Ever hear songs by Louisianans Buckwheat Zydeco or Galactic or Lucinda Williams or Jelly Roll Morton? They all play music differently—it's their styles. But all their music has the basic element of rhythm. Shopping for Louisiana house insurance rates is similar. There's a basic insurance rhythm out there, coverage that all homeowners need to be adequately protected. Then there are the individual insurance scenarios that make each policy as different as Jelly Roll is to Lucinda. Finally, further distinction in styles is evident with the differences in rates each insurance company charges. Let's look at which style fits you, and how you can save the most.

Louisiana House Insurance Backbeat
The basic backbeat of an insurance policy sounds…oops, looks something like this with varying amounts of coverage for each section:

  • Coverage A- Damage to House
    This will pay to rebuild/repair your home in the event of a peril such as fire, tornado, etc. If you have a mortgage, your lien holder will probably want at least 80% of the home's value insured.
  • Coverage B- Other Structures
    This covers unattached property like sheds and garages and is typically 10% of your home's coverage amount.
  • Coverage C- Personal Property
    This repairs or replaces your personal belongings and coverage is usually 50% of your home's amount of coverage.
  • Coverage D- Additional Living Expenses
    This pays for alternate living arrangements should your home become unlivable because of a peril covered in Coverage A. It's usually about 20% of the home's coverage amount.
  • Coverage E- Comprehensive Personal Liability
    This protects you in the event someone is injured on your property. It typically covers law suits and damages and usually starts at $100,000 per accident.
  • Coverage F- Medical Expense
    Pays for medical expenses per person, per accident when someone is injured on your premises.

Special Program for Louisianans
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Louisiana legislature passed the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Code, part of which gives special storm mitigation incentives for homeowners including:

  1. Insurance rate discounts for retrofitting a home to reduce loss from windstorm or hurricane.
  2. Tax deductions for retrofitting an existing residential structure to bring it into compliance.
  3. Local sales tax exclusions when purchasing hurricane shutters.

Sample Louisiana House Insurance Rates
Let's look at a 2009 Louisiana Department of Insurance rate survey of the state's largest insurers. These Louisiana house insurance differences will open your eyes:

Scenario A- Brick construction, 25-year-old home with $75,000 Dwelling coverage; $37,500 Contents; with 2% hurricane deductible/$500 all other, paid in full premium; smoke detectors; dead-bolt locks.

Baton Rouge rates ranged from $447 to $1,186.
Shreveport rates ranged from $282 to $1,255.
New Orleans rates ranged from $544 to $2,291.

Scenario B- Brick construction, 5-year-old home with $150,000 Dwelling coverage; $75,000 Contents; with 2% hurricane deductible/$500 all other, paid in full premium; smoke detectors; dead-bolt locks.

Alexandria rates ranged from $484 to $2,497.
New Orleans rates ranged from $848 to $3,394.
Lake Charles rates ranged from $795 to $2,426.

Lowering Your Louisiana House Insurance Rates
There are two primary ways to save on your rates. The first is to ask an agent about any discounts you may be eligible for—discounts that could save you up to 50%. Here are a few:

  • Protective devices like dead-bolt locks, smoke detectors, fire extinguishers, automatic sprinklers, burglar/fire alarms, and new plumbing/wiring.
  • New house discounts. The newer the house the lower the risk.
  • Multi-line (house, auto, life)
  • Senior (55+)
  • Non-smoker
  • Paying in advance vs. making monthly or bi-monthly payments.
  • Payroll deducted payments.
  • Military

Finally, the biggest way to save on your rates Louisiana house insurance rates—drum roll……….comparison shop. You can see by the examples above that rates vary dramatically from one insurer to the next. So why not find the best rates with LocalInsurance. LocalInsurance searches agents from your area and gives you the opportunity to select the rate and policy that best fits your needs. It's free, easy and can be done in less than 30 minutes.

If you are interested in learning more about Louisiana home insurance, there are a number of resources that are offered by the state. Louisiana has a Department of Insurance which can help ensure that you have the appropriate coverage for your home and provide you with useful information when selecting a homeowners insurance policy.