How to reduce your homeowners insurance premiums
Residents watch as a wildfire moves down a hill at Runkle Canyon Park on May 19, 2026, in Simi Valley, California.
Kayla Bartkowski | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Homeowners insurance costs have risen sharply for many people around the U.S. in recent years.
Policyholders looking to reduce their premiums have some relatively straightforward options, according to insurance experts. Other maneuvers require a financial investment that could ultimately save money in the long run, they said.
Average insurance premiums jumped 24% between 2021 and 2024, to $3,303 per year, according to a report published last year by the Consumer Federation of America, a consumer advocacy group.
This is roughly the pace of U.S. inflation over that period, according to consumer price index data. The U.S. Treasury Department, in an analysis published last year, found average policy premiums outpaced the rate of inflation by 8.7% from 2018 to 2022.
Residents of some states pay much more than the average. For example, in Louisiana and Nebraska, average premiums exceed $500 per month, or more than $6,000 per year, according to a February report from Bankrate.
Premiums have increased sharply due to a host of factors, experts said, including inflation associated with repairing and rebuilding homes; climate change, which has increased the frequency and severity of storms and wildfires; reinsurance rates; and migration of homeowners to riskier areas.
Here are some ways homeowners can try to lower their premiums or keep them from rising as quickly, according to insurance experts.
1. Fortify your home
A damaged roof in North Port, Florida, on June 20, 2023.
Thomas Simonetti for The Washington Post via Getty Images
While homeowners can’t control the weather — or the frequency and severity of natural disasters — they have more control over how resistant their home is to hurricanes, wildfires and other events, said Peter Kochenburger, an insurance expert and a visiting professor of law at Southern University Law Center.
Hazard mitigation efforts can include adding storm shutters; fortifying a roof to protect against hail, wind or wildfires; and retrofitting a home to better withstand earthquakes, for example, experts said.
These improvements may help lower insurance premiums because they reduce the risk of damage to one’s home, experts said. For example, retrofitting a home to withstand hurricane-force winds saves property owners $6 for every $1 invested, on average, according to a 2019 study by the National Institute of Building Sciences.
“Unfortunately, all these things cost money,” said Amy Bach, co-founder and executive director of United Policyholders, a consumer advocacy group for insurance policyholders.
Roofing and vents with wildfire-resistant features typically cost more than $5,800, while the cost of retrofitting an existing roof to be wildfire-resistant can exceed $22,000, for example, according to a 2025 report from Laura…