Cheap Winnipeg Home Insurance Quotes

Home insurance in Winnipeg 

Unlike car insurance, you’re not legally required to buy insurance for your house.

Nevertheless, most homeowners get it since mortgage lenders won’t provide a loan without proof of coverage.

Home insurance provides financial and emotional benefits even without the arm-twisting from banks.

If a covered peril causes damage to your home, you won’t be out of pocket to rebuild, which is great for your finances and peace of mind.

Another unsung benefit of home insurance is the liability coverage it provides. You will be covered if someone is injured on your property or if you cause damage to another person’s property.

Need more convincing? Here's a whammy. Homeowners in the Prairies are used to harsh weather. Still, climate change is producing more extreme storms, and the Western provinces are getting the brunt of it.

Insurance losses caused by severe weather routinely pass the $2 billion mark annually. In comparison, in the decade before 2008, insurers only averaged $456 million in losses, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC).

Simply put, it’s more important than ever to have home insurance. Here’s the type of coverage that's included in standard insurance, plus the coverage you can add to your base policy at extra cost.

Types of home insurance in Winnipeg 

A standard Winnipeg home insurance policy usually has two parts: property and liability coverage. Here's a breakdown of each one.

Home insurance coverage

• Property and building: Covers the structures on your property. Protected incidents include fire theft and water damage, among others. Garages and guest houses may require additional insurance. The amount you receive from your insurance company is based on the replacement cost, not the market value of your home.
  
• Contents and personal property: Protects furniture, clothing, and other effects against damage, theft, or vandalism. The policy limit on a standard insurance policy is usually low and can't adequately cover high-value items like jewelry or fine art. Consider additional coverage for these items. Compiling an inventory of your possessions is also a must. Knowing what you own will help you select the right amount of insurance and will ensure you retrieve any losses should you ever need to file a claim.
  
• Additional living expenses (ALE): Covers temporary housing costs if an insurable event displaces you. For example, water damage forces you to check into a hotel. In that case, ALE will cover the cost of your room and food up to a certain amount.

Liability coverage 

• Personal liability: Safeguards your liability if someone is accidentally injured on your property.
  
  The default on most home insurance plans for personal liability is $100,000, but it is recommended that homeowners have coverage for as high as $1,000,000. Depending on your policy this can go as high as $5,000,000.
  
• Voluntary medical payments: Pays for medical expenses for up to a year if someone is accidentally injured on your property. Without it, you’ll be on the hook to pay for their care.
  
  Insurers in Winnipeg offer coverage for Voluntary Medical Payments that typically range between $5,000 and $10,000, and there is no deductible.
  
• Voluntary property damage: Coverage for when you unintentionally, or any minors in your care, cause damage to someone's property.
  
  Most insurance companies in Winnipeg set their limits for Voluntary Property Damage at $1,000. However, this will vary according to insurer and policy, and often goes as high as $6,000.

Add-ons to Winnipeg home insurance coverage  

Sometimes standard coverage needs to be broadened to meet your needs. Not a problem; purchasing additional protection for your home and contents is easy.

• Overland water: Covers property damage from overflowing water from streams, rivers, lakes, and thawing snow.
• Sewer back-up: Protects your home when a main sewer backs up in your home and causes damage.
• Earthquake: Covers losses or damage caused by an earthquake.
• Mass evacuation: If the government issues an evacuation order, this add-on pays for some of the expenses you incur.
• Identity theft: Covers the cost of replacing important identification, your passport, for example.
• Lock replacement: Pays to replace your home’s locks if your keys are lost or stolen.

What is not included in a typical Winnipeg home insurance policy? 

Even the most comprehensive home insurance policy won’t protect you from some perils. These are known as ‘exclusions’ in insurance-speak. Here are some standard exclusions:

• Absence from the home: Any damage that takes place while you’re away from home for an extended period (usually 30 days or more) won’t be covered.
  
• Alterations: Always inform your insurance company before you make any significant changes to your home. Suppose you don’t clear it with insurance first, and a customarily insured peril occurs during construction. In that case, you won’t be covered for it. That said, you don’t have to give a heads-up for common repairs like painting or fixing a broken railing. Your insurance company might require you to hire a licensed and adequately insured contractor, reducing the chances of shoddy, unfinished work and the possibility of a claim being filed.  
  
• Bylaw enforcement: If you violate a bylaw and suffer a financial loss, your policy won’t recoup your costs. You can buy protection against this as an add-on.
  
• Damage from renters: Your personal home insurance policy won't cover damage caused by tenants. For this, you need landlord insurance, a different insurance product.
  
• Earthquake: Standard home insurance policies exclude damage from earthquakes, but you can buy earthquake protection at extra cost.
  
• Existing damage: You’re unlikely to be covered for damage that existed before you bought the policy.
  
• Flooding: Most policies exclude flood protection, but you can purchase it as an endorsement.
  
• Volatile substances: You won’t be covered if a fire breaks out and you keep volatile or combustible substances on your property.

One peril for which no coverage is available is for homes built on a known flood plain. In tthishe scenario, you may not be able to get home insurance at all.

Factors that determine your Winnipeg home insurance rates  

Understanding your home's unique risk factors is crucial to understanding how home insurance pricing works. The more risk your home presents, the more likely you will file a claim, resulting in higher premiums.

Here are the variables that have the most significant impact on the cost of your home insurance policy:

• Flood risk: Insurance costs more for homes located beside waterways or within known flood plains.
• Disrepair: Home insurance only protects you against unexpected damage. Deferring any projects essential to keeping your home in good repair is a bad idea. Any claims against your policy may be denied.
• Replacement cost: Home insurance compensates you for the cost to repair or rebuild your home, not its current market value. The more premium the materials you use, the more expensive your coverage will be.
• Property location: If you live in a neighbourhood prone to break-ins, you might pay more for insurance.
• Basement: A basement could increase your premium, as all basements are susceptible to flooding.
• Electric wiring: Houses with outdated knob-and-tube wiring are at greater risk for fire, making them more expensive to insure.
• House age: Older homes have more problems; therefore, owners pay more to insure them.
• High-risk household appliances: Wood-burning stoves and oil-based heaters can reduce energy costs but also increase fire risk.
• Roof: Replacing a roof can easily run into the five digits. The materials will also affect your insurance premium.
• Pets: You need to disclose whether you have a pet to your insurance company, as some are considered a liability. Some insurers even refuse coverage to people with pit bulls or rottweilers.
• Smoking: An unattended cigarette is a major fire hazard, so home insurance providers offer discounts to non-smokers.
• Pools: Pools, especially in households with young children, are a liability. Home insurance companies charge more for homes with pools.