Kent Homeowners Insurance
Local independent insurance agents can help you find the best policy to cover your house and property.
Jeff Green has held a variety of sales and management roles at life insurance companies, Wall street firms, and distribution organizations over his 40-year career. He was previously Finra 7,24,66 registered and held life insurance licenses in multiple states. He is a graduate of Stony Brook University.
Located within the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area, the city of Kent is home to more than 90,000 people. Whether you own a house in the West Hill, East Hill, or Valley section of this Washington city, a solid homeowners insurance policy can protect your finances if your house is damaged or destroyed by a catastrophic event.
Independent agents in Kent can help you find a comprehensive, yet competitively priced, home insurance policy. Find an insurance agent near you to get more information and to start reviewing customized quotes.
How Much Does Homeowners Insurance Cost in Kent, WA?
The average cost of homeowners insurance in Washington, and in Kent specifically, is lower than the national average. To get an idea of how much a policy will cost you, let’s look at some averages.
- National average yearly premium: $1,211
- Washington average yearly premium: $854
- Kent, WA, average yearly premium: $902
Of course, your quoted costs are likely to vary from the figures listed above because home insurance rates are based on several factors such as the following.
- The age, size, and value, of your house
- The type of home you are covering (e.g. single-family detached, condo, townhouse, manufactured home, vacation home, tiny home, rental property, etc.)
- The number of stories your house has and whether it has a basement
- The amount of coverage you are purchasing
- The crime rate and common weather hazards in your ZIP code
- Your claims history and credit score
- The size of your deductible
If you bundle your home insurance with other policies like car insurance or business insurance, you can frequently get all your coverage at discounted rates. An independent agent in Kent can help you find a great home insurance policy at a competitive price.
Kent Homeowners Insurance Covers Your Property
Homeowners insurance is designed to cover loss or damage to the structure of your home (dwelling coverage) as well as to the personal property you keep inside it (contents coverage).
You will want to be sure that your coverage limits are high enough to allow you to rebuild, repair, or replace damaged property if your home is significantly damaged by a catastrophic event like a windstorm or a fire.
Catastrophic events in Washington
- Number of federally declared disasters in Washington: 177
- Most common causes of disasters in the state: Wildfires, floods, and severe storms
- Average number of tornadoes per year in Washington: 3.0
- Amount paid out in home insurance claims in WA in 2019: $814 million
- 1 in 15 insured homes has a claim each year
Some of the damaging events that residents of Kent are likely to experience that can result in property damage include fires, severe storms, strong winds, hail, heavy snows, and freezing temperatures. Fortunately, each of these hazards is covered by most home insurance policies.
What Are Some Hazards that Kent Homeowners Insurance Does Not Cover?
Be aware that although home insurance covers against most common weather-related hazards, it does not cover damage caused by floods, landslides, mudslides, or earthquakes, and each of these hazards presents a risk for property owners in Kent.
Residents in FEMA-designated floodplains are most at risk for flood damage, but floods can occur just about anywhere, especially when severe storms bring prolonged, heavy rains. Fortunately, a local independent insurance agent can help you purchase a supplemental flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) so that your property is covered against this risk.
In addition to flooding, heavy rains can cause landslides and mudslides throughout the Kent area. This risk is also covered by flood insurance.
Finally, the risk of earthquake activity in the Kent area is 151% greater than the national average. For instance, in 1965 a magnitude 6.6 quake occurred less than seven miles from the Kent city center. This earthquake caused approximately $28 million worth of damage.
To be covered against earthquake damage to your home and property, you will need to supplement your homeowners policy with earthquake insurance.
A local independent insurance agent will be aware of your risk of sustaining flood, landslide, and earthquake damage and can make sure that you have appropriate policies in place to suitably cover your property.
Homeowners in Kent Need Liability Insurance
Homeowners insurance does more than just cover your house and personal property. It can also provide you with a significant amount of personal liability coverage.
Homeowners liability insurance is designed to absorb expenses like court costs, legal fees, and damage if you or someone in your household is unintentionally responsible for injuries, property damage, or financial losses to others. Examples of times that you may need to use this liability insurance include the following.
- A visitor to your home suffers a serious injury that can be attributed to negligence on your part.
- You are responsible for injuries or property damage to another while you away from home, such as during a friendly game of basketball at West Fenwick Park.
- Your dog gets out of your house and bites a delivery person.
- Your child accidentally breaks your neighbor’s window while playing ball with friends in the backyard.
- Somebody accuses you of libel or slander.
Most insurance companies offer between $100,000 and $300,000 in liability insurance. If you want to have even more coverage than your home insurance company provides, a local independent agent can help you secure an affordable umbrella insurance policy as well.
Homeowners Insurance Covers against Property Crimes in Kent
The burglary rate in Washington is higher than the national average. And in Kent, the rate is even higher. Residents of this city report about 900 burglaries a year.
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in the US: 3.76
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in Washington: 5.34
- Number of burglaries per 1,000 homes in Kent: 6.58
It can be very stressful to be the victim of a property crime. However, if your house is broken into, you may find it comforting to know that your homeowners insurance can provide compensation for your losses as well as for any property damage the burglar may have caused.
Be sure to contact the authorities as soon as you are aware that a burglary has taken place. You will need to have a copy of the police report when you file a claim with your homeowners insurance company.
Your local insurance agent can help you review your policy’s contents coverage to ensure that your most valuable belongings are appropriately covered.
Why Work with an Independent Insurance Agent in Kent, WA?
Independent insurance agents live and work in your community, so they understand the risks you face as a homeowner in Kent. These agents work for you instead of for a specific insurance company. This means that you can count on them for trustworthy advice and guidance when you are shopping for the best and most affordable insurance products.
Contact an insurance agent with an office near you to learn more. You will soon discover how easy it can be to compare customized, competitively priced home insurance quotes from a variety of the area’s top-rated insurance companies.
https://www.city-data.com/city/Kent-Washington.html
https://www.fema.gov/flood-insurance
http://www.naic.org/prod_serv/AUT-PB-14.pdf
https://www.census.gov
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-homeowners-and-renters-insurance