What Connecticut homeowners should know about insurance, costs and coverage

With Connecticut ranking among the more expensive housing markets in the country on a price-per-square-foot basis, it follows that homeowners face a hefty insurance bill each year to guard against the unexpected.

While storm-prone states like Florida are notoriously costly, where you own a home in Connecticut — especially along the coast — can still mean paying a premium for peace of mind long after the mortgage is gone.

There are ways to ease some of that burden. Homeowners can weigh whether to secure coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program administered by FEMA or opt for private insurers, and consider how adjusting deductible amounts might lower premiums, even if it means paying more out of pocket before coverage kicks in.

George Bradner, director of property and casualty for the Connecticut Insurance Department, outlines what to keep in mind when choosing a policy.

Premiums rise and fall — what should you focus on no matter the market?

You want to understand the risk. If you're looking for something down on the shoreline where you have a greater risk of hurricane exposure, you have to expect that you're going to be paying for that.

Flooding risk would be another one, and the dwelling’s condition, and the roof. You need to be asking those questions of your (real estate agent), of the homeowner — has the property ever flooded before? They're required to disclose that, and whether it's in a flood zone.

Where should you shop for homeowners insurance?

You've got your independent agency system, and you can usually find an agent in the town that you're going to live in. … Independent agents might represent six companies or 12 companies — it depends on the size of the agency, so be sure to check with more than one agent and understand what homeowner insurer companies each has in their agency.

You may want to look at your direct writers like State Farm and Allstate, and then Geico and Progressive have companies that write homeowner insurance.

You've got a lot of websites that you can go to for quotes, and if you give them all the right information, it should be an accurate quote. Sometimes a website will prefill information — you should always check that to make sure it's accurate and up to date.

It always makes sense to ask the company what kind of savings do I get if I bundle both my auto and my home insurance policies. Also, ask what other credits the company may offer for alarm systems, water sensors, fortified roof, etc.

What about flood insurance?

Not all agents write flood insurance, so sometimes they might have to refer you to someone who does. Your agent and bank should discuss the importance of flood insurance. Flood insurance will cover storm surge, riverine flooding, and fluvial flooding — like what we've seen in western Connecticut, where we get massive amounts of rain and suddenly small streams turn into the Amazon River. Up to 40% of flood claims occur outside the FEMA-designated flood zones — know your risk.

If you're in a flood zone, your mortgage company is going to require flood insurance. A lot of times, people don't find that out until they go to the mortgage company.

Flood insurance will cover up to $250,000 for the dwelling, and contents are separate (up to $250,000); or you can just purchase dwelling coverage. There's no additional living expense included. This means if you can’t live in your home as a result of flood damage, you will be responsible for the costs of staying at an alternate location and be responsible for paying your mortgage on your existing home.

How should you think about deductibles when choosing a policy?

Make sure you're talking apples for apples — maybe you're getting a lower premium from one insurer, but they've included a higher deductible. Shop around and understand what deductibles are being offered on the property.

You need to be thinking about what you can afford in a worst-case scenario. If you want a $10,000 deductible and there is a $20,000 loss, can you afford it? Do you have that $10,000? If it's a percentage deductible, you have to understand how it works.

How about renter’s insurance?

Too few people have it, and they should also consider flood insurance if they're in a flood zone area. It's a huge, uninsured population when they're hit with a loss — they lose all their contents, and they have no coverage because they didn't think they needed it. There’s a fire, and they lose all their personal belongings.

What can you do if your claim is denied or a policy isn’t renewed?

If you have a claim and you disagree with the company's decision not to cover it, or they're limiting what they're going to cover, the best thing to do is file a complaint on our consumer affairs website.

People need to know that that's what we're here for, at the end of the day — consumer protection and insurer solvency, because we have to make sure the companies are solvent to pay out claims. And if they're not paying your claim, we need to know why, and we will investigate. If it's coverage that you should be afforded, we will make sure that the company is held accountable.

If you get non-renewed for any reason, and you're not sure why, we will be more than happy to investigate it.

Have a question about buying, renting or living in Connecticut? Email ctliving@hearst.com.

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