Homeowners Insurance in Georgia

What factors influence my home insurance rate?

When looking at homeowners insurance in Georgia, average rates hover around $1,400. However, what you will pay depends on several factors, including your home, the policy you build, and your financial history.

In order to calculate your homeowners insurance premiums, the first set of considerations that an insurer will look at involves your home. Rates can depend on things like:

• Your location (ZIP code)
• Your proximity to police stations and fire departments
• The age of your home
• The size of your home (square footage)
• How many rooms are in your house
• How your home was built and with what materials
• The current condition of your home
• Any non-standard details or features (like extra-tall ceilings and doors, upgraded fixtures, special flooring, etc.)
• Any updates or major renovations you’ve made (and when they were done)
• Local labor rates
• Local materials costs
• Any added structures or features of your home (like a pool, outdoor kitchen, deck, gazebo, specialty fence, detached garage or shed, etc.)

Essentially, the more it would cost for a carrier to repair or rebuild your home following a total loss, the more you can expect to pay for your coverage.

Next, pricing for your Georgia home insurance policy will depend on your coverage options. Your carrier will help you calculate minimum coverages based on the value of your home and how much a total rebuild would likely cost. You can then make adjustments to the policy, including:

• The type of homeowners insurance policy you choose
• What level of coverage you decide to buy
• Whether you opt for actual cash value (ACV) or replacement cost value (RCV) coverage
• The deductible you choose
• Whether you add certain endorsements (also called riders) to the policy to cover things like mold damage, flooding, earthquakes, sewer or water backup, and more

The more robust your policy is, the more protected you’ll be… but also, the more you can expect to pay.

Lastly, your personal factors will come into play. As a homeowner, you will also pose a risk to your insurance carrier. The higher your risk level, the more you’ll probably pay in premiums. When creating a homeowners insurance quote, Georgia carriers look at individual factors such as: 

• Who lives in the home
• Your credit score and insurance score
• Whether you’ve filed any claims in recent years
• Whether you have any heightened risk factors, like owning a certain breed of dog or adding a trampoline to the backyard

Common insurance discounts in Georgia

No matter the quoted homeowners insurance cost, Georgia residents should always see which discounts are available and how they can qualify. Home insurance discounts can save you hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your premiums, and you might qualify for more than one.

Common discounts on homeowners insurance in Georgia include: 

• Bundle discounts when you buy more than one policy from the same carrier
• Loyalty discounts when you renew your policy and stay with the same insurer
• New customer discounts when you buy a brand new policy or switch from a competitor
• No claims discounts if you haven’t filed against a policy in recent years
• Safety discounts when you live in a gated community or in close proximity to fire or police stations
• Smart home discounts when you have certain smart sensors, security, or fire sprinkler systems installed
• Roof discounts if you have a newer roof and/or one that’s made with fire- or impact-resistant materials
• New home discounts if your house is less than a few years old
• Paid in full discounts when you pay your entire premium upfront
• Autopay discounts when you set up automatic recurring payments
• Affiliation discounts based on your job, alma mater, or certain organization memberships (like AAA)
• Paperless billing discounts when you sign up for electronic statements

The discounts available to you will vary from one insurer to the next and even between policy types. You’ll also want to check with your insurance company about each discount’s requirements and whether you can qualify for more than one at a time.

Tips for lowering home insurance rates

The less you pay in Georgia homeowners insurance rates, the more money you can keep in your pocket or put toward your next big home project. Thankfully, there are a few ways you can save on your GA home insurance premiums before you buy.

Here are our top tips:

• Adjust your coverages. The more coverage you buy for your home, the better protected you are against loss. However, there is a tipping point, and in some cases, you might actually be overpaying and over-insured. Take a look at your policy to find any overlap and consider whether you can remove or adjust the coverage you have to lower your premiums.
• Raise your deductible. Your deductible is the portion of a covered loss you’ll pay out of your pocket before your insurance company will step in to cover the rest (up to your policy’s limits, of course). The more of this upfront risk you’re willing to take on, the lower your premiums will usually be. Just ensure you can afford this premium if your home is damaged or destroyed. 
• Shop for discounts. We mentioned many of the common GA homeowners insurance discounts above, which can save you money on the policy you want. Ask your carrier about new or stackable discounts to save as much as possible.
• Compare multiple carriers. Don’t just settle with the first insurance company from which you get a quote, or you could end up paying more than you need. Be sure to get quotes from various carriers before you buy. Hippo makes it easy to get quotes and compare your coverage options from multiple top insurers in just 60 seconds.
• Make repairs or improvements to your home. If you have outdated electrical wiring, old plumbing pipes, or a damaged roof, you might find that your premiums are higher than they need to buy. Make repairs to improve your home and lower your premiums at the same time.
• Improve your credit. A low credit score or poor payment history won’t keep you from buying home insurance in Georgia, but it can raise your premiums. If possible, clean up your credit and build a positive payment history to potentially drop your rates.
• Continue shopping around. Even after you’ve found a policy you love, keep your options open. At each policy renewal, shop around to see if another carrier offers better rates or discounts. Making a simple lateral switch can save you tons.

What does Georgia home insurance cover?

The specific coverage offered by property insurance in Georgia will vary from one policy to the next. You can choose exactly what your policy offers and how much protection is available, but it will generally include some combination of:

• Dwelling coverage — This protects your home's actual structure or building. It includes your home’s roof, exterior, walls, ceilings, flooring, plumbing, electrical wiring, and attached structures like a garage or patio. It also extends to permanent fixtures like kitchen cabinets, HVAC systems, tubs, showers, etc.
• Other structures coverage — If it’s not attached to your home, it might fall under other structures coverage. This includes detached garages, pools, guest houses, fences, an outdoor kitchen, gazebos, decks, and more.
• Personal belongings coverage — Your “stuff” can be repaired or replaced by your insurance policy, too, following a covered loss. This portion of the policy includes your clothing, furniture, personal electronics, home decor, art, kitchen gadgets, jewelry, antiques, and the like. 
• Personal liability protection coverage — If someone else is injured or killed on your property, or if someone from your household harms someone away from home, you could be held liable. Personal liability protection can cover that person’s medical bills and lost wages and provide for legal fees.

You don’t always need all of this coverage. Georgia condo insurance, for example, is structured a bit differently, as you’re only responsible for your specific unit. 

You also have some options as to which perils (or causes of damage) are included in your policy, whether it’s a fire, windstorm, explosion, or lightning. Some policies only cover a handful of “named perils,” while others cover anything that could happen to your home except for specific exclusions.

Additional Georgia insurance coverage options

Beyond the standard policy coverages, home insurance in GA can have some optional add-ons. These can help better protect your home beyond your policy limits or even against perils otherwise excluded from your coverage.

Some optional endorsements when buying homeowners insurance in GA might include things like:

• Flood insurance
• Earthquake insurance
• Wildfire insurance
• Hurricane insurance
• Extended replacement coverage
• Scheduled personal property coverage
• Water backup and sewer insurance
• Mold insurance
• Service line coverage

What coverage is recommended in Georgia?

There are no specific Georgia homeowners insurance requirements at the state or federal level. The policy you buy is between you, your budget, and your mortgage lender (if applicable). 

However, if you want to best protect yourself and one of your biggest assets, you should consider purchasing a policy that at least provides you with the following.

• Enough dwelling coverage to repair, rebuild, or replace your home in the event of a covered loss, even if these costs exceed the current market value of your home.
• Other structures coverage if your property includes structures that aren’t attached to your home and would be costly to repair or replace. 
• Adequate personal belongings coverage to replace the things you own if they are lost, stolen, damaged, or destroyed. With the right policy, your belongings will be protected whether the loss occurs at home or away.
• Strong personal liability protection coverage to shield you from financial harm if you or someone in your home is deemed liable for another individual’s injuries. This coverage includes medical bills and legal fees, so you don’t have to pay them out of your pocket.

Georgia is a coastal state along the Gulf of Mexico prone to certain natural disasters like hurricanes. Most homeowners insurance policies don’t cover hurricane damages, so you’ll need to purchase either a hurricane rider or separate hurricane insurance to protect yourself adequately.

Other common natural disasters in Georgia include tornadoes and floods. Windstorm insurance can protect you from damage due to hail and high winds, while a flood policy or endorsement covers you from the usually-excluded damages from flooding. 

Insuring your home in Georgia

Whether you’re buying in Dalton, Savannah, or even Atlanta, homeowners insurance is relatively easy to purchase in the Peach State. 

1. Decide what you need. The first step is determining what kind of insurance you need to protect yourself and your investment. This means looking at your home, its value, and how much it would cost to rebuild after a loss. You should also spend some time adding up your belongings to see how much coverage you need there; be aware that most policies have limits on individual high-value items, like jewelry or art, so you may need to add more coverage.
2. Choose a policy type. There are a few different types of policies to consider, whether you need an HO-3 or HO-5 policy for homeowners or HO-6 coverage as a condo owner. Each policy offers its own coverage and included perils, so be sure to consider what you need and what you can afford.
3. Decide on your deductible. A higher deductible usually means lower premiums, but it also means you’re stuck paying a lot more out of pocket after a loss. Weigh your available savings with your budget to choose the right deductible level.
4. Add any optional coverages. Your standard policy usually excludes floods, mold damage, sewer backups, and hurricanes. Adding these coverages to your policy (or buying a separate policy) will ensure that you and your home are adequately protected.
5. Shop around. It never hurts to shop around and compare homeowners insurance quotes in GA to find the best deal. You can get multiple quotes at once through sites like Hippo, allowing you to see exactly what’s available in just minutes.
6. Ask about discounts. The more money you save, the more you keep. Each insurance company offers its own discounts, so be sure to ask what’s available and how you can qualify.

The exact process for shopping and buying coverage will vary from insurer to insurer. Once you’ve made your pick, read through your policy documents carefully and ask any questions you may have.

Is Georgia homeowners insurance required by law?

No, coverage is not legally required in Georgia whether you buy home insurance in Alpharetta or Valdosta. Even if there isn’t a federal or state law mandating this coverage, you may still be required to buy and maintain a policy by your mortgage lender.

Lenders will want to protect their collateral asset — your home — against loss. To that end, they will require you to purchase adequate homeowners insurance coverage until your mortgage loan is paid off in full. If you fail to buy or keep this policy, your lender will purchase force-placed coverage at your expense. However, this coverage only protects the lender, even though you’ll pay the premiums.

Looking for homeowners insurance in a different state?

If you live in another state or just want to see how Georgia homeowners insurance compares to the other 49, click on the map below to explore.