Upper Arlington, OH Homeowners Insurance
Experts break down home insurance costs, coverages, companies, and more for property owners in Upper Arlington, Ohio.
Jeff Green has held a variety of sales and management roles at life insurance companies, Wall street firms, and distribution organizations over his 40-year career. He was previously Finra 7,24,66 registered and held life insurance licenses in multiple states. He is a graduate of Stony Brook University.
The City of Upper Arlington is home to around 36,000 people. With its excellent schools, low crime rate, and rich arts and culture scene, UA is a great place to live. If you own a house in this Columbus suburb, you can protect the investment you have made in it with a good homeowners insurance policy.
Independent agents in Upper Arlington are free to work with many of the area’s best insurance providers, so they can shop around to find you suitable coverage at a competitive price. Contact an independent insurance agent near you to start comparing a selection of customized home insurance quotes.
What Is Homeowners Insurance, and Is It Required in Upper Arlington, OH?
Homeowners insurance is a policy designed to protect your finances in the event of a liability lawsuit and safeguard the investment you have made in your home and your personal property.
Home insurance coverage is not required by law, but lenders typically require it if you have a mortgage or home equity loan. This coverage is optional but highly recommended once your loans are paid in full, and you own your house outright with no liens.
How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost in Upper Arlington, OH?
Overall, homeowners insurance rates in Ohio are much lower than the national average. However, in Upper Arlington, where median home values are higher than the state average, coverage costs more.
- National average yearly premium: $1,211
- Ohio average yearly premium: $862
- Upper Arlington average yearly premium: $1,521
Insurance companies base premiums on several factors such as:
- Your home’s age, condition, value, and size in square feet
- The type of home you are insuring (e.g., single-family detached house, multi-family home, townhouse, investment rental property, etc.)
- The crime rate and weather risks in your ZIP code
- Your insurance claims history and credit score
- The size of your deductible
- Whether you are bundling your coverage with another policy like car insurance or qualify for any other home insurance discounts
Every insurance company has a unique way of calculating costs. This means that every provider you contact for a quote is likely to offer you coverage at a different rate.
Comparing customized quotes from a few competing homeowners insurance companies lets you choose the policy that offers the coverage you want at the most reasonable price. Independent insurance agents in Upper Arlington make comparison shopping easy.
What Does Upper Arlington Homeowners Insurance Cover?
Homeowners insurance shields you from painful financial losses by providing you with:
- Coverage for your property
- Coverage against displacement
- Coverage against liability lawsuits
Coverage for your property
Homeowners insurance covers the cost of rebuilding, repairing, or replacing your property if damaged or lost due to a covered event. Some of the covered risks most likely affect homeowners in Upper Arlington include:
- Fires: Your policy can cover damage caused by flames, heat, smoke, and firefighting efforts.
- Water damage: Your policy may cover water damage resulting from leaky roofs, damaged windows, and frozen pipes, but it will not cover damage caused by floods.
- Falling objects: Your policy can cover damage caused by hailstones, fallen tree branches, uprooted trees, and other falling objects.
- Severe weather: Your policy covers damage caused by weather events like snowstorms, thunderstorms, lightning strikes, high wind, and tornadoes.
- Property crimes: Your policy can reimburse you for property loss or damage if you are the victim of a crime like vandalism, burglary, or arson.
Your home insurance covers damage to the structure of your home (this is called dwelling coverage) and your personal property (this is called contents coverage).
You will want to be sure that your coverage limits are high enough to enable you to rebuild a home of comparable size and value and fully replace all of your property if you experience a total loss.
Coverage against displacement
Though rated a moderate risk, tornado activity is higher in Upper Arlington than throughout much of the state. On average, 2 tornadoes touch down within 30 miles of this city every year.
Disasters like tornadoes and fires can potentially render your home unsafe for habitation. If this happens, the loss of use insurance included in your homeowners insurance policy can help.
Loss of use insurance is designed to cover your extra living expenses if you are displaced from your home due to damage caused by a covered event. While your house is being repaired, this insurance can pay for things like:
- A hotel or other reasonable accommodations
- Meals and/or groceries
- Moving costs and storage fees
- Laundry and dry cleaning costs
- Mileage reimbursement if you must drive further to get to work
- Pet boarding, if necessary
Your coverage can continue until repairs are completed and your house is safe to return to or until you have built or purchased a new primary residence.
Coverage against liability lawsuits
Your home insurance policy also includes homeowners liability insurance. This covers court costs, legal fees, mediation costs, settlements, and judgments if you or someone in your household unintentionally causes someone else to experience injuries, financial losses, property damage, or other harm.
This insurance covers things like:
- Accidental injuries sustained on your property
- Injuries or property damage you may cause to others while away from home
- Property damage or injuries caused by your children or pets
- Accusations of libel or slander
Homeowners insurance companies typically provide between $100,000 and $500,000 in personal liability coverage. If you want even more liability protection than your home insurance company offers, you can significantly boost your coverage by purchasing umbrella insurance.
What about Coverage against Flood Damage in Upper Arlington, OH?
FEMA warns that just one inch of rainwater in your home can cause as much as $25,000 in property damage. However, homeowners insurance does not cover damage caused by floods.
The good news is that floods do not pose a significant risk in Upper Arlington. Fewer than 300 properties in this city have at least a 26% chance of sustaining serious flood damage over the next 30 years.
If your house is among those at risk, an independent agent can help you supplement your home coverage with an affordable flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Does Upper Arlington, OH Have a High Burglary Rate?
The burglary rate in Ohio is higher than the national rate, but in Upper Arlington, the rate is much lower. This is not to say the risk does not exist. Residents of this city report around 75 burglaries a year.
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 people in the US: 3.76
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 people in Ohio: 4.12
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 people in Upper Arlington: 1.45
Though your burglary risk is low, it may give you peace of mind to know that if you are the victim of a robbery, your home insurance can compensate you for your losses as well as for any damage the burglar may have done to your house. You will need to have a copy of a police report when you file your claim.
Where Can I Find Cheap Homeowners Insurance Near Me?
Purchasing the cheapest policy you can find is not necessarily the best way to cover one of your most expensive assets. While you may save a little money on your monthly premiums today, a low-cost, low-quality insurance policy could end up costing you a lot more in the long run.
Homeowners insurance policies at cut-rate prices typically come with:
- Limited coverage: The cheapest policies typically provide actual cash value instead of replacement cost coverage for your property. This may necessitate that you spend a lot of money out of pocket to replace damaged items when you file a claim.
- High deductibles: Cheap policies typically have unmanageable high deductibles. This may make some claims not worth filing. Also, in the event of a disaster, you may need to dip into your savings to have enough compensation to pick up where you left off.
- A complicated claims process: If you are not working with a reputable insurance provider, you may face several hurdles when you need to file a claim. Also, compensation can take an unacceptably long time to get to you.
To ensure that you have the coverage you need when you need it, you will want to buy your policy from an insurance company you can trust. This may mean paying a little more in the short run, but it can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run.
Independent agents can help you compare policies and rates from a variety of reliable insurance companies so you can be sure that you are purchasing a policy that offers good value for your money.
What Are the Best Homeowners Insurance Companies in Upper Arlington, Ohio?
The home insurance companies that are rated among the best are the ones that have a consistent history of providing excellent customer service, reliable coverage, timely claims processing, and competitive rates.
Independent insurance agents in Upper Arlington have partnerships with some of the best homeowners insurance companies in Ohio. Therefore, you can rest assured that any policies your agent recommends to you are offered by insurance providers you can rely on if you ever need to file a claim.
How Can an Independent Agent in Upper Arlington, OH Help Me?
Independent agents are available to help you with all of your coverage needs. You can turn to a local agent for answers to your insurance-related questions, honest advice, and help with finding the best and most affordable coverage.
Arrange an obligation-free consultation with an independent insurance agent near you to learn more. You will soon discover how easy it can be to compare customized homeowners insurance quotes from some of the best insurance providers in the Upper Arlington area.
https://upperarlingtonoh.gov/
https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/upperarlingtoncityohio/PST045221
https://www.city-data.com/city/Upper-Arlington-Ohio.html
https://www.homefacts.com/city/Ohio/Franklin-County/Upper-Arlington.html
http://www.usa.com/upper-arlington-oh-natural-disasters-extremes.htm#TornadoIndex
https://www.homefacts.com/tornadoes/Ohio/Franklin-County/Upper-Arlington.html
https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance
https://riskfactor.com/city/upper-arlington/3979002_fsid/flood