Best homeowners insurance companies in Georgia for 2024

Compare the best homeowners insurance companies in Georgia

According to average rates provided by Quadrant Information Services, along with third-party scores issued in the 2023 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study and financial strength ratings from AM Best, Bankrate’s insurance editorial team narrowed down Auto-Owners, Chubb, Allstate, State Farm and Country Financial as the best homeowners insurance companies in Georgia.

To find the best company for your needs, you'll want to compare quotes from several insurers for your chosen coverage types. When comparing companies, it may help to narrow down your priorities. These may include low rates, good customer service, unique discounts or a specific endorsement.

The top 5 home insurance companies in Georgia

Additional Georgia home insurance companies to consider

Travelers

USAA

Cheapest home insurance companies in Georgia

For many policyholders, cost is the driving factor when deciding on home insurance. Depending on the age of your home, square footage, prior loss history and many other factors, your premium may be more or less than the average Georgia premium. Comparing rates, coverage types and discounts may help you secure the best policy with the lowest price. Below are the cheapest home insurance companies in Georgia, according to Bankrate’s analysis of average rate data from Quadrant Information Services.

How to get cheap Georgia home insurance

Finding the best homeowners insurance in Georgia is an important step in financially protecting your home, which could be your most significant investment during your lifetime. Whether it's your first Georgia homeowners insurance policy or your 10th, finding the coverage that fits your needs as well as your budget can be challenging. However, following the steps below might keep you on track:

• Evaluate your needs: Knowing how much coverage you need can help ensure you have adequate financial protection while preventing you from overinsuring or purchasing higher coverage limits than you need. Consulting with a licensed insurance agent could help you tailor a coverage package that makes the most sense for you and your home.
• Compare quotes: Every company has its own unique underwriting guidelines and places different weights on various rating factors. Comparing quotes from multiple companies in Georgia will help you narrow down the ones that are the most competitive. When shopping around, you want to be sure that you’re requesting the same (or similar) coverage limits and options from carrier to carrier.
• Take advantage of discounts: When requesting home insurance quotes in Georgia, it's a good idea to make sure that you’re taking advantage of every discount you may be eligible for. This is especially important when completing online quotes, as some applications may make you manually select certain discounts to apply them.
• Maintain your property: Although some of Georgia is inland, much of the state is susceptible to wind and hurricane damage. Because newer roofs are less likely to be damaged in a severe storm, home insurance companies may offer lower rates to those with new roofs. Some companies even provide roof-specific discounts.
• Raise your deductible: While not ideal, raising your deductible can help lower your homeowners insurance premium. If you go this route, many insurance professionals would advise you to select an amount you would feel comfortable paying out of pocket in an emergency. The focus of insurance is to lower your financial risk. If you choose a deductible that would cause you hardship, then that may defeat the purpose.

Best home insurance discounts in Georgia

Georgia homeowners insurance tends to be cheaper than the national average, but taking advantage of discounts could help you save even more. Discounts may vary from company to company, but when you’re requesting quotes, you may want to keep an eye out for some of the more common homeowners insurance discounts, including:

How to save on home insurance policy renewals in Georgia

Once you have a home insurance policy, there are several ways to actively mitigate your risk as a homeowner that may also help you lower or stabilize your home insurance premium.

• Maintain your roof: New roofs may qualify your home insurance policy for a discount, but as it ages, the discount depreciates. Insurance companies can non-renew policyholders whose roofs are in rough shape even if no claim was made. Keeping up with annual roof inspections and cleaning out gutters can prevent a small problem from becoming bigger and keep your home in insurable condition.
• Install wind and flood mitigation measures: Georgia experiences more than its fair share of high winds, and flood risks are increasing in coastal areas like Savannah. Investing in hurricane shutters, roof clips and maintaining the ground around your home to prevent flooding may help you earn wind mitigation discounts and protect your home when a weather event occurs.
• Make environmentally sound choices: Several insurance companies are starting to offer green discounts to homeowners who make energy-efficient updates to their homes. You will want to check with your insurance agent before committing to an expensive update, but you might be simultaneously helping your budget and the earth.
• Maintain good credit: Georgia insurers are allowed to use your credit-based insurance score as a rating factor for home insurance at the time a new policy is issued. However, if you make home improvements, your credit could be rerun when your agent adjusts your policy.

How much is home insurance in Georgia?

On average, Georgia homeowners pay $2,071 annually for homeowners insurance with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. This is slightly lower than the national annual average cost of homeowners insurance, which is $2,304 per year. Home insurance premiums vary from state to state, including in the Southeast. For example, at an average cost of $5,527, Florida homeowners pay more per year for the same level of coverage. Alabama and Tennessee are also more expensive than Georgia, with average rates of $2,745 and $2,312, respectively.

Georgia homeowners insurance rates by city

Even within the same state, home insurance costs vary by city. Proximity to fire stations, crime rates, cost of labor and more all impact your premium. Below are the most expensive and least expensive Georgia cities in terms of average home insurance rates.

*Rates are for $300,000 in dwelling coverage.

What does home insurance cover in Georgia?

The most common type of home insurance policy is an HO-3. It is written on an open perils basis for dwelling and other structures coverage and a named perils basis for your personal property. This simply means that your dwelling and other structures are covered from all perils except for what is excluded from the policy. In contrast, your personal property is only covered from the perils named in your policy contract. Understanding what perils your home insurance policy covers allows you to search for potential insurance gaps.

• Wind and hail: HO-3 policies cover wind, hail and falling objects. States prone to high wind may have windstorm coverage excluded, and homeowners must purchase an endorsement or standalone policy to acquire the coverage. Depending on your location in Georgia, you may have a separate windstorm deductible for named tropical cyclones that is percentage-based and separate from the standard homeowners insurance deductible.
• Fire and lightning: Losses due to fire accounted for almost 22 percent of home claims in 2022 and are standard coverage in home policies.
• Water damage and freezing: While flooding is excluded from home insurance, water damage from sudden plumbing issues like a frozen pipe bursting or appliance overflows is usually covered. Whether water damage is covered or not depends on your policy endorsements, provider and the source of the damage.
• Theft and vandalism: While theft and vandalism aren’t naturally occurring perils, the hazard of theft and vandalism increases in more populated areas, impacting home insurance rates. Coverage for both is standard, and installing home security may earn you a discount on your premium.

Additional home insurance coverage types in Georgia

Hurricane damage is one of the most significant risks in the Peach State. In 1994, Tropical Storm Alberto dumped over 25 inches of rain in less than 24 hours on parts of the state, displacing more than 50,000 people. More recently, parts of Georgia experienced up to eight inches of rain as Hurricane Idalia made landfall in August 2023.

In addition to standard homeowners insurance coverage types like dwelling coverage, liability, personal property and loss of use, you may want to consider additional coverage to protect yourself against Georgia’s common causes of loss:

• Flood insurance: Many areas of Georgia are at risk of flood damage, with the average National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) claim payout at $52,000 per claim. Because flooding from storm surges is not covered by home insurance, you may want to consider purchasing a flood policy in conjunction with your homeowners policy. Additionally, you will likely be required to purchase a separate flood insurance policy if your home is deemed risky by the NFIP or a private flood insurer. Some home insurers offer endorsements for flood coverage.
• Windstorm coverage: Georgia’s coastal position comes with the risk of hurricane damage, which can be widespread and devastating. Most policies cover wind damage automatically, but if you are in a high-risk area, you may need a separate policy or endorsement. Even if your homeowners insurance policy does cover wind damage, you may have a separate wind deductible for named tropical cyclones.
• Roof replacement cost: Although Georgia is not in Tornado Alley, it is prone to significant tornadic activity. And while most tornado damage comes from high winds, hail is also common with these convective storms. If your roof is newer or in good condition, you may qualify for roof replacement cost coverage. If your roof is damaged, you could get the full replacement cost for repairs or a new roof rather than seeing depreciation taken out of your settlement.

Because Georgia has a relatively high risk for storm-related damage, working with a licensed insurance agent to choose endorsements could be beneficial.

Frequently asked questions

Additional profiles:

• Coverage A, Dwelling: $150,000, $350,000, $450,000
• Coverage B, Other Structures: $15,000, $35,000, $45,000
• Coverage C, Personal Property: $75,000, $175,000, $225,000
• Coverage D, Loss of Use: $30,000, $70,000, $90,000
• Coverage E, Liability: $500,000
• Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000

Bankrate Scores 

Our Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.

Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlighting where they fall short.