Wisconsin Homeowners Insurance

Secure Your Home With WI Home Insurance

America’s Dairyland is an amazing place to call home. From Milwaukee and Madison to Green Bay and Kenosha, the state of Wisconsin has so much to see and do. And with so much to explore in the Badger State, protecting your home here should be one of your top priorities. With the right homeowners insurance, you can have peace of mind whether you’re home or away, knowing that your house and your valuables are covered.

At The Hartford, we make WI homeowners insurance easy. We’re here to help protect your home and personal possessions if they’re ever damaged or destroyed. We strive to help our customers get the coverage they need with homeowners insurance rates they can afford.

Most Common Wisconsin Home Insurance Claims

Living in Wisconsin means experiencing all four seasons – from sunny summers to snow-filled winters. Throughout the year, WI can suffer from severe storms. From tornadoes to extreme temperatures, the weather in Wisconsin can be hard on a home.² So, it’s best to make sure you’re always prepared for the unexpected.

Having a homeowners insurance policy can help protect your home from damage caused by weather disasters. However, flooding isn’t covered in a homeowners policy. For homeowners insurance, Wisconsin residents can add flood coverage to their policy for an extra layer of protection.

If a storm or natural disaster damages your home, we’ll make sure filing a claim is easy. We’ll review your coverage and help with any covered repair costs. Be sure to follow these steps to make sure you know what to do if your home gets damaged:³

Notify your insurance company as soon as you can after the loss has occurred. An insurance representative will decide the most appropriate way to assess and adjust any covered damage.

Identify building damage to your home and other structures on your property like your garage, shed or swimming pool. Your insurance representative will decide on resources to assess the damage and determine the best method of repair.

Make temporary, necessary repairs to protect your home from further damage. And be sure to keep your receipts so you can include them in your insurance claim.

Complete a claim form, which your insurance company will give you. After damages occur, you’ll want to inventory your personal property that was impacted. You can talk with your adjuster about the best way to document and submit your claim for these items.

Once your insurance adjuster has gathered all pertinent information to determine coverage and estimate your damage, a discussion will take place to advise you on the settlement.

Top Wisconsin Home Protection Tips

Whether you’re trying to prevent burglaries or protect your family from a fire, there are steps you can take to help protect your Wisconsin home, including:

Installing a smoke and heat detectors in or near all bedrooms.⁴
Keeping your house clear of trash, oily rags or other materials that can catch fire.⁵
Checking your appliances for any frayed wiring.⁶
Practicing home fire drills to be sure everyone understands what to do in an emergency.⁷
Keeping matches and lighters away from children.⁸
If you smoke, doing it outside and never in bed.⁹
Making sure all doors are locked and not letting newspapers or mail pile up if you’re away on vacation.¹⁰
Installing window decals in rooms where older family members or children sleep. You can get these from your insurance company or local fire department.¹¹

Evaluating Your Risks as a Wisconsin Homeowner

If your home is damaged, one thing that can help make the claims process smoother is a home inventory. You can use it to help decide how much coverage to get and figure out what needs repairing after a disaster.

To create your home inventory:¹²

List and describe every item of value in your house
Write down any serial numbers
Save receipts for your items
Keep detailed records of antiques, jewelry, major appliances and collector’s items
Take photos so you can see what each item looked like before damage
Regularly update your home inventory to account for new items

What WI Home Insurance Covers

Your WI home insurance provides various coverages to help protect your home.

Dwelling coverage helps protect your home and the structures directly attached to it, including electrical wiring and plumbing systems. Freezing temperatures can result in frozen pipes that may damage your plumbing. If that happens, dwelling coverage can help pay your repair costs.

Other structures coverage, which helps cover structures on your property that aren’t connected to your house, like your shed and fence.

Personal property coverage helps pay to repair or replace the possessions in your home if they’re stolen, damaged or destroyed by a covered event.

Liability coverage can help if someone sues you for causing an injury or property damage. So, if you’re cutting down a tree and it hits your neighbor’s car, your homeowners insurance policy can help cover their repair costs. Or in the case of an injury, it can help cover their medical payments.

Loss of use helps pay your living expenses if a covered loss prevents you from living in your home while it’s being repaired.

ProtectorPLUS Zero Deductible Benefit waives your homeowners base insurance deductible (up to $5,000) if there is more than $27,500 of damage from a qualifying loss.

Without WI homeowners insurance, you may have to pay out of pocket to make any repairs or replace destroyed items. And if someone files a liability claim against you, you’d be responsible for paying legal fees and court costs.

Additional WI Homeowners Insurance Options

For even more protection, you can add more coverage options to your WI homeowners insurance policy. The Hartford offers the following types of additional coverage:

Additional Limits coverage. This pays the full cost to rebuild your home up to 125% of your coverage limits if it’s a total loss. In Wisconsin, this coverage can provide up to 150% of your coverage limits.

“New for old” protection to replace destroyed personal property with new items of the same quality.

Personal injury liability coverage to help cover damages from a libel or slander claim.

Reimbursement for replacing locks helps cover up to $500 to replace locks if your keys get lost or stolen, with a $100 deductible.

Identity fraud expense coverage which helps compensate you for out-of-pocket expenses up to certain limits (see your policy for limits) if you’re a victim of fraud or identity theft.

Disappearing property deductible,^‡‡ which reduces your deductible each year if you go three consecutive years without filing a claim.

Homeowners equipment breakdown coverage to help with costs related to mechanical or electrical breakdown of appliances and electronics. However, this does not cover normal wear and tear. This benefit also provides coverage if you want to make “green” upgrades. It pays up to 125% of your cost to replace any covered equipment with items that are similar, but more energy efficient or environmentally friendly.

Average Cost for Homeowners Insurance in Wisconsin

According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), the average cost for homeowners insurance in 2018 for Wisconsin was $814, which was lower than the national average of $1,249.

Home insurance costs depend on several factors, so you may pay more or less than the national average home insurance cost. Your home insurance rates are determined by the type of home you have, its location and the coverage amounts you choose. For example, if you have a brick home, your homeowners insurance rate may be higher than a home built with wood.

Consider shopping around for the best homeowners insurance rate, because the cost can vary between insurance companies. Comparing different home insurance quotes can help you get the right coverage at the right price.

Determining the Right Amount of WI Home Insurance

Knowing how home insurance companies handle claims can help you decide which policy to buy. To choose the right amount of WI home insurance, you should know the difference between “replacement cost” and “actual cash value.”

Replacement cost is the amount it takes to replace or rebuild your home with similar materials. It’s a good idea to insure your home for 100% of its replacement cost so your policy can help cover all your rebuilding costs.

Actual cash value is how much an item is worth when it gets damaged or destroyed. This takes your replacement cost and subtracts a certain amount for depreciation. So, if your couch cost you $1,000 five years ago, its actual cash value today would be less.

Every homeowner has different coverage needs. At The Hartford, we’ve been helping homeowners across the country with their needs for years. Let us help you figure out how much coverage you need for your unique home. Contact an insurance agent or get a homeowners insurance quote today. You can also call 888-413-8970 to speak to one of our specialists.

² Milwaukee Health Department, “Natural Disasters and Extreme Weather”

³State of Wisconsin: Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, “Settling Property Insurance Claims”

^{4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11}State of Wisconsin: Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, “Consumer’s Guide to Homeowner’s Insurance”

¹²State of Wisconsin: Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, “Personal Property Home Inventory”