Is Your Homeowners Insurance Review Overdue? A 5-Minute Check for Montgomery, AL Homeowners

If you haven't done a homeowners insurance review in the past year, you're in the majority, and that's the problem. A Harris Poll survey conducted in June found 41% of people with a homeowners policy made no change to it in over a year. Another 20% haven't touched it since the day they bought it.

Providers aren't chasing anybody down about it either. 56% said their provider hadn't checked in on their coverage in over a year. Nobody is required to make that call, so consider this your reminder.

What you think you're covered for vs. what you actually have

The Hanover Insurance Group's 2025 Homeowners Coverage Awareness Report, based on a Harris Poll of homeowners age 30 and up, found a wide gap between what people believe and what the policy says:

• Umbrella coverage: 83% have heard of it. Only 39% have discussed it with an agent.
• Valuables coverage: 87% know it exists. Only 26% carry it.
• Cyber coverage: 46% know it's an option. Only 7% have it.

Knowing a coverage type exists isn't the same as being protected by it. That report also found 66% of homeowners would want umbrella coverage once someone explained what it does. People aren't skipping it on purpose. Nobody walked them through it.

What happens when the gap catches up with you

One in three homeowners who filed a claim said their coverage fell short of what they needed. Within that group, 14% said none of their claim was covered. The same survey found 67% of policyholders said covering a surprise $1,000 expense would be hard on their household.

There's no good time to hear that, and it's worse right after a storm takes part of your roof off. If you're already thinking about the repair side of that, I wrote about setting money aside for it in how much homeowners should save for emergency repairs.

What should I check on my homeowners insurance policy?

Pull it up and look at four things:

1. Your dwelling coverage limit, and whether it reflects what it would cost to rebuild your home today, not what you paid for it
2. Any named endorsements, like added coverage for jewelry, art, or water backup
3. The date the policy was last reviewed or updated
4. Anything that's changed at the house or in your life since then, a renovation, a new roof, a home office, a big purchase

If any of those raise a question you can't answer off the top of your head, that's your sign to look closer. And if the number that jumps out at you is the premium, start with these tips to secure the best home insurance rates.

Why this hits differently in Montgomery

Rebuild cost isn't purchase price, and it isn't your Zillow estimate either. If you bought your Montgomery, Prattville, or Pike Road home a few years back, that dwelling limit was written for a different cost to build. Add a summer of River Region storms and you've got roofs aging faster than the paperwork covering them.

A homeowners insurance review takes five minutes

None of this means your policy is wrong. It was built around the home and the life you had when you bought it, and both change more than most policies do.

If you're thinking about selling in the next year, insurance comes up fast once you're under contract. Reach out and I'll tell you what I'd want ready. You can also see how I work with people across the area on my page about the best Realtor in the River Region.