Gretna, Louisiana sits on the Mississippi River just south of New Orleans. Many of its residents appreciate living near a busy city while still enjoying their suburb’s excellent dining and entertainment experiences. The city is touted for its diversity–something that locals embrace.
Being just south of New Orleans has its disadvantages, however. Gretna finds itself dealing with all the problems that New Orleans faces when it comes to hurricanes and massive storms. The area is prone to destruction and flooding, so Gretna homeowners know that they need quality Louisiana home insurance to provide financial protection against such risks. Without it, they are left footing the bill on their own.
The cost of homeowners insurance in Gretna
Louisiana has the unfortunate title of being the state with the most expensive home insurance in the country. This impacts the cost of homeowners insurance in Gretna. Add to that the town’s high risk of experiencing storm damage during hurricane season and it’s not surprising that the average homeowner pays over $3,800 for their home insurance each year.
But home insurance costs can vary significantly. Premiums are based on several factors, including:
- The age of the home.
- The cost to rebuild your home.
- Your claims history.
Insurers can weigh each of those factors differently, so it makes good sense to shop around for the right policy for you.
One of the benefits of getting a policy through Kin* is that the premium is set using thousands of data points. That means you pay a premium that more accurately reflects the risk your home faces – not your neighbor’s. And the result can be a lower cost to you overall.
What Gretna home insurance covers
Homeowners insurance in Gretna, LA is designed to protect you by providing funds if you ever experience a loss. Policies you buy through Kin typically have six coverages that go into effect depending the type of loss:
- Dwelling coverage. Your dwelling coverage can help you repair or rebuild your home if it’s damaged by a covered peril. Kin policies typically offer this as replacement cost coverage.
- Other structures coverage. This coverage is for detached structures, such as garage, sheds, and sidewalks.
- Personal property coverage. In addition to covering the structure of your home, your home insurance pays for damage to the contents of your home, like electronics, furniture, and clothing.
- Loss of use coverage. If covered damage makes your home uninhabitable, loss of use coverage may provide a stipend to help with extra costs that may follow, including temporary shelter.
- Personal liability coverage. Your policy typically includes coverage to help pay medical bills or repair costs if a third party claims you caused their injury or property damage.
- Medical payments coverage. If a guest is injured on your property, your homeowners policy can help with some of their medical bills.
You should note wind damage is usually a covered peril on Kin policies, but Gretna residents have a separate hurricane deductible when the damage is caused by a named storm. However, hurricanes also bring storm surge, and that type of damage requires additional flood insurance.
Unique risks in Gretna, LA
Gretna is no stranger to hurricane risks, and when storms barrel through, there can be lots of fallen trees, roof damage, and broken windows. Residents must be prepared for the annual hurricane season and be prepared to evacuate or shelter in place with any storm coming up the gulf coast.
The town also has an elevation of 0 feet, making floods a serious risk – whether a hurricane strikes or not. According to Risk Factor, Gretna faces an extreme risk of flooding over the next 30 years, and there’s a good chance that climate change will increase the problem.
Tips for lowering Gretna home insurance costs
Getting affordable homeowners insurance in Gretna, LA isn’t easy, but discounts can help. You may be eligible for a discount from Kin if you:
You may also be able to save by increasing your deductible. That often sends your premium down, but you only want to choose a deductible you can afford to pay in a claim. Policies through Kin offer the following AOP and hurricane deductibles:
- $500
- $1,000
- $2,500
- $5,000
- $7,500
- $10,000
- Or 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, or 10% of Coverage A
If you have any questions about getting insured in Gretna, give one of our Kinfolk a call at 855-717-0022. But if you’re ready to get a quote, go ahead and enter your address.
*Kin is Kin Insurance Network Distributor, LLC, a licensed surplus lines producer.
