House Insurance – Alberta
Owning a house in Alberta is a big investment, and protecting it is a top priority. Alberta’s diverse landscape from urban cities to rural areas can expose homeowners to risks like severe weather, fires, and theft.
House insurance provides essential coverage that safeguards your house, belongings, and personal liability, ensuring you’re protected against the unexpected. Whether you’re looking to buy home insurance in Alberta or want to update your current house insurance policy, understanding your options will help you make an informed decision.
House insurance in Alberta, explained
House insurance in Alberta covers a few main things: the structure of your house, your belongings inside it, and your liability as a homeowner. House insurance protection can also extend to other structures on your property, cover things like expenses you incur if your house becomes unliveable due to an insured loss, and more.
It offers protection from the unexpected, ensuring you’re not on the hook for 100% of the expenses to repair your house, replace your belongings, or find alternate accommodations while your home’s being repaired.
House insurance in Alberta comes with a number of standard coverages to make sure you’re protected – plus, you can level up your policy with additional coverage for even more security.
Also referred to as property insurance in Alberta, dwelling coverage helps cover the cost of rebuilding or repairing the structure of your house, including fixtures, plumbing and heating, in the event of an insured loss.
Also called contents insurance in Alberta, this protects your personal belongings that are inside your home. They’ll be repaired or replaced if they’re damaged or lost due to an insured loss. Most standard house insurance policies will protect them whether they’ve been damaged at home or anywhere in the world. We recommend insuring your personal property for its replacement cost value. Replacement cost value ensures that you can replace yesterday’s purchases at today’s prices.
This provides protection for additional structures on your property like a shed, guesthouse, or gazebo, and fixtures attached to land such as a driveway, sidewalks, patio, fence and swimming pool.
Suppose your house can’t be occupied due to a related insurance claim; your house insurance policy will cover Additional Living Expenses (‘ALE’) over and above your normal living costs during this time. The cost of alternative living arrangements will be covered, even extending to the additional cost of meals over and above your normal food costs until you’re back home or have access to cooking facilities in your temporary accommodation.
If a covered loss forces you from your house, such as a fire, loss of use provides a safety net for additional expenses over and above your normal living expenses while you are unable to live in your home, up to the policy limit.
Provides protection against lawsuits for bodily injury or property damage that you or family members may cause to other people. It pays for both the legal costs and any court awards, up to the limit of your policy, if you’re held legally responsible. It covers you whether you are at home or away.
If your house is left vacant due to a move or new construction, you are vulnerable to losses from vandalism and other mishaps. When a house is vacant for more than 30 days coverage will cease unless a vacancy permit is added to the policy.
This covers damage caused by the sudden accumulation of ground water or surface water, such as excessive rain, overflowing rivers, spring run-off or melting snow.
Homeowners are responsible for underground service lines, such as water, sewer, natural gas, power and telephone, that run from city property lines to your home. This coverage pays to repair or replace underground service lines that accidentally break, leak, tear, rupture, collapse or arc.
This coverage insures your property for damage by the backup of sewers and drains (does not include flood protection).
Get help through the recovery process if you or someone in your household is a victim of identity theft.
This covers common equipment in your house like heating and air conditioning systems if they fail to operate because of mechanical or electrical failure.
If your house requires repairs, this coverage protects you for any improvements required as a result of updated by-laws.
You can add certain belongings to your policy for extra coverage – think jewellery, fine art, expensive sports equipment. There are generally specific limits on standard house insurance policies to ensure your valuables are adequately protected.
Many homeowners are opting to add personal cyber protection to their house insurance policy. With more elements of day-to-day life being online, it’s more important than ever to protect your personal information and digital identity.
How much is home insurance in Alberta?
The average home insurance cost in Alberta varies – it depends on where you live, your home, and more.
What factors determine the cost of Alberta house insurance?
How much you pay for house insurance in Alberta depends on the coverage you choose, the type of house insurance you need and other factors including:
Depending on how old your house is, it could be more at risk of a claim compared to others.
Your address provides insight into whether your area is prone to flooding, at risk of crime, and other common types of claims made. Its distance to services is also taken into account – your homes proximity to emergency services like a fire station or fire hydrant will affect your claims risk, and premium.
Some materials are harder to work with, could pose an increased risk, or increase the cost of repairs/replacement. The materials used during the construction of your house will inform the price of your insurance.
Your house insurance premium can be reduced when you’re eligible for discounts. Most insurance companies in Alberta offer discounted rates for things like consenting to a credit check, having a good claims history, and more.
How to save on house insurance in Alberta
Looking for cheap home insurance in Alberta? One way to save on house insurance is to review and optimize the coverages that are included on your policy. You can adjust your coverage limits, add or remove optional endorsements, and adjust your deductible to save on your house insurance premium.
Plus, many insurance companies in Alberta offer a menu of discounts you may be eligible for, bringing down the cost of your insurance.
Discounts on house insurance in Alberta
Mature customer
Customers 55+ can save more on house insurance.
Claims-free
Get rewarded for having a good home insurance claims history.
Monitored alarm system
Protect your house with an alarm system to deter break-ins and theft.
Renewal
Enjoy a loyalty discount when you stay with your insurance provider for multiple consecutive years.
Mortgage-free
No mortgage on your home? Get an extra discount on your house insurance coverage.
Multi-line
Bundle your car and home insurance with the same provider for added savings
Water leak detection device
Get ahead of water damage with a leak detection device.
Why choose Westland for Alberta house insurance?
Expert advisors go above and beyond
Our advisors go the extra mile every step of the way and do the legwork to provide personalized house insurance coverage in Alberta to suit your lifestyle.
Our large network of insurers means more choice
We have a large network of insurers that we can tap into - guaranteeing great rates and options - so you know you’re not missing out.
We work hard to make things simple
Whether it comes to finding the right home insurance coverage or navigating a claim, we keep things simple and use language that everyone can understand.
Example of a house insurance claim
A tornado passed through your neighbourhood and ripped your roof clean off. What now? Depending on your coverage, your house insurance policy can help you recover from the damage that’s been left behind.
Coverages that may kick in to protect you include:
Building/dwelling coverage
Damage to the structure of your house could be covered under your building/dwelling coverage.
Additional Living Expenses
You’ll have to find alternative living arrangements while your house is being repaired. The cost of temporary living arrangements will be covered, even extending to additional cost of meals over and above your normal food costs until you’re back house or have access to cooking facilities in your temporary accommodation.
Personal Property coverage
Some of your personal belongings were lost or damaged by the storm? Your Personal Property coverage could step in to help repair or replace it.
FAQs about house insurance in Alberta
How much you’ll pay for house insurance in Alberta depends on the age of your home, where it’s located, how much it’s worth, and discounts you may be eligible for. The best way to find out is to get a house insurance quote in Alberta.
Standard house insurance in Alberta includes:
- Coverage for the structure of your house
- Coverage for your personal property
- Coverage for additional structures on your property, like a garage or shed
- Coverage for additional living expenses if your house becomes unliveable due to an insured loss
- Personal liability protection
Depending on your house and where you live, there may be additional coverages you’ll want to add for extra protection. Speak to a Westland advisor for help building the perfect policy, or start an online quote for house insurance in Alberta.
What your house insurance policy covers depends on the coverages you’ve chosen to include.
Most Alberta house insurance companies offer standard policies that include coverage for the structure of your home, your personal property, for additional structures on your property (like a garage or shed), coverage for additional living expenses if your house becomes unliveable due to an insured loss, as well as personal liability protection.
For coverage outside of these instances, you’ll want to consider adding optional coverages for extra protection.
Contact Westland Insurance to start an online house insurance quote in Alberta. You can also visit one of our branches where our advisors will be happy to help you get a house insurance quote!
Types of house insurance in Alberta
Condo insurance
Suited for condo owners, condo insurance protects your unit, what’s in it, and renovations and upgrades you might make inside it. Made to complement your condo corporation’s insurance, it’s the protection you need to safeguard your investment.
Tenant insurance
While a landlord policy will protect the structure of the home, renters will still want tenant insurance – also referred to as renters or contents insurance – to cover personal belongings.
Insurance for rental properties
Get the right protection for your rental property to safeguard your investment. Be covered for rental income loss, commercial use, and personal property you’ve trusted your tenants with (like yard maintenance equipment).
Cabin & cottage insurance
Protect your home away from home with a policy for your cottage or cabin. With specialized coverage, we’ll help you find the right policy for even the most remote locations.
Mobile home insurance
Similar to homeowner’s insurance but reflects unique aspects of a mobile home. Mobile home insurance policies offer typical coverages that ensure you can get back to normal as quickly as possible.
Buy house insurance in Alberta with confidence
Whether you’re shopping for a new policy, want to review your current coverage, or just want to see what house insurance quotes in Alberta are like, we’re here to help. Our local insurance experts will work with you to understand your options and get you the coverage you need at a price you’ll love. Find the perfect car and home insurance in Alberta for you today!
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