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Home Insurance and Car Insurance in West Virginia
Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or a high-risk driver who needs to find affordable auto coverage that meets the legal requirements, shopping for home insurance in West Virginia shouldn’t feel like a hassle.
When you want to switch insurance providers to find potential discounts or look at multiple options to find affordable coverage for a new purchase, contact SelectQuote. Our proprietary process compares rates from several different highly rated insurance carriers at once, allowing you to find maximum savings for the coverage you need—including bundled policies that save you even more!
Homeowners Insurance in
Like in most states, West Virginia homeowners are not legally required to purchase home insurance. That said, buying a home insurance policy is often a requirement to obtain a home loan from most banks. You should always purchase a home insurance policy to help protect your investment and your personal property.
Before you purchase insurance coverage, you should be aware of one major detail: most policies have coverage limits that fall under cash value or actual replacement cost. The former includes depreciation, or the reduced value of materials and personal property over time. Actual replacement cost policies will pay to replace or rebuild your home, regardless of an increase in material or labor costs.
Homeowners Insurance Coverage Options in
West Virginia homeowners have access to several different types of home insurance coverage, many of which are available as standard parts of any homeowners policy. These coverage types protect against several potential issues that could befall your home, and include the following:
- Dwelling coverage: This helps cover the cost to repair or rebuild the physical structure of your home if it’s damaged by a covered risk.
- Personal property coverage: This protects your belongings, such as furniture, clothing and electronics, if they’re stolen or damaged by a covered loss.
- Liability coverage: This can help pay for legal expenses if someone is injured on your property and you’re found legally responsible.
- Coverage for extra living costs (ALE): This type of coverage steps in to cover your extra living expenses if a catastrophe renders your home uninhabitable.
- Coverage for medical bills: Regardless of who is at fault, this coverage handles the medical costs if someone sustains an injury on your property.
- Protection for detached structures: This offers insurance protection for structures not connected to your main house, such as a detached garage or a shed.
- Coverage for uninhabitable conditions (loss of use): If a covered event makes your home uninhabitable, this coverage helps pay for your extra living expenses.
Common Causes of Loss in
In West Virginia, homeowners should be aware of the common causes of loss that can affect their properties. These include, but are not limited to:
- Water damage: This could occur from a variety of sources, such as heavy rainfall, plumbing issues or flooding. It’s important to note that while some water damage may be covered by standard homeowners insurance, flood damage typically requires a separate policy.
- Hail damage: Hailstorms can cause significant damage to roofs, siding and windows. Most standard policies cover hail damage, but it’s crucial to check the specifics of your plan.
- Wind damage: Winds, especially during severe storms or tornadoes, can cause extensive damage. This is generally covered under standard homeowners insurance policies.
- Theft/burglary: If your home is broken into and possessions are stolen, most homeowners insurance policies will cover the loss up to a certain amount.
- Fire damage: Fires can cause devastating damage to homes. A standard homeowners insurance policy typically covers fire damage, including the cost to repair or rebuild the home and replace personal belongings.
It’s worth noting that West Virginia has also been known to experience severe weather events, such as thunderstorms, which can lead to losses.
Additional Coverage Options Recommended for Homeowners
The basic homeowners policy isn’t the only type of insurance West Virginians should consider. Depending on where you live, you might want to look at purchasing additional coverage outside the bounds of traditional insurance. These other coverage types can include, but aren’t limited to:
- Coverage for sewer or drain backups: This common add-on is designed to cover damage to your home and belongings caused by water backing up in a sewer or drain line. Such incidents are more likely to occur in below-ground areas like basements or crawl spaces, but can happen from any drain line.
- Protection against wildfires: While most standard homeowners insurance policies automatically cover wildfire damage, those living in especially high-risk areas may need to consider a separate policy.
- Flood coverage: Despite the potential for severe damage, flood-related losses are typically not covered under standard home insurance policies. Given that large parts of West Virginia are susceptible to flooding, it might be wise to consider purchasing additional flood insurance.
Our Home Insurance Companies in
SelectQuote partners with highly rated home and auto insurance companies in West Virginia and other states to shop for coverage. We compare rates from several insurance companies at once to help you find the best deal on coverage that meets your needs.
What is the average home insurance cost in ?
The average monthly home insurance premium for West Virginia SelectQuote customers is $108.67+. That number can vary, however, based on many different factors. These include the age and value of your home, the part of town where you live, your home’s contents and even your credit score. Home insurance companies can also charge you more based on the number of claims you have filed, so it’s important to stay on top of maintenance to prevent issues.Homeowners Insurance Discounts in
West Virginians have plenty of options when it comes to finding home insurance discounts to lessen their coverage costs. Insurers offer discounts for several reasons, including—but not limited to:
- Being a new customer
- Buying a new home
- Having no previous claims
- Customer loyalty or becoming a new customer
- Installing security systems, deadbolts and other safety equipment
- Bundling your coverage
Bundle Your Home and Auto Insurance to Save Money
Bundling your home insurance with another policy, like your car insurance, is one of the best ways to save money on coverage. SelectQuote helps our customers bundle their home and auto insurance by comparing rates from several different carriers at once.
Average Home and Auto Insurance Rates in
The following table lists home and auto insurance rates paid by real SelectQuote customers in select cities throughout West Virginia. These rates can vary based on many factors, including your credit score, location, age of your home or vehicle and appraised value.
| City | Avg. Monthly Home Insurance Rate | Avg. Monthly Auto Insurance Rate | Avg. Monthly Rate of Bundled Policies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charleston | $113.99 | $112.95 | $208.37 |
| Fairmont | $89.57 | $118.70 | $193.38 |
| Inwood | $113.24 | $95.03 | $230.56 |
| Martinsburg | $97.77 | $226.99 | $408.26 |
Average monthly rates are from effective SelectQuote customer policies between 4/1/2022 and 3/31/2023.
Auto Insurance in
Unlike home insurance, auto insurance coverage is legally required in West Virginia. West Virginians have plenty of options for coverage, however, from the legally mandated minimums all the way up to full coverage that provides protection and reimbursement for almost any damage to their vehicle(s).
Auto Insurance Laws & Requirements
What kind of insurance coverage does West Virginia mandate for drivers? All West Virginians who own a vehicle must carry bodily injury and property damage liability insurance. They must also carry uninsured motorist liability coverage. For bodily injury and uninsured motorist insurance, the minimum legal limits are $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident. The minimum legal limit for property damage is $25,000 per accident.
Although these are the bare minimums allowed for coverage, they’re not the only types of auto insurance coverage available. Typically, a standard auto insurance policy will carry some or all of the following coverage options:
- Collision protection: This secures your vehicle against damage ensuing from a collision with another vehicle or object, irrespective of who is at fault.
- All-risk coverage: This offers protection for damages resulting from incidents other than collisions, such as theft, arson, defacement or natural calamities like hailstorms or flooding.
- Medical costs coverage: This aids in covering medical bills for you and your passengers, regardless of the fault factor in an accident.
- Underinsured driver coverage: This ensures protection if you find yourself in an accident with a driver whose insurance fails to fully cover the damages and injuries’ costs.
- Rental car compensation coverage: If your car is under repair due to a comprehensive or collision insurance claim, this coverage assists in paying for a rental vehicle.
- Towing and labor expenses coverage: Also referred to as roadside assistance, this coverage assists in covering expenses in case you require towing, tire replacement, lockout services or other forms of roadside help.
- Gap coverage: If your car is declared a total loss post an accident, gap insurance can assist in settling the balance of your loan or lease if it exceeds the current worth of your car.
| Types of Coverage | Minimum State Requires |
|---|---|
| Bodily Injury Liability | $30,000 limit per person/$60,000 limit per accident |
| Property Damage Liability | $25,000 limit |
| Uninsured Motorist | Not required |
| Underinsured Motorist | Not required |
| Personal Injury Protection | Not required |
| Collision | Not required |
| Comprehensive | Not required |
Youth Driving Laws
Like many other states, West Virginia’s teen drivers are subject to a graduated license system.
At age 15, teens in West Virginia can apply for an instruction permit. To do so, they must submit an application to the local Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office. When a person has an instructional permit, they must operate the vehicle only if there is a licensed driver of 21 years of age or over in the front seat at all times.
The GDL system in West Virginia has three levels. The first level, the instruction permit, requires the teen driver to complete 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours of night driving.
The second level, the intermediate license, imposes certain restrictions on teen drivers. For example, driving time is restricted to the hours between 5 a.m. and 10 p.m. Furthermore, there is a zero-tolerance policy for alcohol consumption for drivers under the age of 21.
The third level, the full-privilege license, can be obtained after 12 months of holding the intermediate license and reaching the age of 17, or until age 18, whichever occurs first. During this period, cell phone use while driving is strictly prohibited.
Car Registration Information
Registering your vehicle in West Virginia requires several key pieces of information, and you must adhere to certain guidelines. The following details must be presented, often in-person, at your local Department of Transportation DMV branch:
- Application for Certificate of Title
- Proof of ownership
- Proof of residency
- Valid driver’s license
- Vehicle documents, including the Statement of Origin and a purchase price invoice
- Proof of valid auto insurance
- Payment of fees
What is the average car insurance cost in ?
The average monthly premium for SelectQuote’s West Virginia auto insurance customers is $136.35+. This amount can vary, however, based on several factors, including:- Your driving history
- Deductible
- The make and model of your car
- Your vehicle’s mileage
- Where you live
- Your credit rating
Our Auto Insurance Companies in
SelectQuote’s partner auto insurance carriers are highly rated in West Virginia. We shop for coverage from several insurance companies at once to ensure we find the best deal that meets your coverage needs.
Home & Auto Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
The following are some of the most frequently asked questions we hear regarding home and auto insurance from our West Virginia customers.
How do I shop for home and auto insurance in West Virginia?
The best way to shop for your home or auto insurance policy is to first make a list of everything you need to cover with your policy. List your vehicles, their total mileage and what kind of coverage you need. For your home, you’ll want to account for the cost of replacing both your dwelling and personal property. For any high-ticket items like jewelry or antiques, you may want to have them appraised before you shop for coverage.
Once you know how much insurance you need, contact SelectQuote to let us compare prices from several different insurance companies at once. We’ll even look at bundled rates to make sure you can cover both your home and vehicle for one convenient price.
Do I need RV insurance in West Virginia?
Yes, you do need RV insurance in West Virginia. It’s a common misconception that auto or home insurance will adequately cover RVs, but they require specialized RV insurance. West Virginia law requires all registered vehicles, which include RVs, to be insured and proof of insurance must be carried in the vehicle at all times.
The type of insurance you’ll need can depend on how often and how you use your RV. For instance, if you use your RV more than 150 days per year, you must purchase Full-Timer Coverage. If you only plan to vacation once or twice a year, you may be able to get by with seasonal coverage. Regardless, any vehicle licensed for road use, including drivable RVs, has to have at least liability insurance coverage.
Remember, driving your RV uninsured can make you liable and non-compliant with West Virginia law.
Please note that these requirements can change, so it’s always a good idea to check the latest information from the WV Division of Motor Vehicles, or consult with an insurance professional.
Is home and auto insurance required in West Virginia?
West Virginia does not require you to purchase home insurance, but most mortgage lenders will make you buy it as a condition of your home loan. Auto insurance is required. West Virginia mandates that all drivers have both bodily injury and property damage liability insurance, as well as uninsured motorist liability coverage. The legal minimum for both bodily injury and uninsured motorist insurance is set at $25,000 per individual and $50,000 per incident. For property damage, the legal minimum requirement is $25,000 for each accident.
How do I find cheap motorcycle insurance in West Virginia?
Much like with regular auto insurance, the best way to find affordable motorcycle insurance is to compare several carriers at once. This can help you narrow down the right policy that fits both your budget and coverage needs.
SelectQuote Can Shop Home or Auto Insurance to Save You Time and Money
Whether you’re trying to switch insurance companies to find big savings or need to shop for your first insurance policy, SelectQuote can answer nearly any question you have about finding affordable insurance coverage. Our customers save hundreds of dollars by bundling their home and auto insurance. Let us take care of the hard work of comparing prices and policies to find the coverage you need.
+Average rates calculated are based on effective SelectQuote customer policies in West Virginia between 4/1/2022 and 3/31/2023. Rates will vary based on level of coverage, location, age, and additional determining factors.
