Home Insurance and Car Insurance in California

Replacement cost policies, by contrast, will pay the full replacement value of your home’s rebuilding costs regardless of the coverage limit. As construction and labor costs increase throughout the state, failure to buy a policy with full replacement cost may result in you being unable to completely rebuild or have your claim totally covered.

Homeowners Insurance Coverage Options in

Most home insurance policies sold in California provide both property and liability coverage. The common types of home insurance coverage in most policies includes:

• Dwelling coverage: This type of coverage provides coverage to the structure of your home if it’s damaged by a covered (named) peril. This includes the walls, roof and windows.
• Other structures coverage: For detached garages, tool sheds and other types of structures on the property, your insurance policy will likely provide some degree of coverage. In many cases it’s limited to 10% of the dwelling coverage limit, but you can purchase more at an additional cost.
• Personal property coverage: This coverage offers protection for your home’s contents. Usually limited to 50% of the dwelling coverage or an established amount agreed upon by you and the insurance company, this coverage protects items such as appliances, furniture, clothing and other items.
• Loss of use/additional living expenses coverage: If a covered loss renders your home uninhabitable, this coverage will pay for lodging, food and other associated costs.
• Personal liability coverage: If you are held responsible for someone’s injury or property damage while they’re on your property, this type of coverage can provide a defense and pay for damages.
• Guest medical protection or payments coverage: If someone is injured on your property due to an accident, this type of coverage can help pay for their medical expenses. It does not apply to injuries or accidents to people who live in your household, and isn’t a substitute for health insurance.

Common Causes of Loss in

Some of the most common types of insurance claims its residents can encounter include:

• Fire and lightning: Wildfires and lightning storms that can cause fires are a major concern for California residents. For this reason, it’s important your dwelling coverage limits are high enough to help you rebuild after a total loss.
• Earthquakes: Because major fault lines run through California, homes and businesses in the state are very susceptible to earthquake damage. However, earthquakes aren’t covered by many standard home insurance policies. While earthquake insurance can be purchased separately through both the California Earthquake Authority or private insurers, it doesn’t impact your basic homeowners insurance rates.
• Theft: Purchasing additional personal property coverage can help you quickly replace any items that may be stolen from your home or vehicle.
• Windstorm damage: High winds can cause direct damage to homes in California, but they’re also a means for wildfires to spread.

Additional Coverage Options Recommended for Homeowners

The sheer volume of potential catastrophes that affect California homeowners make it essential to understand your insurance policy limits and exclusions. In addition to standard insurance protection for your home, many experts recommend buying additional coverage that includes:

• Flood insurance: No home insurance policy covers flooding as a matter of course, but you can purchase additional coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program and through private insurance companies.
• Fire Insurance: The increased prevalence of wildfires in California makes buying additional coverage for fire protection even more important. If you live in a part of the state where buying home insurance is made difficult due to increased risk, you can consider a separate policy exclusively for fire coverage.
• Scheduled personal property coverage: Many home insurance policies cover personal property, but there are some items whose value is either too high to insure fully or that may not be covered. Priceless artwork, antiques and other high-value items may be too expensive to be covered as part of your personal property policy. In these cases, scheduled property coverage can help. These items must be professionally appraised to be covered.

Our Home Insurance Partners in

SelectQuote partners with highly rated home insurance companies in California. We compare prices from several companies at once to help you save time and money when shopping for your home insurance coverage.

What is the average home insurance cost in ?

On average, SelectQuote customers across the state of California pay $111.95⁺ per month for coverage. Your rates will differ based on where you live, your credit rating and your policy limits.

Homeowners Insurance Discounts in

Home insurance discounts are available for a variety of reasons. You just need to know where to look! Common discounts that are offered in California include, but aren’t limited to:

• Customer loyalty discounts
• Discounts for filing few or no claims
• Home security system installation
• Bundling home and auto insurance coverage

Auto Insurance Laws and Requirements

California requires all drivers to show proof of insurance and financial responsibility in case they cause an injury or property damage. Without proof of liability insurance, you can be fined or face license suspension. The minimum legal requirements for auto insurance are as follows:

• Bodily injury liability insurance pays for medical bills or funeral costs for people that you injure in an auto accident where you are found to be at fault. Minimum legal limits for this coverage $15,000 per person and $30,000 per accident. The $30,000 is split between all people that you injure in the event of an accident.
• Property damage liability insurance pays for property damage that you cause as a result of an auto accident in which you are found to be at fault. California requires that you carry $5,000 for damage to other people’s property.

It is recommended that you buy higher limits for liability coverage, since many auto accidents end up costing more than the minimum coverage amounts. In addition to liability coverage, other types of auto insurance you may consider purchasing include:

• Uninsured motorist coverage (UMC) and underinsured motorist coverage (UIM) can help pay for expenses related to an accident where another driver is found at fault but either has no auto insurance or doesn’t have enough car insurance coverage to pay for damages.
• Medical payments coverage can pay for immediate medical care after an accident if you or your passengers are injured. This insurance works regardless of who is at fault.
• Collision coverage pays for damage to your car caused by physical collision with another vehicle or object, including trees, rocks, animals, guardrails or people.
• Comprehensive coverage pays for damages from something other than a collision, including fire, vandalism, windstorms, falling objects and even theft. It doesn’t cover mechanical breakdowns or normal wear and tear.
• Gap insurance pays the difference between the value of a leased or financed vehicle and what you owe on the car. Many auto lenders require gap insurance coverage for vehicles, which tend to lose 10% of their value in the first year.

All data on average expenditures is provided by the Insurance Information Institute.

Teen Driving Laws

California uses a graduated licensing system to help get teens used to the rules of the road and operations of a motor vehicle.³ Minors must prove that they have completed driver education and training courses and complete 50 hours of supervised practice.

Teen drivers are limited to driving between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 11:00 p.m. for the first year of their license period, except for school and school activities, medical emergencies, employment or religious services. They are also subject to passenger limits unless accompanied by a California licensed parent, guardian or another California licensed driver who is 25 years of age or older. As long as they meet certain requirements including a clean driving record, they can get an unrestricted license at age 18.

Car Registration Information

To register a vehicle in California, you must provide proof of ownership/transfer (title) and insurance.⁴ You may also be required to put the vehicle through smog certification and an emission system statement.

What is the average car insurance cost in ?

Among SelectQuote customers, the average cost of car insurance in California is $170.85⁺ per month. Car insurance rates in California will vary based on driving record, credit score, age and condition of vehicle and more.

Our Car Insurance Partners in

SelectQuote partners with some of the most trusted auto insurance companies in California to help you find affordable auto coverage that meets your needs. We shop from dozens of insurance companies at once in the time it would take you to get a quote from a single carrier, saving you time. We’re then able to present you with several unbiased insurance quotes and help you choose the policy that best meets your needs.