Texas Homeowners Insurance Coverage

Texas doesn’t require homeowners to carry insurance. But if you have a mortgage, your lender is probably going to require it, according to the Texas Department of Insurance.

Even if you’re not required to have coverage, consider what you’d have to pay out of pocket without it. Home insurance can help pay for damage to your home and belongings from things like storms and fire. It can also help with certain costs if you’re responsible for someone else’s injury or property damage.

When you may need coverage beyond a standard homeowners policy in Texas

A standard homeowners policy doesn’t cover every scenario. Flood damage typically isn’t covered, and if you live in one of the 14 counties along the Gulf Coast, wind and hail damage may not be covered. Separate insurance may help you fill the gap. Standard home insurance also doesn’t cover other types of property, like a condo or a home you rent out, because different structures or ownership situations call for their own kind of coverage.

Coverage for risks typically not included in standard home insurance in Texas

• Flood insurance — A separate flood insurance policy through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) can help cover flood damage to your home and belongings.
• Wind and hail insurance — In Texas’s 14 coastal counties, standard home insurance policies may exclude wind and hail damage. Coverage may be available instead through the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), according to the Texas Department of Insurance.
• Earthquake insurance — Depending on availability, coverage may be offered through an endorsement or a separate policy.
• Personal liability umbrella insurance — If you want more liability coverage than your home or auto policy provides, an umbrella policy can provide additional coverage above the limits of those policies.

Different property, different insurance

Besides homeowners insurance, Farmers offers coverage for many types of properties and ownership.

• Landlord insurance — For homes and other properties you own and rent to others; coverage can help with certain property damage and landlord liability.
• Vacant home insurance — For homes left vacant for an extended period, including some homes undergoing renovation or waiting to be sold.
• Condo insurance — Can help cover your belongings, the parts of your unit that are your responsibility and personal liability.
• Mobile and manufactured home insurance — Coverage designed around the insurance needs of factory-built homes.

Learn more about all of Farmers property insurance options.

Farmers Flex Personal Home coverage in Texas

Standard coverage isn’t always the end of the conversation. For Texas homeowners who’ve watched a hailstorm strip a roof in minutes, the FORTIFIED Roof™ Upgrade is worth a closer look. An older plumbing system or a basement with a sump pump may give you reasons to add other types of coverage. Farmers Flex Personal Home starts with the basics and lets you add more based on your home, your budget and what you want covered. Options include:

• Extended Replacement Cost can pay up to 25% above your dwelling limit if rebuilding costs run higher than expected.
• Guaranteed Replacement Cost covers the full cost to repair your home, even if it exceeds your policy limit.
• FORTIFIED Roof™ Upgrade can help rebuild your roof to enhanced storm-resistant standards.
• Water Backup and Sump Overflow can cover damage from water backing up through drains and sump pumps.
• eBikes and Golf Carts cover vehicles otherwise excluded because they’re motorized.
• Home Sharing covers part or all of your home if you’re renting it out through home sharing.
• Valuable Items can cover specific possessions like jewelry, firearms or silverware.
• Cyber and Identity Shield can cover many forms of identity theft and cyberattacks.
• Emergency Mortgage Assistance can help cover up to three months of mortgage payments if you can’t live in your home.

Here’s the part worth checking before you choose: These options aren’t available with every policy, and availability and eligibility may depend on where you live and other requirements. Talk to a Farmers agent in Texas to find out which options are available to you, exactly how they may cover you and what they would add to your coverage and cost.

The average premium for home insurance coverage in Texas is $2,864 per year, according to 2023 data (the most recent available) from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). That’s well above what homeowners nationwide paid — an average of $1,737 per year for coverage, the NAIC report shows. Keep in mind that insurance premiums in most states have changed since then. Texas’s higher-than-average cost tracks with its risk profile: frequent hail and wind events, hurricanes and wildfire risk affect insurance rates. The amount you pay also depends on things like the age and value of your home, how much personal property you want to cover and what deductible you choose. Impact-resistant roofing, storm shutters and other protective measures are just a few things that may help lower your cost.