Selecting the Right Home Insurance in Illinois
Home insurance in Illinois helps residents in “The Prairie State” protect their home and personal property. Your home in Illinois faces serious risks like fires, property damage and burglary. With Illinois
homeowners insurance, you can help stay protected if your property gets damaged by filing insurance claims to take care of the repairs.
What Exactly Does IL Home Insurance Cover?
It doesn’t matter if you live in Chicago, Aurora, Rockford or Springfield, IL home insurance can help protect your property wherever you are in the state. Your home insurance policy comes with standard coverages that help protect you against different risks, up to your policy limits. You can find the IL home insurance you need with insurance coverage typically found in a homeowners policy:
Dwelling coverage to help protect your home, and the structures attached to it, from property damage.
Other structures coverage to help protect buildings on your property that aren’t attached to your home.
Loss of use coverage to help pay for your living expenses if your house is unlivable due to damages from a covered loss.
Medical payments coverage to help cover someone else’s treatment expenses if they get hurt on your property. It also can help cover any injuries caused by a member of your household or pet, regardless of where it happens.2
ProtectorPLUS Zero Deductible Benefit coverage to waive up to $5,000 off your base policy deductible if your home sustains $27,500 or more in damages. Say a tree falls during a storm and lands on your roof. After you file a claim, your home insurance company determines there is $30,000 in damages. This benefit would waive your deductible.
Additional Coverage for IL Homeowners Insurance Policies
To help cover your unique needs, you can customize your IL homeowners insurance policy.
Some insurance coverage options you can add to your home policy are:
Additional Limits coverage to help cover your costs to rebuild your home if it’s a total loss at up to 125% of your policy limits. Depending on where you live, your policy can cover your costs if it’s a total loss up to 150% of your coverage limits. So, if a fire damages your home, this coverage can help cover costs for building materials and construction.
Water backup and sump pump overflow to help protect your property from backed up water or overflow from your sump pump. It’s important to know this coverage doesn’t cover damages from flood or surface water. So if a heavy rainstorm causes flooding damage, it won't cover your claim.
Valuable items blanket to increase coverage limits on your valuables like silverware and jewelry. This coverage increases the limit to $10,000 per item and extends coverage for lost or damaged valuables.
Reimbursement for replacing locks to help cover up to $500 to replace locks if your keys get lost or stolen, with a $100 deductible.
Identity fraud expense coverage to help you recover after fraud or identity theft by compensating you for out-of-pocket expenses up to certain limits (see your policy for limits).
Personal injury liability coverage to help cover damages from a slander or libel claim.
“New for Old” Protection to replace your destroyed belongings with new ones of the same quality. So, if a fire destroys your furniture, we’ll help provide the actual cost to replace them.
Disappearing Property Deductible,‡‡ which reduces your deductible by $50 for every three years you go without an insurance claim.
Equipment breakdown coverage to help cover mechanical or electrical breakdown of your appliances. For example, if your dishwasher’s electrical components breakdown, we can help cover your repair costs. Keep in mind 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.
Be aware your Illinois homeowners policy doesn’t cover certain natural disasters, like floods or earthquakes. Also your policy may have an additional deductible for wind or hail. And in a state where its capital is known as “The Windy City,” ensuring that you have the right coverage to protect against these risks is important. You can work with an insurance agent to find the best coverage to protect your home in Illinois.
How Much Does Home Insurance Cost in Illinois?
According to the Insurance Information Institute (III), the average home insurance cost in Illinois3 in 2018 was $1,103, lower than the national average of $1,249. Different factors, like your location, affect home insurance premiums. So, the total cost of homeowners insurance will vary.