06/17/2026
Got a call from a homeowner last week who almost fell out of his chair when he opened his renewal. His premium jumped 31% and his agent could not even explain why.
Turns out his carrier had quietly increased his wind/hail deductible from $1,000 to 2% of dwelling coverage. On a $350K home that is a $7,000 deductible he did not know about. Plus they removed his water backup coverage entirely.
This is happening everywhere right now. Homeowner premiums are up about 24% over the last three years and a lot of carriers are not just raising rates, they are changing what is actually covered and hoping you do not notice.
Here is what I tell people to look for on their renewal: check if your deductibles changed (especially wind/hail in our area), see if any add-ons disappeared, and make sure your dwelling coverage still matches what it would actually cost to rebuild your home today, not what you paid for it.
If your renewal just came in and the number does not look right, happy to take a look. I do this all day. No cost, no obligation.