Your home is likely your largest asset. A standard homeowners policy protects the structure, your belongings, your liability, and your living expenses if something goes wrong. At ALLCHOICE Insurance, we compare options across multiple top-rated carriers to find the right policy for your home, your location, and your budget.
NC state law does not require homeowners insurance — but your mortgage lender does. Here are the standard coverage benchmarks lenders require and what we recommend for real protection:
NC Coverage Benchmarks Lender-required
Dwelling coverage at full replacement cost — lenders require it; anything less means you’re self-insuring the gap
Personal liability — recommended minimum; most umbrella policies require at least $300K underlying
Personal property as a percentage of dwelling limit — typical range; schedule high-value items separately
Lender listed as “mortgagee” on declarations page — all NC lenders require this before closing
Construction costs in North Carolina have increased significantly in recent years. Many homeowners are carrying dwelling limits set years ago that no longer reflect what it would actually cost to rebuild. Your ALLCHOICE advisor will calculate your home’s current replacement cost — not its market value — to make sure your dwelling limit is accurate before you need it.
Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home — walls, roof, foundation, built-in systems — when damaged by a covered event such as fire, wind, hail, or lightning. Should be set to full replacement cost, not market value.
Standard coverage
Covers your furniture, clothing, electronics, kitchen items, and other belongings if damaged or stolen. Can be written at replacement cost (RCV) or actual cash value (ACV) — RCV pays significantly more at claim time.
Standard coverage
Pays for injuries or property damage you accidentally cause to others — a guest who slips on your steps, a tree that falls on your neighbor’s car, your dog biting a visitor. Includes legal defense costs.
Standard coverage
Pays hotel bills, restaurant meals, and other extra costs if a covered loss makes your home unlivable while repairs are underway. Keeps you housed without draining your savings.
Standard coverage
Pays the extra cost to bring your home up to current building codes after a covered loss. Critical for older NC homes in historic neighborhoods — rebuilding to code can add tens of thousands of dollars beyond the standard dwelling payout.
Recommended endorsement
Covers damage from sewer backup and water service line failures — both excluded by default. Especially relevant for older NC homes with aging plumbing infrastructure.
Optional endorsement
Did you know?
When Hurricane Helene struck Western North Carolina in September 2024, thousands of homeowners in Asheville, Hendersonville, and surrounding communities discovered their standard homeowners policy covered zero flood damage — even from a named storm. Standard home insurance never covers flood, regardless of the cause. ALLCHOICE Insurance can write NFIP and private flood policies for NC homeowners in any zip code, in any flood zone.
A single-carrier agent can only offer one company’s rates and one company’s underwriting decisions. If that carrier non-renews your policy, raises rates 30%, or doesn’t write your home’s specific risk profile, you’re starting from scratch. ALLCHOICE compares your home coverage across multiple top-rated carriers at every renewal and can move you when there’s a better fit — without you having to find a new agent.
We evaluate your home coverage across multiple top-rated carriers — so you see real pricing and real options, not what one company wants to charge.
We calculate replacement cost — what it actually costs to rebuild your home today, not what you paid for it — so your dwelling limit is right when you need it.
If your carrier non-renews, we find alternatives across our carrier panel immediately — without you starting over with a new agent from scratch.
If you need to file a claim, your ALLCHOICE advisor works on your behalf — not the carrier’s. A local relationship, not a 1-800 number.
The average NC homeowner pays roughly $245–$315 per month for a standard policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. Coastal homeowners pay significantly more; inland Piedmont homeowners often pay toward the lower end. Your actual premium depends on your home’s age, construction, dwelling limit, deductible, location, and claims history.
No. Standard homeowners insurance never covers flood damage — from any source, including hurricane storm surge, river flooding, and mountain flash flooding. Hurricane Helene demonstrated this gap dramatically in Western NC in September 2024, with thousands of homeowners discovering their policy covered zero flood damage. Flood coverage requires a separate NFIP or private flood policy. ALLCHOICE can write both in any NC zip code.
For most of NC, yes — standard policies cover wind and hail. The exception is coastal counties in NCIUA Beach Plan territory, where wind coverage is often excluded from standard policies and must be purchased separately. Even inland policies may have separate wind/hail deductibles. Your ALLCHOICE advisor will review your policy specifically for wind exclusions and deductible structures before you need them.
Building ordinance coverage (also called law and ordinance coverage) pays the extra cost to bring your home up to current building codes after a covered loss. In NC, older homes in historic neighborhoods — Fisher Park in Greensboro, West End in Winston-Salem, Montford in Asheville — would need significant code-compliance upgrades if substantially rebuilt. Without this endorsement, you pay that gap out of pocket. It’s one of the most commonly overlooked homeowners endorsements.
Yes. Non-renewals have increased in coastal and mountain markets as carriers reassess catastrophe exposure. As an independent agency, ALLCHOICE represents multiple carriers and can find alternatives when one exits a market or non-renews a specific property. We can often place coverage quickly to avoid a gap. Call 844.540.0463.
Takes about five minutes to get started. We compare options across top-rated carriers and walk you through your choices — no pressure, no single-carrier limitations.
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