Claire Smith Last Updated On: February 13, 2024

Read This Before Shopping for Homeowners Insurance in Nebraska

No matter where you call home in the Cornhusker State, you can find great home insurance coverage, from Omaha to Scottsbluff and everywhere in between. Whether you’re looking to switch providers or are purchasing your first home (congratulations!), you’ll want to keep reading to find out everything you should know about home insurance coverage, from cost to policy types, and more.

After all, great coverage at an affordable rate means more money back in your pocket for weekend trips to Flatwater Lake or visiting the Lied Jungle, and who can say no to that? 

Let’s dive into how to find the best homeowners insurance in Nebraska.

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Table of Contents

Nebraska Weather and How It Impacts Home Insurance

If you live in Nebraska, you know that most of the state falls within Tornado Alley. This refers to a corridor in the U.S. that is particularly prone to tornadoes. This means that home insurance is critical, because a tornado can cause all kinds of unwanted damage, from torn roofs to broken windows and more.

But that’s not all. Nebraska also experiences heavy rains, thunderstorms, and flooding. Flooding is typically excluded from home insurance, so it may be worthwhile to purchase separate flooding insurance, depending on where you live.

And of course, tornados and flooding can wreak damage like nothing else, so be sure that your coverage limits are enough to properly repair your home and replace your belongings if needed, so that you can get back to normal as soon as possible should something happen.

Next, we’ll explore the home insurance coverage types available to you in the Cornhusker State.

Options for Homeowners Insurance in Nebraska

Many people are surprised to learn that you have options when it comes to your home insurance coverage. Home insurance typically includes the following three buckets of coverage, but you can add to these as needed. Standard home insurance coverage includes:
  • Dwelling: This covers the structure of your home, including roof, walls, foundation, and more. It also typically includes other structures on your property, like a garage or shed.
    • Typical Coverage: The cost to replace your home, depending on local building materials/labor. 
  • Personal Liability: This protects you legally and financially if you’re responsible for someone’s injuries on your property or damage to their property. 
    • Typical Coverage: $100,000-$500,000.
  • Personal Property: Your belongings are also covered from damage, including your furniture, electronics, clothing, jewelry, and more.
    • Typical Coverage: 50-70% of your dwelling coverage, or more if you have pricey items like antiques, art, expensive jewelry, etc. More details here
  • Loss of Use: Also known as additional living expenses, this covers your lodging, food and transportation if you’re unable to live in your home while it’s being repaired from damage. 
    • Typical Coverage: 20% of dwelling coverage.
  • Medical Payments: This helps cover the costs of someone’s medical bills if they’re injured on your property.
    • Typical Coverage: up to $5,000.
These buckets of coverage typically have standard coverage amounts, but you can pay more to increase them. You can also add riders, or endorsements, to your home insurance coverage to bridge the gap for any missing coverage you want. These riders can include:
  • Scheduled Personal Property: This covers certain pricier items you might have, like antiques or furs. It usually covers them up to their appraised value, but it also covers them for situations like being lost. 
  • Flood Insurance: Flooding is usually excluded from home insurance coverage, so in areas that are prone to flooding, it makes sense to add this coverage to your home insurance policy. 
  • Identity Theft Restoration: This is a newer but increasingly popular rider that can help you recover the costs from identity theft, such as legal fees, lost wages, or mailing costs. 
  • Water Backup: This helps cover the cost of damages related to water backing up from a drain or sump pump.
When it comes to your home insurance coverage, you can customize it to your unique needs. But what does home insurance include or exclude in Nebraska? More on that next.

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What Does Nebraska Home Insurance Cover?

Some people mistakenly assume their home is covered for anything that happens to it, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. Your home insurance policy will work on a named peril or open peril basis:

  • Named perils: This means that only damages caused by perils listed are covered.
  • Open perils: This means you’re covered for any perils except for those specifically excluded in your policy. 

An open peril policy offers you more coverage, but can be more expensive as a result. The good news is that a standard home insurance policy is fairly comprehensive in its coverage. Named perils typically include:

  • Fire or lightning
  • Smoke
  • Wind or hail
  • Explosions
  • Weight of ice, snow or sleet
  • Theft
  • Vandalism
  • Falling objects
  • Riots
  • Power surge
  • Damage from aircraft or vehicles
  • Water overflow or freezing from plumbing, air conditioning and appliances
  • Sudden tearing, cracking or bulging of a hot water system or air conditioning

Knowing what you’re covered for is important, but what you’re not covered for is just as important. Excluded perils typically include:

  • Flooding
  • Earthquakes, sinkholes, and landslides
  • Pests, vermin 
  • Mold
  • Wear and tear
  • Drain and sewer backups
  • Nuclear hazard

You can purchase separate flooding or earthquake insurance if you live in an area prone to them. Note that it’s important to keep up general maintenance on your home, as neglect could be a reason for an insurance provider to deny your claim.

For example, if your roof caves in after a snow storm but they determine the root cause was that your roof badly needed replacing, your claim could be denied and you would be left to foot the bill for repairs.

The Average Cost of Homeowners Insurance in Nebraska

Great coverage is key for home insurance, but cost is an important factor. The good news is that home insurance can be more affordable than you might think, and there are always ways to find savings.

To give you an idea, the average cost for $250,000 in dwelling coverage racks up to $2,951 a year in Nebraska. If this sounds high, it’s because it is: it’s more than double the national average for home insurance. 

This could be in part due to the high frequency of tornadoes, extreme winter weather, and wildfires in the state. Your costs will depend on a number of factors, like your home’s size, age, location, and more, so you may end up paying less than the state’s average. 

Luckily, there are tried-and-true ways to save on home insurance in Nebraska. Keep reading for those and more. 

In the meantime, go ahead and get access to free quotes here and find out how much you can expect to pay for home insurance in Nebraska.

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How to Find Cheap Homeowners Insurance in Nebraska

Homeowners insurance is critical, especially in a state like Nebraska that faces wildly fluctuating weather that can wreak havoc on a home. But not having a choice about having home insurance doesn’t mean you have no control over costs. Here are some of the ways you can save on your home insurance costs:

  • Find Discounts: It’s easy to forget about possible discounts, but they can seriously add up. Most insurers offer some form of discounts, so there should be at least one or two that you can qualify for (if not more). Some common discounts include:
    • New client
    • Loyal client
    • Bundled policies
    • New home
    • Pay in full
    • Safety and alarm
    • Claims free
    • And more
  • Do Your Homework: Taking the first home insurance quote you get means you’re leaving money on the table. Be sure to shop around for quotes to compare and save. And when your policy is set to renew, make sure to shop around again to ensure you’re still getting the best rate. 
  • Improve Your Credit Score: Some states, including Nebraska, can use your credit score when calculating your home insurance rates. By working to improve your credit score (no easy feat, we know!), you can lower your premiums and save. Read more on this here
  • Review Your Coverage: Reviewing your coverage regularly can help you trim the fat and save. Maybe you no longer own as much expensive jewelry and can remove your scheduled personal property rider, or maybe you finally got rid of that trampoline and haven’t told your insurer. Staying on top of your insurance is the best way to save on annual premiums. 

You’re in control of your savings. Some of these tips are quick fixes, while others take time to see noticeable savings, but they do add up. You don’t have a choice about having insurance, but you do have a choice when it comes to how much you spend. 

Pro tip: If you’re upgrading to a home (or a bigger home) with a wee one on the way, chances are you’re looking to find savings wherever you can and saving on home insurance will definitely help. Get our free financial guide for new parents here to find even more ways to pad your wallet before the little one arrives.

Find the Best Homeowners Insurance in Nebraska

You deserve the best home insurance money can buy, and you deserve to also not have to spend an arm and a leg on it. Luckily, it’s easier to find than you think, even in The Beef State. To find the best homeowners insurance in Nebraska, start by getting access to free quotes here. You’ll be able to start your research into policies and discounts so that you can find the best coverage and rates for your needs. 

We’ve got you covered.

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