Waco · Texas · How to shop
Shop the hail deductible and the rebuild limit, not a top-five list
There is no honest “best five” homeowners carriers for Waco. A carrier that writes one house in McLennan County can decline the house next door because the roof is older or the claims are different. Compare the same Coverage A, the same wind and hail deductible, and the same roof settlement, replacement cost or actual cash value. A lower premium that moved one of those is not a better policy.
Central Texas thunderstorms are why the deductible is the number to read first. A new roof can change whether a carrier will write the house and whether the roof is replacement cost or actual cash value. It is not a guaranteed percent off. Foundation movement from soil is often excluded or limited. Do not assume a hail policy pays a slab: foundation damage in Texas.
Flood is not a homeowners peril, including in Waco. More than half of the homes flooded in Harvey were outside a high-risk flood zone, which is why “I’m not on the coast” is not a coverage. Waco flood, separately: flood insurance in Waco. Why Texas water moves fast: flash flood alley.
How to shop the state: Texas homeowners shopping guide. Sizing the limit: how to determine Texas home insurance. The household contract: home and household insurance. Product page: Texas homeowners. Sale price versus rebuild: replacement cost versus market value and actual cash value. Levers that are real: lowering the premium.
