Myrtle Beach Homeowners Insurance

Since the risk of severe-weather damage from hurricanes is imminent to residents of the city, homeowners insurance in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina is well above the state’s average. In fact, it’s among the most expensive zip codes in the state for homeowners insurance.

But it still pales in comparison to its Gulf Coast counterparts, which see premiums that are more than double or triple the amount of Myrtle Beach. Let’s take a look at what you can expect to pay for homeowners insurance in the city.

The average cost of homeowners insurance in Myrtle Beach is about $1,815 for a $200,000 house and $2,749 for a $350,000 house. Due to the imminent threat of hurricane damage, their rates are above the state’s average.

But just because those averages seem a bit high, that doesn’t mean you must settle for those prices. Shopping around with different companies can help you compare and contrast prices on the same policies. If you use Clovered’s online quoting engine, we’ll do the shopping for you, comparing quotes and policies from many of the city’s top insurers to provide you with the best policy possible.

Many factors also contribute to the average cost of homeowners insurance in Myrtle Beach. We compiled and analyzed the following data, which was submitted to the South Carolina Department of Insurance by each company, using numbers represented from real policyholders who have average credit and haven’t filed a home insurance claim in 5 years.

The rates in this article are from the South Carolina Department of Insurance​. They reflect actual prices from insurers that write at least $1 million in premiums in the state. However, they don’t reflect policy discounts or other variations in price that may apply to your particular policy.

When it comes to home insurance, Myrtle Beach’s numbers skew heavily across the board depending on which company you choose. While some numbers may seem a bit higher or lower, it’s important to remember these numbers were compiled using a subset of customer data that hit on all three of the aforementioned factors.

One of the most important factors is the age of your house. It’s a key determining factor in deciding the annual premium you’ll pay because older homes are typically more susceptible to sustaining significant damage than newer homes.

Major systems also need to be replaced as the home gets older. The roof has more wear, which makes it weaker and more vulnerable to heavy windstorms and hail. Major systems — HVAC, plumbing and electrical — will slowly become outdated and could fail at any time.

Plus, building codes along the coastline are constantly being updated to mitigate severe damage from hurricanes. To give you the best representation of what you can expect to pay per year, we compiled an in-depth breakdown of the numbers based on the age of your home and its construction type.

A similar calculation can be utilized for $350,000 houses in Myrtle Beach, taking into account the same factors from before. Let’s take a deep dive into what you can expect to pay per year in premiums.

Luckily, there’s no such thing as separate wind and hail insurance. Coverage for both typically comes standard. But, in order to save money on your premiums, you may need to invest in a wind mitigation inspection.

Getting a successful wind mitigation inspection means you have a hip roof, which contains the right dimensions to help withstand heavy winds. It also means you must have opening protection on your windows and doors, which could come in the form of storm shutters.

Inspections must be conducted by a licensed contractor, engineer, architect or building inspector, and could save you thousands of dollars on your premiums every year. Companies like Universal Property & Casualty (UPCIC) give exponential discounts for their wind-mitigated clients, so that’s one reason their premiums continue to be the lowest in Myrtle Beach.

More than just your house is covered by a homeowners insurance policy. Coverage extends to your property, belongings and many more instances that are completely out of your control. Let’s have a look.

Dwelling: The dwelling portion includes coverage for things attached to or built into your home. Examples include your home’s roof, flooring, major systems — HVAC, plumbing and electrical — doors, windows and much more.

Your dwelling maximum per claim should match the value of your home. But, since your home increases in value through the year, we recommend getting 3% more in coverage. So homes worth $300,000 would have $309,000 in dwelling coverage. It gives you a bit more wiggle room if your home were unexpectedly destroyed.

Other Structures: Other structures coverage also extends protection for any structures on your property that aren’t attached to your home, such as sheds and even treehouses and your home’s fencing.

A typical claim maximum is 10% of your home’s dwelling coverage. So homeowners with a $200,000 house may have up to $20,000 in coverage for the structures on their property if they need to file a claim for damage.

Personal Property: Personal property coverage will help protect your furniture, clothing, electronics and much more if your home is damaged or destroyed by a covered peril. It also covers high-value items like jewelry and collectibles, but in a much different fashion with lower maximums — unless you schedule them with your insurer.

To determine how much coverage you need, start a home inventory list of all your belongings and their values, noting which items you need to schedule and for how much.

Loss of Use: Loss of use coverage protects you in the short- or long-term if your home is damaged, deemed uninhabitable and then you must temporarily move out. In this instance, it can cover additional living expenses you wouldn’t have otherwise incurred. This includes a rental home of equivalent value, storage fees and pet boarding.

Liability: If someone is injured on your property, your dog bites someone on or off your property, or you accidentally cause damage to someone else’s property (and you’re found liable for any reason) liability coverage may be there to help you.

This coverage can help pay for medical expenses, repair costs and even legal fees if you get sued for any of the damages. Policies typically come standard with $250,000 in coverage per claim. However, you can typically get all the way up to $1 million in coverage before you need to go outside the box and secure an umbrella insurance policy.

Medical Payments: Medical payments coverage helps pay for minor medical bills if someone is injured on your property, and it doesn’t matter whether you’re at fault or not.

Mobile homes are affordable alternatives, especially with the recent housing boom, to single-family houses. But you’ll need a different type of homeowners insurance to sufficiently cover your home and belongings. If you own a mobile home in Myrtle Beach, the standard South Carolina homeowners insurance won’t cut it. You’ll need what’s called an HO-7, or a mobile home insurance form.

This policy will still cover your mobile home, personal belongings and maybe even additional living expenses if you were temporarily forced to move out. But it may not cover the same standard 10 perils as a standard homeowners insurance policy.

Choosing the right insurance company can sound like a daunting task. Well, it was. But it’s not anymore — with Clovered. Since we partner with Foremost, SafeCo, Travelers and UPCIC and other top insurance companies in Myrtle Beach, we can shop around for you and help you get the best policy at the best price.

Gone are the days of calling up different insurers and, potentially, settling for one that’s charging you an arm and a leg without your knowledge. With our proprietary online quoting tool, we do all the work on the backend (comparing policies, running the numbers, etc.). We just show you the policies that are a fit for your needs and budget, so you can get back to the finer things in life quickly.

Simply use our online quoting tool to get the best Myrtle Beach homeowners insurance. But if you’d rather speak to a licensed agent on the phone, just call 833-255-4117 Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Or you can email us anytime at agent@clovered.com.

The average cost of flood insurance in Myrtle Beach is relatively inexpensive compared to homeowners insurance, costing just a few hundred dollars per year. Much of Myrtle Beach is also located within the A flood zone, which means homeowners are at a high risk of sustaining flood damage at least once during the life of their mortgage.

It’s extremely important to invest in a South Carolina flood insurance policy because the average flood damage claim sets people back at least $25,000. So if you’re paying $400 per year in premiums, that pales in comparison to what you could’ve potentially spent had you not invested in flood insurance.