Iowa Home Insurance

It’s easy to shop for affordable home insurance in Iowa. Once you learn the basics about Iowa homeowners insurance, you’ll be able to easily compare prices and rates to find the policy which best fits your needs. After all, why spend more money than you have to on Iowa home insurance?

The Basics of Iowa Home Insurance

Home insurance offers protection from a wide variety of occurances, like fire or theft, but it also covers things like burst water pipes, wind or hail damage, even riots. Additional features include coverage if someone outside your family is injured on your property by something done by you, your family or pets, or by something that you own. Home insurance in Iowa doesn’t cover things like normal wear and tear or damage caused by negligence (like failure to repair a rotting porch).

There are no regulations in the state requiring home insurance, but virtually all mortgage companies require that an Iowa homeowners insurance policy be purchased if a mortgage is involved.

The first decision you need to make is the level of coverage you want to buy. Your choices include:

• Actual Cash Value - Replacement cost less depreciation
• Replacement Cost – Pays the full replacement cost for repairs up to the limit of the policy
• Guaranteed Replacement Cost – Pays the full replacement cost for repairs, regardless of the policy limit.

Actual Cash Value (ACV) is the lowest cost form of Iowa home insurance, while Guaranteed Replacement Cost is the most expensive. If you do choose an ACV policy, remember that you will have to make up the depreciation amount for your property. In the case of a large loss, this could be quite a substantial amount of money. Best advice is to compare the difference in cost between each type of policy to find the best deal for both your budget and risk tolerance.

Personal Property Protection

Things like furniture, clothing, appliances, etc, are covered within the personal property section of your homeowners policy. Insurance companies have a formula for calculating the amount of coverage available to replace those items. Frequently there are limits for specific items, such as computers, musical instruments or cameras; if this amount is insufficient to replace your special property, consider buying an endorsement which increases the coverage on named items. Usually these types of endorsements only cost a few dollars – much less than the cost of replacing expensive jewelry or antiques.

Iowa Flood Insurance

Coverage against flood damage is not part of your Iowa home insurance policy. It is only available through the Floodsmart.gov program. In light of all the flooding possible after spring rains, make sure to check the recommendations and cost of flood insurance so you can make a sound decision on whether to purchase this coverage.

Ways to Save on Iowa Home Insurance

There are several things you can do to save money on an Iowa homeowners insurance policy. Many will be easy to do, with really great results.

1. Combine Home and Auto Insurance Policies – by purchasing both your home and auto insurance policies from the same company, you can usually save 10-15% on both policies.
2. Increase your deductible – increasing the deductible on your policy from $250 to $500 or even $1000 will definitely lower the policy cost.
3. Ask about discounts – Discounts are available for smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, dead bolt locks, and even for having a fire hydrant near your property. Find out what discounts each company offers.
4. Don’t make frivolous claims – having a history of claims will result in higher insurance premiums. Your history will follow you, even if you move or change insurance companies.
5. Shop around – Iowa home insurance rates are not standardized. They are based on each company’s experience in each neighborhood, so the difference in premiums between various companies can be significant. Make sure to get multiple quotes.

For more ways to save on Iowa home insurance, visit our Insurance Shopping Tips page.

More information on Iowa Home Insurance

If you’re having a problem with your insurance company or have additional questions, contact the Iowa Insurance Division, 330 Maple Street, DesMoines, IA 50319, 877-955-1212.

Time to Shop for Iowa Home Insurance

Now that you know what type of insurance you need, and how to save money on your home insurance policy, the next step is shopping for the best prices and coverage. That part is easy too. Just enter your zip code in the box below and you’ll instantly be matched with some of the top Iowa home insurance companies offering policies in your area. There’s no reason to keep spending too much on home insurance.  Enter your zip code and start saving now!