How to use the home insurance calculator 

You’ll need to have the following information on hand to use our home insurance cost calculator: 

• ZIP code: Insurers use your ZIP code to determine your town's natural disaster history and your home’s proximity to a fire or police station. 
• Credit: In all states except California, Maryland and Massachusetts, an insurer can use your credit history when setting your rate. If you’re not sure what your credit score is, you may want to select “Good” or “Fair.”
• Dwelling coverage limit: This is roughly what it would cost to completely rebuild your home. The dwelling limit is one of the most important parts of your policy, as the coverage you have for other structures on your property and for your personal belongings is set based on a percentage of your dwelling limit.  
• Construction year: Check all paperwork from your home sale to find your home’s construction year. You don’t need to know the exact year to use the calculator. If you enter all of the information above, you’ll get a rough estimate of what your policy could cost you. But, if you want a more specific estimate, you can also enter these in our calculator:
• Deductible: This is the amount of damage you agree to cover out of pocket in the event of a claim. The insurer covers the rest, up to your policy limits. Higher deductibles ($5,000) usually result in lower premiums, while lower deductibles ($1,000) yield higher premiums.
• Claim history: If you’ve filed a home insurance claim before, or the property you own has a long claims history, you may face higher rates. 

How much should I pay for home insurance each month? 

Your home insurance costs probably won’t line up exactly with the national average — but why? Home insurance costs vary based on the specifics of the home and factors unique to the policyholder. When calculating premiums, insurance companies take into account several things, including but not limited to: