So how much does windstorm/hail insurance cost anyway? $100 per month? $5000 per year? (Houston: rent, HOA fees)

[MikeEsq]

So how much does windstorm/hail insurance cost anyway? $100 per month? $5000 per year? I have no idea. Anyone have a clue?

[Oildog]

Talk to your insurance provider. If you own or rent its different, Look at 1-2k a year.

[texas7]

It is going to vary. You move on the North side, its pretty darn cheap. You move in on the South side of Harris County or Galveston County it will depend on your proximity to any body of water (not just the Bay). I looked at a home in League City Galveston County where I can get an all-in-one policy from my insurance carrier (not TWIA - Texas Windstorm Insurance Association) and that quote was about $1900 per year and that price is homeowners and includes the wind. However that is new construction. The older the home, the higher it was. If you get near the water, sometimes you can't get an all-in-one policy and you have to get homeowners and get your wind from TWIA. So on the South side from Clear Lake to Galveston it can vary from $1700-$3200 for a 2300 sq. foot home. I prefer an all-in-one policy from my agent that does not have anything to do with TWIA because I don't have much confidence in TWIA to be able to pay out if they had to -- no evidence that they can't but I'm just not comfortable relying on the insurer of last resort. Then you will also need to have flood insurance. Even if it is not required, it is crazy to not get it and it is cheap if you are in Zone X. Zone X is about $300 per year. Any place in Houston can flood if an area gets the right amount of rain within a short amount of time. It's Houston - it happens.

[jasonamd]

Originally Posted by texas7

It is going to vary. You move on the North side, its pretty darn cheap. You move in on the South side of Harris County or Galveston County it will depend on your proximity to any body of water (not just the Bay). I looked at a home in League City Galveston County where I can get an all-in-one policy from my insurance carrier (not TWIA - Texas Windstorm Insurance Association) and that quote was about $1900 per year and that price is homeowners and includes the wind. However that is new construction. The older the home, the higher it was. If you get near the water, sometimes you can't get an all-in-one policy and you have to get homeowners and get your wind from TWIA. So on the South side from Clear Lake to Galveston it can vary from $1700-$3200 for a 2300 sq. foot home. I prefer an all-in-one policy from my agent that does not have anything to do with TWIA because I don't have much confidence in TWIA to be able to pay out if they had to -- no evidence that they can't but I'm just not comfortable relying on the insurer of last resort. Then you will also need to have flood insurance. Even if it is not required, it is crazy to not get it and it is cheap if you are in Zone X. Zone X is about $300 per year. Any place in Houston can flood if an area gets the right amount of rain within a short amount of time. It's Houston - it happens.

Are you sure that the quote you got had wind coverage that wasn't TWIA? I wasn't aware of any insurance company offering wind coverage in Galveston county. When I had a home built my insurance agent gave me a quote that included wind, but wind was through TWIA.

The rates don't really have anything to do with being close to a body of water (its wind coverage...not flood coverage), they vary based mainly on what wind zone you are in and the construction of the home. Also, rates have to do with the value of the home, not the size.

The best way to determine a cost is to call an insurance agent and ask. There are too many variables to give an accurate guess...the value of the home, how much contents coverage you need, how much your deductible is, location of the home, the construction of the home, etc.

I currently pay about $1300 for $180k of coverage in a home built in 2010 in League City (Inland zone 1)

[MikeEsq]

Great answers, thank you all.

[texas7]

I am positive those rates included my wind coverage and it was not twia. Several Companies use underwriters who will write all inclusive policies That are not TWIA. They are only allowed to write a certain percentage of policies that include wind. Once they have exceeded that percentage you must use TWIA if you want to go with that company. Whether or not that company will insure you does in fact depend on your proximity to the water. I was told by different companies that they cannot find underwriters willing to write policies for Nassau Bay. I live by two insurance people right now and both have said that whether or not they insure coastal homes is x miles from the water. I don't remember if it wa 1 mile or 2 miles and he said that distance is as the crow flies and not road miles. If you find a home you like, give your agent the address and they will be happy to run you a quote and give you your options. I am considering Galveston county but only because I can get a policy that is not TWIA.

[tstone]

In Clear Lake, Harris/Houston proper, 2200 sq ft, 8 miles from the water I've received quotes from $1,400 to $9,000/yr. Hail/windstorm all included. And that was from the small # of companies that will actually insure... the majority won't insure homes in this area. But there are a lot of companies that won't insure anything in the entire Houston area.

Look at your deductible, usually going to 2% all around will save a lot on the premium vs 1% or lower. Going to 3-5% usually doesn't save much.

[tipcar]

I have a home in North Myrtle Beach about 4 blocks off from the beach. I pay 1800 a year for Wind & Hail and for it to pay I also have to carry flood insurance even tho I am not in a flood zone. Which is an additional 572.00 a year. My homeowners which covers fire and something is an additional almost 700 a year. Living on the beach is not cheap. They make sure you pay big time for insurance. Even tho I pay 1800 a year my deductible is different. If it is a named storm my deductible is 10,000 if it isn't a named storm it is 5000.00... Now days the weather channel is naming every storm including the ones in the Winter. I am rushing to pay off my house so I don't have to carry the wind, hail and flood. I will take my chance. The house has been there since 1954 when it was built. The land alone is worth 140,000 by it's self. Insurance companies are making huge profits and not having to pay anything out until all large deductibles are paid and everyone pays that no matter who or what you are.

[Waytoodeep03]

Why one earth is windstorm so high in galveston county? It is more than my regular homeowners insurance and hoa fees combined.

[Texas Ag 93]

Originally Posted by Waytoodeep03

Why one earth is windstorm so high in galveston county? It is more than my regular homeowners insurance and hoa fees combined.

I presume that's where all the damage from a storm comes from- your roof being blown off and your windows all smashed to smithereens and all the damage that happens afterwards because of those breaches.

I just purchased a home on Clear Lake in the League City area (in the 100 year flood plain, but at a respectable elevation) and my total insurance is a bit over $8,000 a year. About $1,800 is HOI; $4,500 is the wind and hail and about $2,000 is flood (about $500 for the federal max, plus $1,500 for additional coverage I purchased). This is with a 4% deductible, which would be a major hit to the wallet, but it lowered the premiums by a few thousand, iirc.

My policy came after attempting to secure 3 quotes. My existing insurer (State Farm) said they would not even write policies out here. USAA was much more expensive. The third one was the one we went with.

Interestingly, I also got a quote for a home we were considering in Bay Oaks, which is Harris County, and it was significantly more expensive. The agent said Harris County near the coast is more than Galveston because more Galveston Co residents have adequate coverage (or coverage that is an unnecessary rip off, depending on your perspective).