Connecticut Homeowner's Insurance

Standard Connecticut Homeowners Insurance Coverage

Understanding your home insurance policy means a lot more than knowing that the average cost of premiums in your state is $980. You need to know what the parts of the policy are referring to, and how to keep your premiums as low as possible. Your premiums will probably be either lower or higher than the average, depending on the steps you take to keep the costs in line with what you are paying for.

Dwelling
The dwelling is the actual home and any additional structures that are either built into or permanently attached to the home. A separate greenhouse would not be part of the dwelling, but a bedroom suite built into side of the house would be. If the construction or the home would be structurally affected by the other being removed, then it is considered as part of the dwelling.
Other Structures
Everything that is not built into the home is listed as an "other structure." A greenhouse would be listed under this category of the coverage, along with a guest cottage, pump house, or the stone fence running around the edge of the property. Other structures can be located anywhere on the same plot of real estate, regardless of how far from the dwelling it located.
Personal Property
If you own it and it is kept on the insured property, it is part of your personal property. A weight set is personal property, but so is an antique chess set, and the able it is kept on. Your appliances, stereo equipment, furniture, and wardrobe are all part of your personal property, along with the linens in your closet and the rugs on your floor. This portion of the policy will usually cover only a limited value of personal property, but you can increase the limit or purchase rider policies to include any additional property you own.
Loss of Use
If you have to spend money out of pocket because of something you are not able to do at home and the reason is because of an insured peril, save your receipts and document the costs. The "loss of use" portion of your home insurance policy includes reimbursement for out of pocket expenses, regardless of whether or not the damage is full or partial. For instance, if you stay in a hotel because a winter storm caused a tree to blow over and damaged your roof, you could claim the room costs along with your food expenses as a loss of use on the property.

Average Connecticut Homeowner Insurance Rates vs. US

Source: USCB

Cheaper Connecticut Home Insurance

You may think that getting cheaper insurance means giving up the coverage you need, but that is not the case. Insurance companies offer discounts for many different reasons, including increasing the security of your home, being financially responsible and minimizing the risks from you and your home.

Home Security
Home security begins at the perimeter of your property, and you can start saving money there as well by installing a fence to keep out unwanted visitors. At the home, deadbolt locks are more secure than regular key locks and will result in further savings. And if you have a monitored security system installed inside, you can save even more, not to mention the peace of mind you'll have knowing that your home is fully secured.
Reduce Insurance Risks
Keep your risks at a minimum. That means taking care of your health and doing things like quitting smoking and watching how much alcohol you consume. Statistics show that smoking greatly increases the chance of a house fire, and people under the influence of alcohol may do things that they would never attempt while sober. Reducing your consumption of these two things also decreases the risks of insuring you.
Credit Score and Insurance Risk
Your credit score may not appear to be tied to your home insurance, but it is. Insurance companies use your credit score to determine the risk of insuring you from the financial standpoint, with credit scores over 650 regarded as low-risk customers. By making sure your credit score is up to date and does not contains any errors, you are helping yourself get lower home insurance premiums.

Home Characteristics Affecting Connecticut Insurance Rates

If your home is built on low ground, it will cost more to insure than a home built on top of the hill. Similarly, buying a home in a neighborhood that is having problems with crime can lead to higher premiums for the same reason: because the risk of something going wrong is factors regarding your home that will affect your rates include the materials your house is built from and the actual square footage of the dwelling. Most extras on the home won't greatly increase your premiums, but a pool is one definite exception. If your home has a pool, put a security fence around it to reduce the risk of accidental drowning and your insurance company will give you a discount for taking extra precautions.

Defending Your Home Against Crime & Vandalism

In Connecticut, the crime rate is 4.24 per 1000 people, which is considerably lower than the 5.17 crimes per thousand that serves as the national average. Even so, taking steps such as installing a security system or having deadbolts installed in your entry doors can save you money. It may cost you a little out of pocket to get the installations done, but the insurance savings will go on for many years afterwards.

Local Natural Disasters Connecticut Homeowners Should Consider Protecting Against

As hurricane Irene made obvious in 2011, Connecticut is not immune to severe weather, even tropical storms. As a homeowner you need to be aware of the dangers your home faces. Many of the most common perils your house will face are covered under a standard homeowners policy, but same problems can only be protected against by purchasing special insurance riders or even completely separate policies.

Earthquakes
Ranked at 43 out of 51, Connecticut is one of the least likely places for an earthquake. You probably will not need to purchase any special earthquake insurance, but make sure that your property has enough insurance to pay for damages resulting from any type of severe weather, even the winter storms that are common in a northern climate.
Flood
Connecticut residents filed 927 claims in 2009, while the nation as a whole filed 46,621 flood claims. Connecticut is among the most flood-prone states in the nation, so make sure that your policy either includes flood insurance or that you have a special flood policy in place. In places such as Connecticut where flooding is common, coverage is sometimes hard to find through conventional insurance companies, but the government requires all home insurance companies to participate in a special flood coverage program that makes flood insurance available to even the most risky of homes, at a higher rate.
Hail
Hail storms are relatively common in Connecticut, and the damage they cause is usually covered by a standard home insurance policy. Since most of the damage will be related to wind or water damage, there is no special "hail insurance" policy necessary. You do need to make sure that your coverage limits match your property values, because not having enough insurance is almost as bad as not having any at all.
Hurricanes
Hurricanes sometimes strike land as far north as Connecticut, and are capable of leaving behind large swathes of destruction. The damages most often caused by hurricanes come from wind damage and flooding. Wind damage is part of a standard homeowners insurance policy, but flooding will always have to be purchased as a separate policy, mostly because regular insurance companies cannot afford the risk of providing flood insurance.
Tornadoes
With only 3 tornadoes expected in an average year, Connecticut is near the bottom of the list of tornado-affected states. Just because they are rare, though, does not mean you are immune from being hit by one. The good news is that tornadoes are typically a wind storm and covered under the wind damage clause of your policy. Aside from high winds, the major form of damage is from flooding, which is covered under a flood policy that must be purchased separately.
Wildfires
Around 74,749 wildfires affect our country each year, destroying thousands of acres of forest lands and hundreds or even thousands of homes. Fire damage is part of a standard homeowners policy, but it is still important to make sure that your individual coverage is up to the task of protecting your entire property.