Find the Best Homeowners Insurance Rates & Companies in California
California residents searching for an ideal homeowners insurance policy will find they have a lot of different insurance companies from which they can choose. Comparing policies and rates from multiple providers enables you to choose the policy that offers the coverage you want at the most affordable price.
Local independent agents make comparison shopping easy. These agents have relationships with many of the best homeowners insurance companies in California. This makes it easy for them to provide you with a selection of customized home insurance policies and quotes that you can review and evaluate together.
When you are ready to begin your search for the best California home insurance coverage, contact an independent insurance agent near you to arrange an obligation-free consultation.
The Best Homeowners Insurance Companies in California
Independent insurance agents know that no particular insurance company is the best choice for every homeowner in California. That is why they work with a variety of the area’s top-rated insurance providers, including companies like:
- Nationwide: Enjoy worry-free claims, customized coverage, and quality customer service when you purchase a home insurance policy through Nationwide.
- Travelers: Since 1963, Travelers has provided its customers with reliable coverage through its full line of insurance products.
- Progressive: The convenience of state-of-the-art online services and an award-winning mobile app make this insurance company a top choice for California residents.
- Safeco: Safeco has provided personal insurance coverage since 1923. Talk to an independent agent to learn more about how this Liberty Mutual subsidiary can protect your home and property.
- MAPFRE: MAPFRE Insurance has offered residents of California affordable, quality insurance products since 1972. This company also donates annually to local nonprofits.
- Stillwater: Talk to an agent to discover why 90% of Stillwater Insurance Group’s customers would recommend this insurer to their friends and family.
- Pacific Specialty: Family-owned and operated for more than 40 years, Pacific Specialty Insurance Company aims to foster confidence by providing reliable coverage and quality customer service.
Begin your search for the best home insurance company in California by talking to a local independent insurance agent. These agents can help you compare policies and quotes so you can choose the insurance provider that offers the best value for your money.
What Homeowners Insurance in California Can Cover
If you own a house in the Golden State, a good homeowners insurance policy can protect your finances and the investment you have made in your property. Most policies in this state provide coverage against hazards like:
- Accidental fires and wildfires
- Severe storms like bomb cyclones and thunderstorms
- Falling objects like hail stones and uprooted trees
- Property crimes like burglary and vandalism
- Personal liability lawsuits
In California, your home insurance will provide six types of coverage, labeled A through F. These are:
- Coverage A (Dwelling insurance): This covers damage to the structure of your home.
- Coverage B (Other structures insurance): This covers damage to structures on your property, like fences, storage sheds, pool houses, and detached garages.
- Coverage C (Contents insurance): This covers loss or damage to your personal property.
- Coverage D (Loss of use insurance): This covers your extra living expenses if a covered event like a windstorm or a forced evacuation due to a wildfire necessitates you to seek alternate accommodations.
- Coverage E (Homeowners liability insurance): This covers expenses related to personal liability lawsuits brought against you or someone in your household.
- Coverage F (Medical payments insurance): This can cover third-party medical expenses if someone is injured on your property, regardless of fault.
Independent insurance agents in California can explain each coverage type in great detail and help you decide how much coverage you need in each category.
What Homeowners Insurance in California Does Not Cover
As with any insurance policy, California's homeowners insurance has a few coverage exclusions. For instance, you should not expect your policy to pay for things like:
- Damage caused by insects or animals
- Remediation of mold, rot, or rust
- Damage caused by landslides and other earth movement
- Damage caused by floods
- Damage caused by earthquakes
Fortunately, supplemental policies are available to provide the coverage your home insurance lacks. Additionally, you should know that some of your property may only have limited coverage unless you purchase special endorsements or supplemental policies. This property can include the following:
- Company-owned property if you run a business out of your home
- Collectibles and valuables like fine art, jewelry, and family heirlooms
- Recreational vehicles like ATVs, boats, and personal watercraft
A local independent agent can help you be confident that you have sufficient coverage for all of your personal property.
What Homeowners Should Know about Flood Damage in California
As mentioned above, homeowners insurance policies do not cover flood damage. Unfortunately, more than 1.5 million properties in California have a significant risk of sustaining flood damage over the next thirty years. That is around 23% of all homes and businesses in this state.
If your house is among those at risk, you can opt to supplement your home coverage with flood insurance. Affordable policies are available through the National Flood Insurance Program in NFIP-participating communities. Otherwise, you can purchase coverage through a commercial provider.
If your home is located in a flood zone and you own money on a mortgage or a home equity loan, your lender will require you to maintain flood insurance coverage. Otherwise, this coverage is optional. When deciding whether a policy is worth the cost to you, it is worth noting that the average compensation per flood claim in California is $18,400.
What Homeowners in California Should Know about Earthquake Damage
With its many fault lines, California has the highest risk of seismic activity in the US. In fact, this state experiences an average of 3,544 earthquakes a year. The largest on record in this state was a 7.3 magnitude quake in San Bernardino County in 1992.
However, as mentioned earlier, home insurance does not cover damage caused by earthquakes. Fortunately, residents of California can supplement their home insurance policy with earthquake insurance.
When purchasing earthquake insurance, you can select coverage for any or all of the following:
- Damage to your house (dwelling)
- Damage to your personal property (contents)
- Loss of use coverage if you must seek alternate accommodations
- Building code upgrade coverage
- Emergency repairs coverage
- Coverage for breakables
- Coverage for exterior veneers like brick, stone, tile, and concrete
Deductibles for earthquake insurance are typically 5% to 25% of your total coverage amount. An independent insurance agent can help you find a good earthquake insurance policy.
Average Cost of Homeowners Insurance in California
While homeowners in the US pay an average of $1,211 a year for home insurance, the average cost of homeowners insurance in California is just $1,008 a year.
Of course, this is just an average rate. Your actual costs may be significantly higher or lower than this amount depending on several factors, such as your home’s size and rebuild value, the weather risks where your house is located, and the amount of coverage you are purchasing. For instance, a mansion in Beverly Hills will cost far more to cover than a bungalow in Bakersfield.
Consult a local independent insurance agent to find out how much a home insurance policy will cost you. Your agent can present you with a variety of customized quotes from some of the best homeowners insurance companies in California.
How do California's cities measure up?
National average burglary rate 3.76 per 1,000 people
National average home value $269,000
National average home insurance cost $1,428 year
| City | Avg. home value | Burglaries / 1,000 homes | Annual insurance cost |
| Anaheim | $685,333 | 3.97 | $996 |
| Bakersfield | $276,647 | 10.44 | $807 |
| Chula Vista | $548,473 | 2.12 | $955 |
| Fresno | $278,202 | 5.55 | $844 |
| Irvine | $1,320,185 | 2.16 | $980 |
| Long Beach | $651,563 | 4.95 | $897 |
| Los Angeles | $907,052 | 3.97 | $1,215 |
| Oakland | $810,144 | 5.56 | $1,069 |
| Riverside | $395,750 | 4.44 | $1,001 |
| Sacramento | $376,203 | 5.43 | $920 |
| San Diego | $784,577 | 2.61 | $887 |
| San Francisco | $1,299,000 | 6.00 | $1,105 |
| San Jose | $999,383 | 4.33 | $998 |
| Santa Ana | $536,755 | 2.71 | $884 |
| Stockton | $280,565 | 7.44 | $899 |
Popular Questions about California Home Insurance
The average cost for California homeowners insurance is $84 a month, which is significantly lower than the national figure of $101 a month. Home insurance rates can vary from one homeowner to the next because they are based on several risk factors. To find your actual costs, you can request customized quotes from a local independent insurance agent.
They aren't! As noted above, home insurance rates in this state are among the lowest in the country. The main reason for this is that home insurance policies do not cover many of the most significant hazards faced by residents of this state. For instance, you will need to buy separate policies for coverage against floods, earthquakes, landslides, and, in some cities, wildfires.
In California, your homeowners insurance rates are based on information about you and your house as well as outside risk factors. Carriers use local crime rates, historic natural disasters, past claims reported, coverage selections and limits, and property values when determining your costs. Some exposures will be outside of your control, while others you can improve for better pricing.
There are no laws in California that state you must carry homeowners insurance. However, lenders will require you to have coverage if you are still paying on a mortgage or a home equity loan. This is because these loans use your house as collateral, so your lender will have a vested interest in ensuring that the property is suitably covered against loss or damage.
In California, your policy will include several coverage types, each with its own coverage limits. These limits are adjusted to your specific needs and property values. To ensure that you have sufficient coverage without any unintentional coverage gaps, you can speak with a licensed professional who can provide guidance and advice.
In most cases, coverage against wildfire damage is included in your home insurance coverage. However, in some parts of this state, where the wildfire risk is exceptionally high, insurance companies may exclude coverage for this risk. Fortunately, thanks to the state's Fair Access to Insurance Requirements (FAIR) Plan, homeowners in high-risk areas who cannot obtain coverage against wildfires through traditional insurance carriers can purchase coverage through the state. Certain building requirements apply. Wildfire coverage through the FAIR Act can be expensive, but at least it provides high-risk homeowners with an alternative.
Many of the top disasters that occur in California are not covered under your homeowners insurance policy. For instance, most home insurance policies exclude coverage for hazards like:
- Floods
- Earthquakes
- Landslides/mudslides
- Wildfires in some high-risk cities (as mentioned above)
If needed, independent insurance agents in California can help you purchase supplemental policies to cover your property against these risks.
Although home insurance policies exclude coverage for earthquake damage, homeowners in the Golden State have options. By supplementing your home policy with earthquake insurance, you can rest assured that you will be covered if your house or property is damaged or destroyed in a seismic event. Earthquake insurance policies typically have a deductible of 5% to 25% of your total coverage. So if you purchase $500,000 worth of earthquake coverage with a 10% deductible, you will be responsible for covering the first $50,000 of loss if your house is damaged or destroyed by an earthquake.
Finding the insurance company that offers the best value for the coverage you need involves a bit of comparison shopping. Fortunately, independent insurance agents in California have teamed up with some of the area's best home insurance providers. These include companies like Nationwide, Travelers, Progressive, Safeco, MAPFRE, Stillwater, and Pacific Specialty. Talk to an independent insurance agent near you to find the right insurance provider to meet your specific coverage and budgetary needs.
Independent agents work for you, not for a particular insurance company. This means that you can count on these agents to provide trustworthy advice as they help you find the best California insurance provider to meet your home insurance coverage needs. There are more than 450 independent insurance agencies in the state of California. Find an independent insurance agent near you to begin your search for the best and most reasonably priced homeowners insurance policy.
Do you know what your home insurance covers in California?
Average Cost of Home Insurance Near You
Average monthly cost of home insurance in Fresno, CA: $70
Your house is not the same as every other in your ZIP Code. While you and your neighbors may face the same crime and weather risks, your homeowners insurance premium is also based on factors like the size and value of your home, the age of your roof, the amount of contents coverage you need, your claims history, and the size of your deductible. Your quoted rate for home insurance may therefore be higher or lower than this average.
One of the most common hazards faced by homeowners in Fresno, CA is property crime. This city, in which residents report more than 3,000 burglaries in a typical year, has one of the highest burglary rates in the state. Fortunately, your home insurance covers against property loss and damage to your house if you are the victim of a property crime like burglary or vandalism.
Average monthly cost of home insurance in Los Angeles, CA: $100
Keep in mind, however, that homeowners insurance rates can vary from one property owner to the next. Your actual rate will be based on factors like the size, value, and location of your home, the materials used in your house’s construction, and the crime rate in your ZIP Code.
Los Angeles, CA occasionally experiences coastal storms that can damage area homes. Keep in mind that in order to be fully covered against the damage that can occur with heavy rains, you may also need to purchase a supplemental landslide and mudslide insurance policy. A homeowners insurance policy on its own will not cover landslide damage.
Average monthly cost of home insurance in San Diego, CA: $74
San Diego, CA is a big city, and some neighborhoods are more expensive than others when it comes to home insurance. For instance, homeowners in Carmel Valley will pay higher average rates than those who live in Balboa Park.
What would you do if a windstorm caused a tree to fall onto your house? This could cause significant damage to your roof, siding, or windows, and could even affect the structural integrity of your house. Fortunately, when you have a solid homeowners insurance policy backing you up, you do not need to worry about how you will be able to pay for repairs.
Average monthly cost of home insurance in San Francisco, CA: $92
Because your homeowners insurance is completely customized according to details about you and your home, your monthly premium may be higher or lower than this average. Insurance companies consider your home’s size, value, location, and other factors when they calculate your monthly rate.
San Francisco, CA is known for its earthquake risk. Earthquakes can cause serious damage to your house and property. Unfortunately, earthquake damage is not covered by homeowners insurance, so you will need a supplemental earthquake insurance policy in order to be fully covered.
Average monthly cost of home insurance in San Jose, CA: $83
What you may actually be expected to pay may differ from this amount depending on a number of factors. Your rate will be calculated according to things like the size of your house, the crime rate and weather risks in your ZIP Code, your claims history, and the amount of your deductible.
Sometimes residents in San Jose, CA experience extended power outages when heat waves cause an overload in power usage due to excessive air conditioning use. What if you had just returned from the grocery store and had a refrigerator and freezer full of food when the power went out? If the outage lasts several hours or days, your food can spoil and will need to be thrown out. Fortunately, in these cases, you may be able to be compensated for your loss by your homeowners insurance.