Homeowners insurance is incredibly important. It can protect your home, belongings and ensure you have the means to move, should something happen to your original house. Mortgage lenders also typically require you to carry, at minimum, liability insurance. Homeowners insurance generally provides coverage for:

• General Liability: This protects you and your family in the event one of you causes bodily injury or property damage to someone else. This can even extend off the property.
• Property Damage: This protects the physical structure of the home as well as its attached structures, such as an attached garage. Some policies also cover detached structures, such as sheds. This coverage does not include flood or earthquake coverage. It does provide coverage against fire, hail, smoke, lightning and wind.
• Personal Belongings: Personal belongings coverage helps pay for items lost or damaged due to a covered incident. These are the same incidents covered under property damage. This coverage also excludes flood and earthquake damage.
• Additional Living Expenses: Known as ALE, this coverage provides monetary assistance if you must temporarily move elsewhere while the home is being rebuilt or repaired.

You can extend your policy with extra coverage and save money by bundling. Ask a DJW Insurance agent about discounts you may be eligible for. You can also save money by adding safety aspects to your home, such as fire alarms and burglar alarms.

There are no laws on home insurance in Louisiana, but it’s crucial to have coverage. A typical homeowners policy can cover a lot, but you also need flood insurance. Floods are a common threat in Louisiana, and they aren’t covered beneath a typical homeowners insurance policy.

While there aren't specific insurance figures for the Acadiana region, the average cost of home insurance in Louisiana is $1,945 a year.

It's recommended that you purchase a home insurance policy that covers liability, property damage, personal belongings and additional living expenses. It's also a good idea to get flood insurance.

You may be able to purchase the minimum general liability and property damage requirements set by your mortgage lender. However, it's recommended you purchase more coverage to protect yourself and your family’s assets.