Jacksonville, FL Homeowners Insurance

Home to nearly one million people, Jacksonville is the most populated city in Florida. With its 500 distinct neighborhoods, this diverse city has something to offer everyone. If you own a house in Jacksonville, you can protect your investment with a good homeowners insurance policy.

When you are shopping for coverage for your home, you can turn to a local independent agent for help. These agents are free to work with some of the best homeowners insurance companies in Florida and can find you a dependable, yet affordable, policy.

Contact an independent insurance agent near you to get more information and to start comparing customized home insurance quotes.

How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost in Jacksonville, FL?

Home insurance rates in the state of Florida are higher than the national average. In Jacksonville, overall costs are lower than the state average, but still higher than national. Comparison shopping lets you be certain that you are getting your coverage at a reasonable price.

• National average yearly premium: $1,211
• Florida average yearly premium: $1,951
• Jacksonville average yearly premium: $1,810

Your actual home insurance costs are likely to differ from the average rate listed above because they are based on several factors such as: 

• The type of home you are insuring (e.g., single-family detached, manufactured home, condo, rental property, vacation house, etc.)
• The size of your home, the year it was built, and the materials used in its construction
• The crime rate and weather risks where your house is located
• Your claims history and credit score
• Whether you are bundling your coverage with another policy like car insurance or boat insurance

Every insurance company has its own method for calculating rates. Reviewing a variety of customized quotes lets you choose the homeowners insurance policy that offers the coverage you want at the most affordable price. 

What Kinds of Hazards Does Jacksonville Homeowners Insurance Cover against?

Your home insurance policy is designed to cover against most of the damaging risks you are likely to face as a homeowner in Jacksonville. This includes coverage against hazards like:

• Property crimes, including burglary and vandalism
• Fires, including accidental fires, wildfires, and explosions
• Severe weather, including hurricanes, tropical storms, thunderstorms, windstorms, tornadoes, and hail

You will want to make sure that you have sufficient coverage to enable you to repair or rebuild your house (dwelling insurance) and to repair or replace all of your personal belongings (contents insurance) if your home is destroyed in a catastrophic event like a hurricane.

What about Coverage against Flood Damage in Jacksonville?

Although homeowners insurance coverage is pretty comprehensive, it doesn't cover flood damage. This is true even if the flood is the direct result of a covered hurricane or storm.

Around 12% of properties in the Jacksonville area have at least a 26% chance of sustaining serious flood damage over the next 30 years. FEMA estimates that just one inch of water in your home can cause as much as $25,000 in damage, so lack of flood coverage in your home insurance policy can be problematic.

Fortunately, you have the option of supplementing your homeowners insurance with flood insurance. An affordable policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) can provide you with up to $250,000 in structural coverage and $100,000 in contents coverage for your home.

Flood insurance takes 30 days to go into effect, so do not wait until heavy rains are imminent to purchase your policy.

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What Is Loss of Use Insurance and Why Is It Important?

Jacksonville has a high risk of tornado activity. The Jacksonville metropolitan area experiences an average of two tornadoes a year. While most of these tornadoes are rated F0 or F1, they can still cause a significant amount of damage.

For instance, in April of 2015, an F1 twister tore a path of destruction three and a half miles long through the city. Roofs were blown off, trees were uprooted, and 46 homes were damaged while 5 were destroyed.

A major disaster like a tornado or a structure fire can leave your house so damaged that it is unsafe to occupy until repairs are made. If this happens to you, the loss of use coverage in your homeowners insurance policy can help.

If you need to seek alternate accommodations due to damage caused by a covered event, loss of use insurance can cover your miscellaneous housing expenses, including:

• Hotel or temporary home rental costs
• Meals, if your accommodations do not include a kitchen
• Moving and temporary storage costs
• Pet boarding, if needed

Your loss of use coverage can continue until your house has been brought back to code and it is safe to return to, or until you have purchased a new home to live in.

How Can Homeowners Liability Insurance Protect Jacksonville Residents?

Anyone can have an accident or an error in judgement that ends up causing harm to someone else. Fortunately, in addition to covering your house and property, homeowners insurance provides you with a significant amount of personal liability protection.

Homeowners liability insurance is designed to cover expenses like court costs, legal fees, mediation costs, settlements, and judgements if you or someone in your household unintentionally cause someone else to experience an injury, property damage, financial loss, or other harm.

Most home insurance policies offer between $250,000 and $500,000 in liability protection. If you want more coverage than your home insurance can provide, you can also purchase umbrella insurance. This is an affordable way to significantly boost all of your personal liability coverage.

Does Jacksonville Homeowners Insurance Cover against Burglaries?

The burglary rate in Florida is a bit lower than the national rate; but, in Jacksonville, the rate is much higher. Residents of this city report around 5,000 burglaries a year.

• Number of burglaries per 1,000 people in the US: 3.76
• Number of burglaries per 1,000 people in Florida: 3.38
• Number of burglaries per 1,000 people in Jacksonville: 5.40

If you discover that your house has been robbed, the first thing you should do is ensure that you and your family are safe, and then call the authorities.

Although being the victim of a property crime can be extremely stressful, it may give you a measure of comfort to know that your homeowners insurance can reimburse you for your lost property as well as for any associated damage to your house.

You will need a copy of the police report when you file your claim.

How Can an Independent Insurance Agent in Jacksonville Help?

Independent insurance agents make shopping for coverage easy.

These experienced agents can save you time and money by obtaining a variety of customized quotes from some of the best homeowners insurance companies in Florida. That way, you can choose the policy that offers the coverage you want at the most competitive price.

Arrange an obligation-free consultation with an independent insurance agent near you to learn more and to begin your comparison shopping journey.