Your insurance renewal went up. What actually changed?
The premium is the obvious number. The dangerous changes are sometimes elsewhere: a larger percentage deductible, higher dwelling coverage, different roof settlement, or less coverage hiding behind a similar-looking renewal.
This is a comparison tool, not insurance advice or a quote. Use it to find the lines worth asking your licensed agent or insurer about before you renew.
Texas homeowners paid an average $3,506 annual premium in 2025.
That statewide preliminary average is useful context, not a benchmark for your house. Your premium can move because rates changed, the insured value changed, your deductible changed, your property details changed, or the coverage itself changed.
2025 preliminary homeowners figure from the Texas Department of Insurance.
TDI's current market overview also shows average homeowners premiums rising from $2,374 in 2022 to $3,291 in 2024 and $3,506 in 2025. But recent rate filings are not the same thing as your renewal. TDI's own renewal guidance tells homeowners to inspect the roof coverage, property details and deductible instead of looking only at the bill.
Put last year's declarations page next to this year's.
Enter the figures exactly as shown. The tool turns percentage deductibles into dollars and flags changes that deserve a question.
Renewal difference check
No email. No carrier recommendation. This tool compares the numbers you enter from the old policy and the renewal. It does not decide whether the coverage is adequate or interpret the policy for you.
Important: This is a renewal comparison worksheet, not an insurance valuation, coverage recommendation, policy interpretation, quote, or claim estimate. It only performs arithmetic on the values you enter and flags lines worth asking a licensed insurance professional about.
The premium can rise while the policy also gets worse.
Roof settlement
TDI specifically warns that as a roof ages, an insurer may change it from replacement-cost coverage to actual-cash-value coverage, or may reduce roof coverage further. ACV subtracts depreciation, so the premium alone does not tell you the claim economics.
Percentage deductibles
A 2% deductible is not $2,000. If it applies to $550,000 of insured dwelling value, it is $11,000. Recalculate the dollar exposure every time the insured value or deductible percentage changes.
House details
Check square footage, construction type, roof age and other basic property details. TDI notes insurers use these facts to determine what to charge, and incorrect information can affect the premium.
Dwelling coverage
A higher insured amount may be appropriate if rebuilding costs changed, but it can also help explain part of a premium increase. Ask how the new amount was calculated. Replacement cost is not the same thing as market value.
Endorsements + exclusions
Compare water backup, loss of use, ordinance or law, personal property settlement, liability and any new exclusions or sublimits. Two quotes are not comparable just because the premiums are close.
A cheaper quote is only cheaper if the coverage is comparable.
Use the same coverage targets when requesting alternatives. Then decide intentionally if a lower premium is worth a higher deductible or narrower coverage.
Quote B saves $650 per year in this illustration, but the wind / hail deductible is $5,500 higher and roof settlement is different. That does not make Quote B bad. It means the decision is not “$3,250 vs. $3,900.”
Start with the problem you actually have.
Do the boring comparison before you click renew.
TDI recommends regular shopping and annual coverage review. Start with roof settlement, property facts, insured value and deductibles. Then get comparable quotes before canceling anything.
Separate “rate went up” from “my policy changed.”
Ask the insurer or agent to identify the main drivers: filed rate, insured value, deductible, discounts, claims, property data or coverage changes. TDI now publishes rate-filing data, which can help you see whether the company filed a broader rate change, but that still will not explain every property-specific premium change.
Get the written reason, then work the reason.
For decisions made after Jan. 1, 2026, Texas law requires the company to provide a written statement explaining why it declined, canceled or nonrenewed a home policy. The written reason gives you something concrete to review for factual errors, property-condition issues, or other stated underwriting concerns.
Make them explain the difference, not just the premium.
“Can you break down the biggest reasons this renewal changed from last year?”
“Is my roof still replacement cost? If not, how would a covered roof claim be settled now?”
“What are my wind / hail and other-perils deductibles in actual dollars at the current dwelling limit?”
“How was the new dwelling coverage amount calculated, and what changed from last year?”
“Did I lose any bundle, claims-free, alarm, roof or other discounts?”
“Can you quote the same coverage with a different deductible so I can see the premium / risk tradeoff?”
“Is water backup included, excluded or capped? What water losses are not covered by this policy?”
“Before I switch, can you confirm these two quotes have comparable dwelling, roof, deductibles, liability and endorsements?”
Insurance renewal questions worth asking
How do I calculate a percentage deductible? +
What is the difference between ACV and replacement cost? +
Should I raise my deductible to lower the premium? +
Can I cancel my old policy as soon as I find a cheaper quote? +
Does homeowners insurance cover flooding? +
- Texas Department of Insurance, homeowners insurance market overview. 2025 preliminary average annual homeowners premium: $3,506. Source.
- TDI, “Is your home policy up for renewal?” Guidance specifically calls out roof coverage, property details and deductibles. Source.
- TDI, home insurance shopping guidance. Defines actual cash value, replacement cost and deductibles, and recommends comparing coverage as well as price. Source.
- TDI, 2026 nonrenewal guidance. Decisions after Jan. 1, 2026 require a written explanation for decline, cancellation or nonrenewal. Source.
Realty Haus is not an insurance agency. This page provides general educational information, not insurance, legal or financial advice. Policy language, eligibility, deductibles, premiums and claim settlement vary by carrier and policy. Confirm coverage with a licensed insurance professional and the actual policy documents.
Keep the insurance question attached to the property.
Send the address and the part of the renewal that surprised you.
We can help you organize the property questions worth taking to your licensed insurance agent: roof age, recent improvements, claims / repair documentation, flood context and other property facts. We do not quote or recommend insurance policies.