Pennsylvania homeowners need to be prepared for tornadoes, blizzards and floods -- including floods from hurricanes that make it inland.
A standard homeowners insurance policy in Pennsylvania covers many problems, such as fires, explosions, vandalism, theft, and wind, including tornadoes. When winter hits, home insurance also generally covers damage from the weight of snow and ice.
But a big gap in homeowners insurance is that usually doesn’t cover flooding. Consider flood insurance, which covers floods from hurricanes, heavy rain and overflowing rivers and streams.
What does Pennsylvania homeowners insurance cover?
A standard Pennsylvania homeowners policy covers six main areas:
- Your dwelling: For a house that’s damaged or destroyed.
- Other structures on your property: For a garage, shed, fence or other buildings and structures that aren’t attached to your house.
- Your personal property: For belongings that are damaged, stolen or destroyed, such as furniture, rugs, curtains, clothes, toys and TVs.
- Loss of use coverage: Also called additional living expenses coverage, this pays extra costs if your home is uninhabitable due to a problem covered under the policy, such as a fire.
- Personal liability: This coverage pays out if you’re legally responsible for someone else’s injury or property damage.
- Medical payments to others: This coverage is often in small amounts, such as $1,000, and pays in case people are hurt on your property or even away from it.
How much is home insurance in Pennsylvania?
The average Pennsylvania homeowners insurance premium is $927 a year for a typical policy, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. That’s less than the nationwide average of $1,192 a year.
20 largest Pennsylvania homeowners insurance companies
| Rank in Pennsylvania | Company | Market share % in the state |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | State Farm | 17.73 |
| 2 | Erie Insurance | 15.54 |
| 3 | Allstate Corp. | 13.33 |
| 4 | Liberty Mutual | 8.33 |
| 5 | Nationwide | 7.7 |
| 6 | Travelers | 6.47 |
| 7 | USAA | 4.17 |
| 8 | Chubb | 3.09 |
| 9 | Farmers Insurance | 2.79 |
| 10 | Donegal | 2 |
| 11 | Philadelphia Contributionship | 1.52 |
| 12 | American Family Insurance | 1.42 |
| 13 | Penn National Insurance | 1.22 |
| 14 | The Hartford | 1.06 |
| 15 | Westfield Insurance | 1.01 |
| 16 | MetLife | 1.01 |
| 17 | CSAA Insurance Exchange | 0.77 |
| 18 | Goodville & German Mutual Group | 0.63 |
| 19 | Amica | 0.47 |
| 20 | Mutual Benefit | 0.46 |
| Source: S&P Global Market Intelligence, based on homeowners multiple peril insurance market share in 2018. | ||
What if I can’t find a company to sell me home insurance?
If you’ve been turned down for home insurance you may be able to buy insurance through the Pennsylvania Fair Plan. The Fair Plan provides basic coverage and any licensed Pennsylvania property/casualty insurance agent can help you buy a policy through the Fair Plan.