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Most Affordable Homeowners Insurance in Charleston, SC
The average homeowner in Charleston might pay around $1378 a year for $250,000 dwelling coverage to protect their SC home! But can you do better? Let us find you the best deals on Charleston SC renters insurance and home insurance.
- What does Homeowners Insurance in Charleston SC Cover?
- Most Common Causes for Charleston SC Homeowners Insurance Claims
- Who Has the Best Prices for Homeowners Insurance in Charleston SC?
- What are the Best Companies that Sell Homeowners Insurance in Charleston, SC?
- Charleston SC Homeowners Insurance: Rating Factors and How they Affect Your Premium
- What?! My Dog Could Have An Effect On My Insurance Policy?
- Trying to Lower Your Homeowners Insurance In Charleston SC? Ask Your Agent About These Discounts!
- Homeowners Insurance In Charleston SC: What You Need to Know About Hurricanes and Flooding
- Most Frequently Asked Questions About Homeowners Insurance in Charleston, SC
- Additional Helpful Links For Your Auto and Home Insurance Needs
- Questions About Homeowners Insurance In Another State?
- Other Guides to the Best Insurance Rates in Charleston
What does Homeowners Insurance in Charleston SC Cover?
With Charleston being on the coast of SC, it is unfortunately vulnerable to hurricanes and severe storms every single year.
This means that homes are subject to damages from flooding, high winds, and other catastrophes.
But did you know that flood damage is NOT covered by a standard homeowners policy? (More on that later.) And, there’s actually no such thing as “hurricane insurance?”
So is a homeowners insurance in Charleston SC even worth it?
YES!
There are plenty of things that your Charleston SC homeowners insurance policy will cover, saving you from having to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket.
| Types of Perils | Is it a Covered Peril? |
|---|---|
| Fire | YES |
| Lightning | YES |
| Wind and Hail | YES |
| Explosions | YES |
| Theft or Vandalism | YES |
| Trees/Fallen Objects | YES |
| Flooding/Sewage Backup | NO |
| Acts of War | NO |
| Deliberate Damage | NO |
| Pet or Pest Damage | NO |
| Pollution Damage | NO |
Most Common Causes for Charleston SC Homeowners Insurance Claims
As mentioned above, though Charleston, SC is one of the most beautiful places to live, it’s a hot zone for hurricanes and all of the damages that come with it.
And as if hurricanes aren’t enough, there are thousands of claims from fire damage as well.
| Common Causes for Home Insurance Losses & Claims |
|---|
| Hail Loss of Use Lightning Wind Water Damage Other Weather related Vandalism Power surge Fire Injuries Theft |
Who Has the Best Prices for Homeowners Insurance in Charleston SC?
Home insurance in Charleston SC is not one size fits all.
Rating factors and the cost of your home can greatly affect the cost of your homeowners insurance in Charleston SC.
However, we did our best to provide you with a breakdown of some insurance companies and what they would charge for homeowners insurance in Charleston SC for a home worth $250,000 in dwelling coverage.
| Home Insurance Company | Average Annual Rate |
|---|---|
| Travelers Companies Inc. | $1,531 |
| Liberty Mutual | $1,491 |
| State Farm | $1,454 |
| American International | $1,496 |
| Auto-Owners Insurance | $1,513 |
| Farmers Insurance Group | $1,529 |
| USAA | $1,473 |
| MetLife Inc. | $1,280 |
| Allstate | $1,485 |
| Progressive | $1,472 |
| Erie Insurance | $1,294 |
| Chubb | $1,311 |
| Hartford Financial Services | $1,452 |
| Nationwide Mutual | $1,464 |
| American Family Insurance | $1,367 |
What are the Best Companies that Sell Homeowners Insurance in Charleston, SC?
We can’t stress the importance enough: call an insurance broker to help you, if you truly want the best homeowners insurance rate.
We will shop through multiple companies and save you hours of time, weeding out companies that will not be a good fit for you.
We can also give you honest insight into the credibility of an insurance company.
While price is the biggest concern for most people when shopping, it’s not the only factor to consider when choosing your insurance company.
Make sure they are a highly rated company. For example, if you look at AM Best rated companies and fine a highly rated company, you can be sure you are working with a reliable and reputable homeowners insurance company.
| Home Insurance Company | AM Best Company Rating |
|---|---|
| American Family | A |
| USAA | A++ |
| MetLife | A- |
| Progressive | A+ |
| Allstate | A+ |
| Hartford Financial | A+ |
| Chubb | A |
| Travelers | A++ |
| Nationwide | A |
| State Farm | A++ |
| Farmers Insurance | A |
| Auto-Owners Insurance | A |
| American International | A- |
Charleston SC Homeowners Insurance: Rating Factors and How they Affect Your Premium
We mentioned before that one person’s homeowners insurance in Charleston SC can vary, drastically, from another person’s home insurance in Charleston SC.
For example, person A might pay more than person B if they had a history of homeowners’ claims.
Or, if a person chooses to have lower deductibles, the premium is always higher.
Take a look at some of the rating factors that will have the biggest impact on your home insurance rates.
| Rating Factors for Homeowners Insurance in Charleston SC |
|---|
| Roof condition |
| Age of Home |
| Protection Class Proximity to fire station |
| Value of home Replacement cost |
| Location |
| Marital status |
| Wood-burning stoves |
| Insurance score |
| Home-based business |
| Deductible |
| Upgrades to Wiring plumbing |
| Dog breed |
| Claims |
| Swimming pool or hot tub |
What?! My Dog Could Have An Effect On My Insurance Policy?
Many people when searching for homeowners insurance in Charleston SC (or anywhere for that matter), fail to realize that there a number of factors that could make them “an uninsurable risk” to the home insurance company.
And sadly, your loveable pooch might be one of them.
This is due to the fact that many of the restricted dog breeds have a reputation for aggressive tendencies, like biting other people, and are known to damage property.
So which dog breeds are typically restricted by home insurance companies? We listed some of the most well known breeds that tend to be red flags for homeowners insurance companies. Always talk to your agent however, because there could be a breed NOT listed here, OR, perhaps there is a homeowners insurance company out there who will still cover your property.
- Wolf Hybrids
- Pit Bulls
- German Shepherds
- Akitas
- Chow chows
- Doberman Pinschers
- Great Danes
- Rottweilers
- Mastiff
- Staffordshire Terrier
- Presa Canarios
- Alaskan Malamute
Trying to Lower Your Homeowners Insurance In Charleston SC? Ask Your Agent About These Discounts!
One of the biggest mistakes a homeowner can make is not asking their agent about the potential discount opportunities there are.
There are multiple ways you could save hundreds of dollars on your home insurance in Charleston SC and you might be missing out.
For example, one thing that almost everyone qualifies for, is a paperless discount. It’s easy and there’s no strings attached, you just need to have a valid email address set up.
| Charleston SC Homeowners Insurance Discounts |
|---|
| Paperless Discount |
| Bundling Multiple Policies |
| Upgraded Wiring |
| Loyalty |
| Upgraded plumbing |
| New home discount |
| Hail resistant roofing |
| Claims Free |
| Smoke detector (monitored) |
| Auto water shut off or leak detection |
| Upgraded roof |
| EFT |
Do you have an auto policy with a separate company from your Charleston SC homeowners insurance company? See if you can find a company that will do both auto AND homeowners resulting in an awesome multiple policy bundle discount.
| What Can I Bundle With My Homeowners Insurance in Charleston, SC? |
|---|
| Business |
| ATV |
| Life |
| Health |
| Umbrella |
| Boat |
| Auto |
| RV |
Homeowners Insurance In Charleston SC: What You Need to Know About Hurricanes and Flooding
As alluded to at the beginning of the page, there is no such thing as hurricane insurance. Sounds like bad news for folks searching for good homeowners insurance in Charleston, SC. But there is GOOD news.
Though there is not a formal “hurricane insurance” policy in existence, you can purchase separate policies to cover the damages that are typically caused by a hurricane. Those include: Flood Insurance and Windstorm Insurance.
Flood damage is not covered by a standard homeowners policy, but a flood insurance policy can be purchased. This is the same for windstorm insurance.
Most Frequently Asked Questions About Homeowners Insurance in Charleston, SC
Will My SC homeowners policy cover all water damage?
Not all water damage is covered by homeowners insurance.
If the water damage was caused by internal pipes within the house, then yes. If the water damage was caused by outside waters intruding into the structure (ie flood), then no. That damage would only be covered by a separate flood insurance policy.
Is home insurance required in South Carolina?
Homeowners Insurance is not technically required in South Carolina.
However if you have a mortgage on your house, you will likely required by that mortgage company to purchase a policy. Home insurance is always strongly advised for all homeowners.
How often should I replace my roof in SC?
The answer is dependent upon what material your roof is made up of. Roofs can be composed of many different materials: tiles, metal, asphalt shingles, clay, even green materials.
How often a roof needs to be replaced will be dependent upon how much damage the roof has sustained from the elements (wind, hail, snow, sleet, fire, etc).
The best rule of thumb as a homeowner is to keep an eye out for damaged areas and be alert if you notice water intrusion or spots in your ceiling. It may be time to replace that roof.
Additional Helpful Links For Your Auto and Home Insurance Needs
Questions About Homeowners Insurance In Another State?
Other Guides to the Best Insurance Rates in Charleston
| Need Auto Insurance or other Products? |
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| Best Motorcycle Insurance Rates in SC |
Last Updated on by Amanda Moss