major gaps exist in home insurance rates on a state-by-state basis. Policy prices in states may vary based on the total number and value of homeowners claims filed in that particular state, and depend on the value of the belongings and structures covered by the policy.

Learn typical homeowners insurance rates in Texas by referencing the below data. Remember: your rates may vary, depending on your coverage details.

 

Table of contents:
  1. Rates by company
  2. Rates by coverage amount
  3. Rates by deductible amount
  4. Rates by city
  5. Bundling savings
  6. Frequently asked questions
  7. Texas-specific homeowners coverages
  8. Natural disaster coverage

 

The cheapest home insurance companies in Texas

Homeowners insurance rates in Texas depend on the insurance company you choose. Texas Farm Bureau sells the cheapest homeowners policies in Texas —  $1,646 per year. This compares favorably to the state's average rate of $2,207, offering a $561 discount on the state's average rate.

Begin your search for cheap homeowners insurance by reviewing the most affordable Texas companies, listed below. Then, see our list of home insurance carriers consumers rated the best for customer satisfaction

 

AFFORDABLE HOME INSURERS IN TEXAS
Insurance Company Annual Yearly Rate in Texas
Texas Farm Bureau $1,646
Farmers $1,928
United $2,210
Liberty Mutual $2,566
USAA $2,665

 

Texas home insurance prices by coverage levels

Your chosen level of homeowners coverage impacts the insurance premiums you pay. In Texas, maintaining $100K dwelling coverage costs an average of $1,362 per year, while carrying dwelling coverage up to $400K costs $3,758/year.

 

POPULAR COVERAGE LIMITS IN TEXAS
Coverage Level Average Annual Cost
$100,000 Dwelling $1,362
$200,000 Dwelling $2,207
$250,000 Dwelling $2,558
$400,000 Dwelling $3,758

 

Homeowners insurance deductibles in Texas

Texas homeowners have a lot of decisions to make when purchasing a homeowners insurance policy, including how much their deductible should be. A deductible is an amount for which a homeowner is responsible before the insurer will cover a claim. The deductible that you decide on can impact your insurance rates directly.

When selecting a deductible, remember that the higher your deductible is, the lower your premiums will be. Therefore, if you need your home insurance rates to be lower, it pays to increase your deductible. Remember that your deductible should only be as high as you can reasonably pay in the event of a covered loss.

Take a look at some of the normal deductibles offered by home insurance companies and an estimate of what you can expect your premiums to be.

 

HOME INSURANCE PREMIUMS BY DEDUCTIBLE IN TEXAS
Deductible Tier Average Annual Homeowners Insurance Rate
$500 $2,717
$1,000 $2,558
$1,500 $2,484
$2,000 $2,296
$5,000 $2,005

 

Texas homeowners insurance costs by city

Home insurance rates in Texas vary depending on the city in which you reside. Rates are contingent on city-specific factors, such as the number of local claims filed, giving your ZIP code weight in deciding how much you pay.

The cheapest home insurance rates in Texas are available in Biggs Field. A typical home insurance policy on this military base near El Paso costs just $1,481 each year — $726 less than the state average. The below table shows the best places to live in Texas if you’re looking for cheap homeowners insurance.

 

CHEAPEST CITIES FOR HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE IN TEXAS
City Average 12-Month Home Insurance Rate
Biggs Field $1,481
Fort Bliss $1,539
El Paso $1,548
Clint $1,560
Fabens $1,561

 

Looking for insights on home insurance in a particular city? Check out our data-driven breakdown of major Texas cities:

 

Home and auto insurance bundling in Texas

If you want to save on home insurance, consider holding your home and auto policies with the same insurance company. Bundling home and auto insurance in Texas can save you a substantial sum each month on auto insurance. Bundling policies in Texas leads to yearly savings of $117.

 

HOME AND AUTO BUNDLING DISCOUNTS IN TEXAS

Avg. Annual Rate (No Bundle)

Avg. Annual Rate (w/ Bundle)

Annual Savings ($)

Annual Savings (%)

$1,781 $1,664 $117 7%

 


 

Texas homeowners insurance FAQs

 

Does GEICO offer homeowners insurance in Texas?

Yes — GEICO provides homeowners insurance in the state of Texas.

Why is homeowners insurance so expensive in Texas?

Texas homeowners insurance is more expensive than some other states due to certain perils that Texans face. These include hail and wind storms, flash floods, tornadoes, wildfires, and (in coastal areas) hurricanes. Perils of this nature can cause a lot of damage and are sure to drive up rates.

 


 

What homeowners insurance options are available in Texas?

A number of coverage options are available to homeowners in Texas. Tiers of coverage are prescribed by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), an advisory organization that develops insurance programs and helps states meet regulation requirements.

 

Texas-specific homeowners insurance policy names

Texas is somewhat unique in that insurance providers use different names for these common policies. Below you’ll find corresponding policy names used by some home insurance companies in Texas:

  • HO-A (same as HO-1): Provides basic coverage and covers a home and the property therein against named perils.
  • HO-A+ (same as HO-2): Expands coverage to include additional named perils.
  • HO-B (same as HO-3): Covers a home against open perils and your contents against named perils.
  • HO-C (same as HO-5): Covers a home and its contents against all perils unless specifically listed.

 


 

Natural disaster coverage in Texas

 

Does homeowners insurance cover tornadoes in Texas?

A tornado can strike with precious little advance warning. There is often little you can do to prepare, and the effects are often devastating. As such, it's vital to insure your home against tornadoes in Texas, which averages 147 tornado events per year.1

Tornado damage is usually the result of wind, so you’ll need to make sure your homeowners policy has windstorm coverage, which comes standard as a part of many homeowners policies.

Wind protection covers the exterior and overall structure of the building. However, depending on the type of policy you have, you may find that interior damage is only covered when it's a result of exterior damage, like a tree branch breaking a window. Detached structures are also covered, generally up to 10% of the amount at which the home is insured. Keep in mind that other damages the storm causes may not be covered. For instance, if the storm that produced the tornado also causes flooding that damages your home, those damages won't be covered unless you have previously added flood insurance to your policy.

 

Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage in Texas?

Depending on where you live, hailstorms can lead to varying levels of damage to personal property. In Texas, homeowners policies typically come with hail coverage to cover the physical structure of your home if it suffers damages in a hail event.

If you reside in a location that is especially prone to hail forecasts — such as Texas, which endured 508 incidents of hail in 20182 — it's smart to check your homeowners policy to see what's covered and what's not — some insurance companies designate higher deductibles in hail-prone areas and make exclusions for cosmetic damage,   meaning that if your battered house is still functional despite aesthetic flaws after a hailstorm, your insurer will likely refuse to pay for its repair.

 

Does homeowners insurance cover hurricanes in Texas?

Because hurricanes can cause calamitous destruction and completely demolish homes altogether, insurance companies are unwilling to assume the full risk of hurricanes as a whole. If you own a home in Texas, you could be vulnerable to experiencing damage from hurricanes. In fact, 39,109 single-family residences are exceedingly vulnerable to hurricane damage in Texas.3

If you own a home near the coast, it's crucial to check and understand your homeowners insurance policy since a basic policy may not be enough to cover hurricane damage — you would need separate flood and windstorm insurance policies, which would work in tandem to pay for repairs or replacements. Depending on your location, your insurer may make it compulsory to have a separate hurricane deductible if you reside in a region that's especially susceptible to storms. 

Learn more about high-risk homeowners insurance policies.

 

HURRICANE DEDUCTIBLE RATES IN TEXAS
Company Average Annual Hurricane Endorsement Rate
United $1,852
Texas Farm Bureau $1,949
Nationwide $2,117
Homeowners of America $2,119
American Strategic $2,322

 

Does homeowners insurance cover floods in Texas?

Damage via flooding— no matter the circumstances under which it occurs —is not covered by homeowners insurance policies. To protect your home, acquire insurance through FEMA's National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or via a private insurer. Coverage details from private insurance companies vary.

If you purchase flood insurance through NFIP, you'll receive:

  • $250,000 structural coverage
  • $100,000 personal property coverage

If the value of your personal property and home exceeds these limits, consider purchasing a flood insurance policy from our partners at Neptune for additional protection.

Flood insurance is especially important in Texas, which paid out $696,028,890 in flood insurance claims in 2016, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.4

 

RECENT QUESTIONS

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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…
Sep 2, 2019 Athens, GA

Cost of sinkhole coverage in Tampa, FL

Florida currently requires homeowners insurance policies and by extension insurance companies to offer coverage for what they call “Catastrophic Ground Collapse,” which may not actually cover damage caused by a sinkhole. Catastrophic Ground Collapse coverage differs from sinkhole insurance by requi…
Aug 1, 2018 Tampa, FL

If I'm on the deed but not the mortgage, can I still be on the homeowners insurance?

Thanks for the question. I see no issue with you being on the insurance if you are on the deed to the property. The mortgage company will want to be listed as an interested party in the event of a claim payout. They will also want their client listed as a person on the insurance. Beyond that, there…
Dec 15, 2019 Wilmington, DE

Is it legal to change homeowners insurance policies without the approval of all parties on the deed?

As long as you're on the deed, you do not need permission from all parties in order to change your homeowners insurance. Keep in mind that anyone with a vested interest could also insure the property how they see fit, but if it is in your name then you're free to alter the policy if you w…
Oct 23, 2019 Houston, TX

 

Sources:

1NOAA'S National Weather Service

2Insurance Information Institute 

3Insurance Information Institute

4Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

 


 

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About The Zebra

The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.

  • The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
  • The Zebra’s insurance content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
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  • The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.