Unsurprisingly, California has some of the highest homeowners insurance rates in the United States. The doom-and-gloom mentality that the state is eventually going to crack off at the Nevada border and sink into the Pacific Ocean may not be true, but nonetheless earthquakes and other natural disasters do play a role there. It also doesn’t help that it has hundreds and hundreds of miles of coastline. The average cost for California homeowners insurance rates is about $700-$750, about 35 percent more expensive than neighboring states Nevada and Arizona, and almost twice as expensive as Washington State. However, California is a very diverse state, with much more than just Hollywood and major cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles. Insuring a home in one of the many rural parts of the state can be much cheaper than insuring a home along the coast.

Finding Affordable California Homeowners Insurance Rates

The first thing you need to do when you move to California is start looking for companies that offer homeowners insurance. Thankfully, the cost of homeowners insurance isn’t nearly as expensive as the cost of other types of insurance, such as long term disability or health. There are also a wide variety of companies that offer insurance, so the market can be pretty competitive. The good thing about competition is that it often drives down costs, resulting in cheaper premiums for the customer. If the California homeowners insurance rates that you find are more expensive than what you’d like, then you may have to consider buying a cheaper home. (You’ll also want to make sure you can afford your mortgage and property taxes, since real estate is expensive in California.) If you do finally find a quote you like, research the company, check its credentials, and then buy the policy when you know the company has a solid track record.

Reducing Your California Homeowners Insurance Rates

Once you have the policy, you still might be able to reduce costs a little. Buying some sort of alarm system or protection could reduce your premium a little every month. It may not be enough to cover the monthly costs of having the security system in place, but it will help make your house safer. Also, try to bundle your policies together – in other words, get your car insurance and homeowners insurance through the same insurance company. Many companies give discounts to customers who purchase more than one policy from them. Also, ask your agent about fire safety discounts. You may be able to get a small discount if you have a fire extinguisher. Find out whether your community, city or county have a volunteer fire squad or if it has a paid fire squad. Having a good local fire department can help reduce your homeowners insurance costs. It may not reduce costs much, but sometimes every little bit counts.

If the California Homeowners Insurance Rates Go Up

Try to keep your house in as safe condition as possible. Join a neighborhood crime watch group. If your subdivision doesn’t have a neighborhood crime watch, maybe you can organize it, thereby helping your neighbors and yourself. However, there are times in which you will be doing everything right and your insurance rate still goes up. Just because your insurance company is the cheapest place in town today doesn’t mean it will be in five years. If your insurance rate gradually creeps up, call your insurance agent and find out what you can do to keep it from going up. If the company can’t do anything to reduce the price, consider switching. Again, make sure that the company has good credentials and that you don’t have a period of time in which you don’t have homeowners insurance. But the good news is that you don’t have to wonder about what the California homeowners insurance rates should be. Go to the top of the page and enter your zip code to receive a free homeowners insurance rate today.