, you’ll want a homeowners policy that covers potential risks like fires, frozen pipes, snowstorms. Shop around for quotes to ensure you’re getting the right homeowners policy for your budget and needs.

Homeowners insurance

is crucial for protecting what is likely your largest investment—without the right policy, damage from fire, theft, and other perils can leave you with tens of thousands of dollars of losses (or more).

Buying a home is a huge undertaking, and buying insurance might feel like another task hanging over your head. Luckily,

home and car insurance broker

and comparison app

Jerry

made this helpful guide to teach you everything you need to know about homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania.

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What is homeowners insurance?

Homeowners insurance financially protects you from damage and losses to your house, property, and possessions. It will also help with personal liability for incidents that happen on your property.

In the United States, the average homeowners insurance policy costs $1,387 per year or $115 per month.

Basic components of homeowners insurance

Homeowners insurance policies are made up of the following coverages:

Coverage A (Structure): Covers you for damage to your actual house

Coverage B (Additional structures): Covers you for damage to any other structures on your property, including sheds, pools, and fences

Coverage C (Personal property): Covers you for damage or the loss of personal property. This includes furniture, jewelry, electronics, and more

Coverage D (Additional expenses): Covers you for expenses accrued if you are ever displaced from your home. This includes temporary housing, transportation, and more

Coverage E (Personal liability): Covers your legal costs if someone is harmed on your property.

There are two different policy types: one that covers you for the actual cash value (ACV) of your property and one that covers the replacement cost. The replacement cost is how much you’d spend to repair all damages, regardless of the home’s current value.

Homeowners are generally required to have a policy that covers at least 80% of replacement cost.

MORE: Home insurance terms you need to know

Named perils

Homeowners insurance protects your house from any named peril on the lease. These, in general, are damages that are unexpected and sudden. While not all policies cover the same perils, you can expect to be covered for:

Fire

Lightning

Wind

Hail

Hurricanes

Damage caused by vehicles

Theft

Vandalism

Riots

Falling objects

Explosions

Study your policy carefully before you sign—you want to know what perils you’re covered for!

Is homeowners insurance required in Pennsylvania?

Homeowners insurance is not required in Pennsylvania. However, many banks or lenders will require homeowner insurance if you want to get a loan.

How to get homeowners insurance

The best way to find homeowners insurance is to go comparison shopping to compare quotes from multiple insurers and find where you’ll get the best rate. If you’d like someone else to do the heavy lifting to find you a policy, you should download the

Jerry

app!

If you want to lower your homeowners insurance bill without doing anything, consider bundling your

home and auto

policies. Bundling is when you have multiple insurance policies from the same insurance provider, and providers offer discounts of up to 25% for bundling.

Recommended home insurance coverage in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania homeowners should ensure they are covered for fires, frozen pipes, snowstorms, sinkholes, and floods.

While most policies will cover fire, frozen pipes, and snow, you’ll need to get extra, specialty coverage to be protected from floods or sinkholes.

You’ll likely need to purchase flood insurance and sinkhole insurance separately. Reach out to your insurance agent to see if your main insurance company also offers these specialty coverages.

MORE: How to choose the right kind of home insurance for you

Why is homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania so expensive?

On average, a Pennsylvania homeowners policy costs about $1040 a year. That comes out to about $86 a month. However, the exact cost will be determined by your home, your personal demographics, and your zip code.

While this is lower than the national average, homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania is still a serious expense. Here are a few reasons prices in Pennsylvania are so high.

Extreme weather

Pennsylvania homeowners can experience damage from a number of extreme weather events. The most common extreme weather in Pennsylvania is severe storms and winter storms. The state can also suffer from tornados, landslides, and wildfires, all of which can do serious damage to homes.

These weather events raise the chance of an insurance claim. When the chance of a claim rises, so do insurance costs.

Old homes

Pennsylvania has one of the oldest median home ages in the United States. The median home age in Pennsylvania is 57 years old. Older houses are more susceptible to damage and these homeowners are more likely to make insurance claims. This in turn drives up the price of homeowners insurance.

Plus, structures over 50 years old usually qualify for higher insurance premiums.

Homeowners insurance discounts in Pennsylvania

If you want to lower your insurance costs, see if you qualify for any of these homeowners insurance discounts:

Discount	How to get it
Bundling	[Bundle home and auto to get up to 25% off your policies.
First-time homeowner	If this is your first home, you could qualify for a major discount.
Claims-free	If you can avoid making a claim for multiple years, you’ve likely earned an insurance discount
Storm proofing	Storm proofing your home will make a claim less likely and get you a discount.
Security system	Anti-theft security systems will lower the chance of a claim and earn you a discount.
Upgraded fire alarm	A fire alarm that directly contacts the fire department is worth an insurance discount.

How to save on home and auto insurance

Don’t spend more than you have to on your

homeowners insurance

policy—use insurance broker

Jerry

to find the coverage you want at a price you like.

Jerry is an app created to make insurance shopping simple and efficient. A quick sign-up process will give you access to a long list of homeowners insurance quotes to choose from. Just find the policy that fits your needs and you’re done! Plus, Jerry helps with all your paperwork.

Jerry can also find you

car insurance

and help you bundle both home and auto for ultimate savings.

“
Jerry
was a game changer! I found a cheaper homeowners insurance policy in just a couple minutes. I wish I’d known about Jerry earlier!” —Mary M.

Let Jerry find your price in only 45 seconds

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Is flood insurance required in Pennsylvania?

Flood insurance is not required in Pennsylvania. However, we recommend getting a flood insurance policy to protect your home. Flood damage can cause tens of thousands of dollars of damage!

What is the average cost of homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania?

The average cost of homeowners insurance in Pennsylvania is $1040 a year. This is lower than the national average.

Save an average of 18% by bundling your home and auto insurance

Bundle your home and auto insurance with Jerry and save!

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