Homeowners Insurance in New Jersey
Quote in 60 SecondsBoardwalk. Baltic Ave. St. James Place. States Ave. These are all streets in the classic game Monopoly, yes, but they’re also real streets in Atlantic City, New Jersey (though you’ll need more than $22 to buy up property on Ventnor Ave). So once you’ve signed the dotted line on your dream home, whether it's in Monopoly City or not, you’ll need New Jersey home insurance in order to protect it.
Unlike the plastic homes you place on the board with each purchase, your actual home is much more susceptible to wear and tear over time. From the sun's beating rays to high-powered wind and rain, there’s a lot your home will be exposed to over the years. To keep your home and its contents in mint condition, you’ll need the right protection. Consider our guide below your instruction manual so that you can learn how to "pass go" and collect home insurance.
How much does home insurance cost in NJ?
Home insurance in NJ costs an average of $1,340 per year — the same price you’d pay for 335 Pork Rolls, a New Jersey delicacy. Though if you’re from North Jersey, you may be more familiar with their other name, Taylor Ham Rolls. Either way, they’re still delicious.
What factors influence my home insurance rate?
But once you’ve finished chowing down on your Taylor Ham Rolls, you might notice that your actual home insurance premium is a bit different than the state average. That’s normal, as your rate is dependent on a lot of factors such as your home’s size, age and current condition. Your home’s location matters too, so be prepared to pay a bit more if you live near the coast vs. inland.
Is home insurance required in NJ?
The state of New Jersey doesn’t require homeowners to get home insurance, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Home insurance is always a good idea, and if you mortgaged your home, your lender would likely require it.
New Jersey Home Insurance Premiums
What does homeowners insurance in New Jersey cover?
Homeowners insurance in New Jersey will cover your home’s structure, contents, liability and even any additional structures on your property from damage due to a covered peril. And though New Jersey holds many great records (the longest boardwalk, first baseball game and the first drive-in movie theater, to name a few), it also has the record for the eighth-worst hurricane in U.S. history, when Hurricane Sandy made its landfall in 2012.
This means that getting home insurance, and especially adding on riders like hurricane insurance, is a must in a place like NJ. Other riders you may want to consider are catastrophe and windstorm insurance. If you’re looking to protect specific valuables, riders like jewelry insurance and scheduled personal property are the way to go.
New Jersey Insurance Coverage Options
Traditional coverage
Structure
Expenses
Protection
Structures
Possessions
Supplemental coverage
How to lower your home insurance premium
Given that New Jersey has the most densely populated area of shopping malls in the world, it's safe to say New Jerseyans know a thing or two about saving money while they shop. But shaving off a few bucks on your home insurance premium requires a bit more elbow grease than just cutting coupons.
Keeping up with home maintenance will make your home run smoother, helping to reduce the number of claims you have to make in the first place. Updating the older parts of your home can help as well, such as your roof, windows and HVAC system.
Finally, you should always shop around for new quotes every few years. Even if you don’t end up changing home insurance providers, it’s a good idea to know how much of a risk you are in the eyes of other providers.
Plus, some companies will offer generous discounts or other perks when you become their customer that are worth considering (we offer a smart home kit to new customers, for one).
New Jersey home insurance resources
Did you know that cheerleading got its start at Princeton University in New Jersey? Though it may have been started to help cheer on their football team, the idea of supporting each other has seeped into every part of life in the Garden State.
This includes supporting homeowners to help them learn more about home insurance and getting the protection they need. There are plenty of resources for homeowners to cheer about, from the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance to the FAIR and NFIP programs.
National Flood Insurance Program
Flooding, whether due to hurricanes, severe thunderstorms or water backups, is always a pain. It’s predicted that flooding will cost the average New Jersey homeowner around $4,400 a year, a figure that will continue to rise due to climate change. Because of this, the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) has never been more important. NFIP is a government-run program that outsources flood coverage to individual providers, to ensure all homeowners are financially protected in the event of a flood.
FAIR by NJIUA
If you have trouble getting your home insured, don’t panic. The New Jersey Insurance Underwriting Association runs the Fair Access to Insurance Requirements program (FAIR), offering easily accessible coverage to those who can’t get it anywhere else. However, it’s worth noting that the coverage will be minimal so it’s best to consider FAIR a last resort.
From your belongings in your bedroom to the fence surrounding your garden, home insurance in the Garden State protects everything you love. For a modern take on home insurance, meaning extra protection for tech, turn to Hippo.
