Minnesota Home Insurance
Homeowners, condo, townhome and renters coverage in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina and Florida.
Your home is probably the biggest thing you own. City Insurance and Financial Services is an independent agency in Minnetonka: we compare policies from several insurance companies, explain the differences in plain language, and help you pick coverage that fits your home and your budget.
What Home Insurance Covers
A standard homeowners policy has four main parts: your house (the dwelling), other structures like detached garages, sheds and fences, your belongings, and your liability. Most policies also pay extra living expenses if a covered loss makes your home unlivable.
Your House and Belongings
The structure (roof, walls, floors, built-in fixtures, attached garage) and your furniture, clothes and electronics, at home or away from it.
Liability Coverage
If someone is hurt at your home, or you accidentally damage someone else's property, it helps pay their claim and your legal defense.
Living Expenses After a Loss
Pays for a hotel and meals if a covered loss makes your home unlivable while it's repaired.
Renters (HO-4)
Your belongings and liability when you don't own the building. See our renters insurance page, or read our renters insurance guide.
Condo & Townhome (HO-6)
The association's master policy covers the building; HO-6 covers your unit's interior, your belongings and your liability. A townhome is usually written like a condo when the association insures the building, and like a house when you insure the whole structure. Your HOA documents tell us which.
Homeowners (HO-3)
The usual policy for a single-family house you own and live in. Renting it out? You need a landlord (dwelling) policy instead: see DP1 vs DP3 vs HO-4 and our landlord insurance page.
Minnesota Homes: What to Check on Your Policy
Minnesota weather is hard on houses, and the gaps usually show up in a claim. Before you renew, check these:
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Frozen pipes and ice dams. Sudden water damage from a burst pipe is usually covered. Damage that builds up slowly, or happens while a home sits empty without heat, often isn't. If you leave for the winter, read your policy's vacancy and heat rules.
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Sewer and water backup. Most standard policies don't cover water that backs up through drains or from a failed sump pump. It's an add-on, and it's worth having in a Minnesota basement.
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Hail and wind. Some policies have a separate wind/hail deductible, sometimes a percentage of your home's insured value instead of a flat dollar amount. Some pay older roofs at depreciated value. Know which one you have before a storm.
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Replacement cost vs actual cash value. Replacement cost pays to rebuild or replace new; actual cash value takes off depreciation. The price difference is often smaller than the claim difference.
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Service lines. The water, sewer and power lines from the street to your house usually belong to you, and a standard policy usually excludes them. Service-line coverage is a low-cost add-on.
More in our Minnesota winter coverage review.
Home Insurance Outside Minnesota
City Insurance is licensed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina and Florida. The basics above apply in every state, but each one has its own concerns:
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Wisconsin: cold-weather risks like Minnesota's: frozen pipes, ice dams and sewer backup.
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Arkansas: tornadoes, hail and severe storms; check your wind/hail deductible.
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Texas, North Carolina and Florida: hurricane and windstorm deductibles on the coast, and in some coastal areas wind is insured separately through a state wind pool or association.
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Every state: flood is not covered by a standard home policy. Flood insurance is a separate policy, through the National Flood Insurance Program or a private insurer.
What Affects Your Premium
Insurance companies look at your home's age, size and construction, the roof's age and material, the distance to a fire station, your claims history, your deductible and the coverage limits you choose. Updates help: newer roofs, updated electrical, plumbing and heating, and monitored smoke, water-leak and security devices can earn credits with many insurers. See home safety upgrades that can lower your premium.
Bundling home and auto with the same insurance company usually earns a discount on both. We'll show you the bundled and unbundled prices side by side, so you can see if it's really cheaper.
Common Home Insurance Questions
Homeowners (HO-3) covers the whole house, your belongings and your liability. Condo (HO-6) covers your unit's interior, your belongings and your liability; the association's master policy covers the building and shared areas.
Yes, with a landlord (dwelling) policy, not a homeowners policy. It covers the building, your liability and, on many policies, lost rent after a covered loss.
Usually not on a standard policy. It's an add-on, and it's worth having if you have a basement or a sump pump.
It depends on your association. If the association insures the building, a townhome is usually written like a condo (HO-6). If you own and insure the whole structure, it's written like a house (HO-3).
Sudden damage from a burst pipe is usually covered. Slow leaks, and freezing in a home left empty without heat, often aren't. Check your policy's vacancy and heat rules if you'll be away.
No. Flood needs a separate flood policy, in every state.
Yes. City Insurance is licensed in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Texas, Arkansas, North Carolina and Florida.
Ready to Protect Your Home?
We don't work for one insurance company. We compare several, tell you what each policy actually covers, and stay with you at renewal and at claim time.
Related guides: Minnesota winter coverage review · Home safety upgrades · Renters insurance explained · Umbrella insurance for landlords
Or call us at (763) 582-1888