Homeowners Insurance in Pennsylvania

While it’s important to answer the question, ”How much is homeowners insurance in PA?” it’s also important to understand why you may pay more or less to protect your specific home.

What factors influence my home insurance rate?

Your annual cost for Pennsylvania homeowners insurance will depend on several key factors. Not only do PA home insurance rates vary from one area to the next, but your individual costs can fluctuate based on the details of your home, the coverage you buy, and even your history.

Pennsylvania home insurance costs are dependent on things like:

• Where you live (your ZIP code)
• The age of your home
• The features of and materials used in your home
• Your square footage
• The number of rooms in your home
• Your home’s condition
• Any non-standard details or upgrades (like extra-high ceilings, tall doors, upgraded flooring, high-end fixtures, etc.)
• Recent upgrades or renovations
• Added features like a pool, deck, patio, or gazebo
• Average labor costs in your area
• Average materials costs in your area
• Any additional risk factors on your property, like a pool, trampoline, or owning certain dog breeds

If you live in an area more prone to certain natural disasters or perils, you could pay more than others in your state for coverage. For example, Philadelphia homeowners insurance may cost more than comparable coverage in Mount Pleasant because of its proximity to the coastline and being in a big rural area. 

After the details of your home, your coverage costs will be influenced by your policy options, which can increase or decrease your premiums. Most of this is within your control, including:

• The type of homeowners insurance policy you buy
• How much coverage you need
• Whether you choose replacement cost value (RCV) or actual cash value (ACV) coverage
• Any optional endorsements (or riders) added to your policy (such as mold coverage, earthquake insurance, or water backup coverage)
• The deductible you pick

Lastly, your coverage costs are affected by your own personal factors as the policyholder. If you personally represent more risk to your insurer, you may pay more to insure your home. These factors can include:

• The insured individuals who live on the property
• Your claims history in recent years
• Your credit history and insurance score

When shopping around for home insurance quotes, Pennsylvania carriers will consider these risk factors and calculate your premiums accordingly.

Common insurance discounts in Pennsylvania

Qualifying for insurance discounts can be a great way to save hundreds or even thousands of dollars on your premiums. Each carrier offers its own combination of discounts and special pricing, so you’ll want to keep these in mind as you shop around with different Pennsylvania homeowners insurance companies.

Some common home insurance discounts include:

• Claims-free discount for having no recent property claims
• Multi-policy or bundle discount for owning more than one policy through the same carrier
• Loyalty discount for staying with the same insurer for multiple years
• New home discount if your house was built in the last few years
• Safety discount for living in a gated community or near a fire department, police department, etc.
• Smart home discount for having a security system, fire sprinklers, smart sensors, etc. installed
• New roof discount if your roof is only a few years old
• Prepay discount for paying your annual premium upfront and in full
• Autopay discount for setting up automatic premium payments
• Paperless discount for opting out of paper statements
• Affiliation discounts through your workplace, alma mater, or other memberships

Tips for lowering home insurance rates

The less you pay in insurance premiums, the more money you keep in your own pocket. PA property owners can implement some of the following tips to save money on homeowners insurance. 

• Opt for a higher deductible. Your deductible is the portion of a claim you’ll pay upfront before your insurance company steps in to cover the rest (up to your policy’s coverage limits). The higher your deductible, the less risk your carrier takes on, and the lower your premiums will likely be as a result.
• Change your coverage. The more coverage you purchase for your home, the better protected it is… but also, the more you can expect to pay in premiums. Look through your coverage and consider what you’re buying to ensure you aren’t overinsuring yourself. Then, you can adjust your coverage limits to save money while still protecting your home.
• Make your home safer. Many carriers offer discounts for home security systems, sprinkler systems, fire-resistant roofs, smart home alarms, etc. By updating your property, you’ll make your home safer while potentially saving money on your PA home insurance.
• Make updates to your home. If your property is outdated or in disrepair, it can be considered a bigger risk, and you may pay more for insurance. You could save money on your coverage by making certain improvements—like installing a new roof, updating old electrical lines, or installing new plumbing.
• Boost your credit. While your credit score can’t prevent you from getting home insurance in Pennsylvania, a low score can make that coverage more expensive (especially if it’s due to late payments, defaults, or accounts in collections). The higher your credit score and the more positive your payment history, the lower your insurance premiums will likely be. 
• Compare your options. Shopping around is one of the best ways to find affordable homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania and beyond. By getting a quote from multiple carriers, you can compare all of your coverage options, see what discounts are available, and choose the policy that best protects your home for the right price. Hippo makes it easy to get a quote online in just 60 seconds, helping you save time and money.

What does Pennsylvania home insurance cover?

A typical PA homeowners insurance policy provides you with a combination of home and liability coverage. If your property is damaged or destroyed by a covered peril—such as a fire, lightning, smoke, windstorm, or explosion—your carrier will help cover the repair or replacement cost. 

Common categories of coverage include the following:

• Dwelling protection covers the actual structure of your home, including the exterior, roof, walls, plumbing and gas lines, HVAC system, electrical wiring, and any permanent fixtures such as flooring, ceilings, and cabinets. This coverage also extends to structures attached to your home, such as a patio, garage, or awning. 
• Other structures coverage includes fixtures that are part of your property but not attached to your home. This can mean a shed, pool, detached garage, deck, fence, guest house, etc. 
• Personal belongings coverage protects your items, such as furniture, clothing, personal electronics, home decor, art, jewelry, and more, if they’re damaged or stolen (sometimes, even if the loss occurs away from home). Anything you would bring with you if you moved is typically included under this form of coverage. However, this coverage may have specific limits for valuables such as jewelry, art, antiques, guns, and more, so be sure to read your policy and see if you need to add a scheduled personal property rider.
• Personal liability protection coverage steps in if someone else is injured on your property or if you (or someone else in your household) cause their injury. This coverage can help pay for things like medical bills, lost wages, legal fees, and more, whether it’s a child breaking their arm on your trampoline or your dog biting the neighbor.
• Displacement coverage can help you cover unexpected expenses related to a home displacement. If your property is damaged or destroyed by a covered loss and you need to move out (even temporarily), this coverage can pay for things like hotel stays, rental property, restaurant meals, laundry service, and more.

Most homeowners choose an HO-3 policy, which offers all listed coverages. However, if you purchase another type of coverage—such as Pennsylvania condo insurance or even an HO-1 policy—you may not have all of the same protections.

Additional Pennsylvania insurance coverage options

No matter where you buy coverage in Pennsylvania or what type of policy you buy, there are always exclusions that could leave you holding the bag after a loss. In addition to your policy’s standard coverages, you can typically add riders to boost your coverage or protect against these perils. 

Depending on the carrier and policy type, some of the additional coverage options may include:

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

Adding these riders will likely increase your premiums, so be sure to weigh your options (and risks) when building the right policy for your home.

What coverage is recommended in Pennsylvania?

No matter where you live, your homeowners insurance coverage should be adequate to protect you and your home. This means buying enough dwelling coverage to repair or rebuild your property after a loss, enough personal belongings coverage to replace your items if they were destroyed, and enough personal liability protection to cover you if someone else was injured. 

Beyond that, you should build a policy that protects your specific home and belongings, which may vary based on where you live. 

Pennsylvania isn’t a wildfire-prone state like California or a hurricane-prone state like Florida, but that doesn’t mean these natural disasters don’t happen here. In fact, the state has been affected by 16 tropical storms and hurricanes since 2000, many of them causing tornadoes, flooding, and other damages. The state also fought more than 1,400 wildfires between 2020 and 2023. 

While not your only supplemental option, adding a hurricane insurance or wildfire insurance endorsement to your policy can better protect you and your assets.

Insuring your home in Pennsylvania

Protecting yourself with home insurance in PA can be quick and easy, especially if you shop around online. Each carrier may have its own process, but this is what you can generally expect when buying home insurance in Pennsylvania. 

1. Pick the right policy. Before you can shop for coverage and get an insurance quote, Pennsylvania homeowners should have a general idea of what they need. If you live in a condo, for example, your policy needs will be different than if you own a single-family home or even if you’re a landlord who rents out their property.
2. Choose your coverage. You’ll want to buy enough coverage to adequately protect your dwelling and personal belongings without overinsuring yourself (and overpaying). Consider what your property is worth, how valuable your belongings are, and any additional structures on the property that you want covered. 
3. Start shopping for quotes. Many carriers today allow you to shop for quotes online, which you can do from anywhere at any time. Getting multiple quotes—either directly from carriers or through a site like Hippo.com—can help you compare your options and get an idea of pricing from top insurers.
4. Adjust your policy and coverage options. Once you know your policy options, you can begin tweaking your coverage levels. This might mean adding endorsements, boosting your coverage limits, removing options you don’t need, or protecting yourself against added perils.
5. Select your deductible. You’ll also need to choose your deductible. Generally, the lower your deductible, the higher your premiums will be. While a higher deductible can save you money, it’s important to ensure that you can cover that out-of-pocket expense if and when a loss arises.
6. Browse available discounts. Before purchasing your policy, be sure to check about any discounts your carrier may offer. If you’re eligible, these discounts can save you hundreds, if not thousands, on your premiums. 

Once you’ve built the perfect policy for you and your home, you can move forward with choosing your start date and buying your coverage.

Is Pennsylvania homeowners insurance required by law?

Whether you live in Pittsburgh or Philadelphia, homeowners insurance is not legally required in the state of Pennsylvania. With that said, you will be required to buy coverage if you have a mortgage loan on your property, as your lender will want to protect their collateral asset until your home is paid off. 

If you fail to buy or maintain adequate homeowners insurance coverage, your mortgage lender will buy force-placed coverage at your own expense. Even though you will end up paying for this policy, it doesn’t protect you like a traditional homeowners insurance policy; instead, force-placed coverage only protects the asset for your mortgage lender.