Cheapest homeowners insurance in Georgia 2021

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Peach State residents don’t want to skimp on homeowners insurance coverage. But it’s possible to both ensure adequate protection for your home and save a bundle on your homeowners insurance by following the right strategies. The trick is knowing who offers the most affordable homeowners insurance policy coverage options in Georgia.

To simplify matters, Insure.com has researched insurance carriers in the state and identified three companies that will likely save you the most money on premiums, including Farmers with an average of $1,735 per year. What’s more, we’ve consulted with industry pros, who have provided several valuable tips that can yield you significant savings.

Consider this your personalized guide to paying less for homeowners insurance and finding the best deals in Georgia.

Cheapest homeowners insurance companies in Georgia

Farmers, Nationwide and Allstate have the lowest average homeowners insurance rates in Georgia, on average.

Here are average homeowners insurance rates in Georgia for a policy with $300,000 dwelling coverage and $300,000 liability protection with a $1,000 deductible.

Company	Average annual rate	Average monthly rate
Farmers	$1,735	$145
Nationwide	$2,085	$174
Allstate	$2,178	$182
USAA	$2,247	$187
Georgia Farm Bureau	$2,615	$218
Garrison	$2,681	$223
LM General	$2,705	$225
Charter Oak	$2,728	$227
Travelers	$2,729	$227
Safeco	$2,742	$229
First Liberty	$3,294	$275
State Farm	$3,770	$314

Best homeowners insurance companies in Georgia

An excellent place to start when looking for the best Georgia homeowners insurance is to compare the most affordable ones.

Let’s take a look at the three cheapest home insurance companies in Georgia, on average.

Farmers

Headquarters: Woodland Hills, California
Founded: 1928
Contact: (800) 974-6755; Farmers.com/georgia/home-insurance
Available: In all 50 states
Discounts available: Multi-policy, protective devices, non-smoker
Other types of insurance offered: Auto, life, renters, business, recreational vehicle, motorcycle, umbrella
Insure.com score: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Better Business Bureau rating: A+
A.M. Best rating: A
J.D. Power rating: Slightly below average (score — 814 out of 1,000)

Farmers’ Smart Plan Home in Georgia offers three policy choices you can customize to adjust coverage limits and types, including a standard package that offers reduced coverage for a cheaper cost.

Standard policies include coverage for windstorms, hail, lightning strikes, fire, theft and vandalism, explosion, falling objects and water damage from burst pipes. Optional enhanced and premier policies provide higher coverage limits and extra features.

Nationwide

Headquarters: Columbus, Ohio
Founded: 1926
Contact: (877) 669-6877, Nationwide.com/personal/insurance/homeowners/state/georgia
Available: In all states except Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New Mexico
Discounts available: Multi-policy, protective device, claims-free, home renovation credit, roof rating, gated community
Other types of insurance offered: Auto, motorcycle, life, umbrella, dental, identity theft, travel, business
Insure.com score: 4 out of 5 stars
Better Business Bureau rating: A+
A.M. Best rating: A+
J.D. Power rating: Slightly below average (808 out of 1,000)

Nationwide’s standard homeowners insurance policies cover your dwelling, personal property, additional living expenses, liability and medical payments to others. Plus, you can rely on this homeowners insurance company to rebuild your home at current building code requirements as an included coverage in standard policies.

Insure.com found that Nationwide’s average bundle rate resulted in a 25% savings on coverage for customers. That’s more than other major carriers examined in our rate report. After polling customers in our Best Home Insurance Companies, we learned that 73% would recommend Nationwide to a friend, while 85% said they expect to renew their policies with Nationwide.

Allstate

Headquarters: Northbrook, Ill.
Founded: 1931
Contact: (877) 366-1607, Allstate.com
Available: In all 50 states
Discounts available: Loyalty (up to 10%), multi-policy (up to 25%), claims-free (up to 20%), fire/burglar alarm, Easy Pay Plan (up to 5%), early signing (up to 10%)
Other types of insurance offered: Auto, renters, condo, life, identity theft, business, home-sharing
Insure.com score: 4 out of 5 stars
Better Business Bureau rating: A+
A.M. Best rating: A+
J.D. Power rating: Above average (score — 829 out of 1,000)

One of the largest insurance companies in the world, Allstate provides a diverse array of homeowners insurance coverages and options. Standard policies usually include protection for your dwelling and other structures, personal property, liability, loss of use/additional living expenses and medical payments to guests.

Our survey found customer satisfaction with Allstate customers. Nearly nine in 10 Allstate customers we surveyed plan to renew their policies, and almost four in five said they would suggest Allstate to a friend. Allstate placed in the top five in Insure.com’s annual Best Home Insurance Companies review and earned an Insure.com score of four out of five stars overall and for claims, customer service and website/apps.

Cheapest homeowners insurance in Georgia by city

Homeowners insurance costs can vary dramatically in the state depending on ZIP code, your claims history, the home’s claims history and your neighbors’ claims history.

For instance, a home along the coast in Savannah will likely cost you more to insure than a house in Atlanta. Homeowners insurance companies in Georgia partially base home policy’s premium on risk. A home along the coast is considered risky to insure since it’s more likely to take the brunt of a hurricane and other natural disasters than a home that’s 100 or 200 miles inland.

Here are the average homeowners insurance rates by city in Georgia:

City	Average annual rate	Average monthly rate
Athens	$2,244	$187
Macon	$2,503	$209
Atlanta	$2,512	$209
Augusta	$2,575	$215
Savannah	$3,270	$273

How much is homeowners insurance in Georgia?

The average cost for homeowners insurance in Georgia is $2,555 for $300,000 dwelling and $300,000 liability coverage with a $1,000 deductible per annum. Experts recommend you have at least $300,000 liability coverage to protect your home against a lawsuit.

Georgia homeowners insurance costs are slightly more than the national average. The average cost for homeowners insurance nationally is $2,305. So, it’s even more important to shop around for home insurance in Georgia to make sure you get the cheapest home insurance policy.

Beyond location, claims history plays a significant role in your homeowners insurance rates. If your neighbors file many claims, an insurer will likely charge you more for home insurance coverage. For instance, a high-crime area that has seen several break-ins.

If you file a claim, especially if it’s the second or third within a couple of years, your insurance company will likely consider you a riskier client — and increase your rates.

How much your premium may increase depends on the type of claim and how often you’ve filed claims recently.

Here are the top average homeowners insurance percentage premium increases based on claims:

Filing a second fire claim — 60%
Filing a second theft claim — 55%
Filing a second liability claim — 52%
Filing a second water damage claim — 50%
Filing a second medical claim — 34%
Filing a second weather claim — 29%
Filing a fire claim — 29%
Filing a theft claim — 27%
Filing a liability claim — 25%
Filing a water claim — 25%
Filing a medical claim — 18%
Filing a weather claim — 17%

You should file a homeowners insurance claim when you need help, but remember how claims affect home insurance rates. For instance, you should definitely file a claim if your house gets severely damaged in a fire. However, you may decide to cover the loss yourself if you have a high deductible and actual cash value coverage and a burglar only steals a 20-year-old TV.

You have to pay the deductible on an approved claim. The insurance company picks up the rest of the costs. If your home’s deductible is $1,000, you want to make sure that any claim is much higher than that amount. Otherwise, you should probably pay for the loss yourself, so you don’t have to file a claim, pay the deductible and likely see your home insurance rates increase.

How much does flood insurance cost in Georgia?

The average flood insurance cost in Georgia is $798. That figure is based on dividing the number of policies and the total policy cost from the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

NFIP and private insurance companies offer policies. NFIP’s policies are limited to $250,000 structural coverage and $100,000 personal property. If you need more coverage, you can get quotes from a private insurer.

Homeowners insurance generally doesn’t cover flood damage. If your home gets damaged in a storm, your policy may cover you for a tree limb crashing into your roof or wind destroying your siding. It won’t cover flood damage that comes from outside your home, such as ocean waves or a surging river.

Flood insurance costs differ by risk. If your home’s in a flood zone, you’ll pay more for coverage than if it’s not. Homes not in flood zones can still flood. In fact, about 20% of flood insurance claims come from properties that are considered low or moderate risk.

Properties along the coastline are often at risk of flooding. Also, inland counties like Cobb, Dekalb and Fulton have areas considered high risk.

A good place to start is to check with the NFIP and get a quote. If you find you need more coverage, you can talk to insurers in your area to see what additional flood insurance would cost based on your home’s risk.

You need to buy a flood insurance policy well before you need it. Flood policies have 30-day waiting periods, so flood insurance doesn’t go into effect until 30 days after purchasing a policy.

How to get the cheapest homeowners insurance in Georgia

It’s a smart idea to shop around carefully to find the cheap homeowners insurance in Georgia.

“Homeowners insurance can offer you peace of mind by helping to protect your investment in the home. But it’s important to make sure your policy offers the right types and amounts of coverage for your needs,” says Teny Josephbek, a spokesperson for Allstate Insurance Company. “The costs of homeowners insurance depend on a number of factors, including the coverages you select, features of your home and the value of your personal belongings.”

Mark Friedlander, director of Corporate Communications for the Insurance Information Institute in St. Johns, Florida, echoes those thoughts.

“You want your policy to provide the right levels of protection and ensure you are financially covered for a catastrophic loss,” he says. “That’s why it pays to scrutinize your current policy and compare several offers and price quotes.”

However, you don’t want to sacrifice essential minimum recommended coverage for price, cautions Earl Jones, a Farmers insurance agent.

Follow these surefire tactics to lower your overall insurance costs on homeowners coverage.

“If you are preparing to purchase a home, you may pay less for insurance if you buy a house close to a fire hydrant or in a community that has a professional rather than a volunteer fire department,” Friedlander suggests. “It may also be cheaper if your home’s electrical, heating and plumbing systems are less than 10 years old. And if you live along Georgia’s Atlantic coastline, consider a brick home, which is more wind-resistant to tropical weather events. These steps could cut your premiums by 5 to 15%.”

Also, check the C.L.U.E. (Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange) report of the home you’re thinking of buying.

“These reports contain the insurance claims history of the property, and can help you identify some of the inherent problems the house may have,” adds Friedlander.

Be sure to tell your agent about all the features included in your home, including electrical system improvements, a recently replaced roof and special features freshly added. For example, if you recently installed or upgraded your home’s security features — such as adding an alarm system — you could be eligible for greater savings.

“In addition, try to raise your deductible higher, such as up to $5,000 for fire and water damage. This often gives customers the biggest discount. Consider that the average consumer files a home insurance claim for less than $5,000 but then proceeds to pay for that claim over the next three to five years in the form of higher premiums,” Jones notes.

Lastly, whenever possible, aim to bundle home and auto policies. Bundling multiple policies with the same carrier, such as auto, home, life and umbrella insurance may trigger a 10% savings or more, he says.

Frequently asked questions by Georgia homeowners

Does homeowners insurance cover hurricanes?

Yes, home insurance usually covers hurricane damage except for flood damage. Also, if you live in an area regularly hit by major storms, a home insurance company may exclude hurricane coverage. You can find that information by looking in the policy’s exclusion section.

If you want flood coverage, you need a separate flood insurance policy.

Georgia is one of 19 states with a hurricane deductible. The deductible is separate from your standard home insurance deductible. If your home gets damaged in a hurricane, you would have to pay your policy’s hurricane deductible if you file a claim.

Hurricane deductibles are usually between 1% and 5%. Let’s look at an example. Say your home policy has a 2% hurricane deductible and you have $300,000 dwelling coverage. You’d pay a $6,000 deductible if you file a hurricane-related claim.

So, in that case, it wouldn’t make sense to file a hurricane claim if the damage is less than $6,000. Instead, you would likely pay for the damage yourself, so you don’t have to pay the deductible and potentially see your home insurance premiums increase.

Does homeowners insurance cover hail in Georgia?

Yes, hail damage is typically covered by homeowners insurance. That’s good news for Georgians because the state has many hail claims.

A homeowners policy should cover hail damage to your home. If hail damages your car, you need to go through your auto insurance policy. Hail is covered in a car policy’s comprehensive portion.

What do you do if you can’t find homeowners insurance in Georgia?

Not everyone can get home insurance in Georgia. Maybe your home has fallen into disrepair or you’ve filed multiple claims in a short time and no insurance company will cover you.

In that case, there’s one other alternative that’s offered by the Georgia Underwriting Association. The organization provides a FAIR Plan, which is similar to standard homeowners insurance though it might have more limited coverage and costs more.

Though more expensive than standard homeowners insurance, a FAIR Plan can be your only alternative. If that’s your case, check with the Georgia Underwriting Association to see how much a FAIR Plan would cost you.

How much is home insurance in other states

Alaska$1,799/Year

Alabama$2,981/Year

Arkansas$3,439/Year

Arizona$1,976/Year

California$1,166/Year

Colorado$3,082/Year

Connecticut$1,961/Year

Washington D.C.$1,488/Year

Delaware$1,521/Year

Florida$3,439/Year

Hawaii$499/Year

Iowa$2,540/Year

Idaho$1,842/Year

Illinois$2,201/Year

Indiana$2,423/Year

Kansas$3,931/Year

Kentucky$2,862/Year

Louisiana$3,270/Year

Massachusetts$1,920/Year

Maryland$1,518/Year

Maine$1,833/Year

Michigan$2,153/Year

Minnesota$3,010/Year

Missouri$3,111/Year

Mississippi$3,340/Year

Montana$2,809/Year

North Carolina$2,009/Year

North Dakota$2,601/Year

Nebraska$3,133/Year

New Hampshire$1,455/Year

New Jersey$1,744/Year

New Mexico$2,299/Year

Nevada$1,486/Year

New York$1,840/Year

Ohio$2,107/Year

Oklahoma$4,445/Year

Oregon$1,608/Year

Pennsylvania$1,720/Year

Rhode Island$2,125/Year

South Carolina$2,678/Year

South Dakota$3,172/Year

Tennessee$2,692/Year

Texas$3,429/Year

Utah$1,378/Year

Virginia$1,956/Year

Vermont$1,212/Year

Washington$1,514/Year

Wisconsin$1,732/Year

West Virginia$2,486/Year

Wyoming$2,083/Year

Les Masterson

Contributor

Les, a former managing editor, insurance, at QuinStreet, has more than 20 years of experience in journalism. In his career, he has covered everything from health insurance to presidential politics.