Home Insurance in Ottawa
Get an Affordable Home Insurance in Ottawa from McDougall Insurance
In your lifetime, your home is more than just your place of residence. When it comes to insurance, like with any other purchase you make, you may be tempted to go for the cheap option – but we don’t do cheap when it comes to home insurance. Ottawa residents deserve comprehensive insurance that protects their greatest asset, but we also believe that they don’t have to break the bank to get it.
Having been successfully operating for over 75 years, McDougall Insurance promises its clients quality service for life. We understand the complications that come with home ownership, and we offer many choices for your insurance coverage, giving you unparalleled quality of service. McDougall Insurance offers affordable (not cheap!) home insurance in Ottawa that ticks all the boxes and ensures that you and your loved ones are protected. Get a free, online home insurance quote in Ottawa with us to see how affordable our insurance products can be without cutting corners.
Contact Our Ottawa Home Insurance Broker
We are here to help!
Ottawa Insurance Products
Ottawa Home Insurance Coverage
With over 70 years of brokerage experience in Ottawa, McDougall Insurance has always stayed true to its promise to use our knowledge and established relationships to give you the right advice as well as the best coverage for an affordable price. Our abilities as home insurance brokers in Ottawa are unparalleled, and we like to think of ourselves as forward-thinking leaders in the industry who are and have always been committed to being there for you when you need us most.
Contact us at McDougall Insurance so that we can handle your insurance needs and provide you with competitive home insurance quotes in Ottawa. You only need you to answer a few questions – all from the comfort and safety of your own home.
What does Ottawa home insurance cover? We’ll detail what a standard policy includes below.
Personal Property Damage Coverage
Part of a standard home insurance policy is protection for the physical premise and structure of your home. This does not include the land beneath it. Your home insurance in Ottawa may cover your physical home as well as any detached private structures from perils such as fire, falling objects, storm damage, high winds, hail, theft, and vandalism. You may need to purchase an endorsement to insure your home against flooding and earthquakes. Home insurance policies in Ottawa may not cover certain perils such as earthquakes or flood damage unless additional coverage is purchased. Common exclusions in Ottawa home insurance policies also include damage from wear and tear, maintenance issues, and certain natural disasters like floods and earthquakes. It is advised to work with a Ottawa insurance broker to determine the overall replacement cost for your building to ensure you’re adequately insured against potential risks.
Third-Party Liability Coverage
Personal liability insurance is an integral component of your standard Ottawa home insurance package. Even if you do not want property insurance or insurance for your physical possessions, having liability insurance coverage can help to protect you and your loved ones should you ever be claimed responsible for someone’s bodily injury or property damage and required to pay medical bills/income replacement costs.
Personal Possessions Coverage
Your Ottawa home insurance also includes basic coverage for your personal belongings contained within your home, as well as possessions of yours that you take with you while you’re travelling anywhere in the world. It may cover your belongings from insurable perils such as fire, storm damage, theft, vandalism, etc. With Named Perils coverage, only specific risks listed in the policy, such as fire or theft, are covered. Broad Form coverage protects the building structure for all insured perils, while personal contents are covered only against specific named perils. High-value items, such as collectibles, special electronics, and jewelry, may require an additional policy to include them in your insurance.
Checkout: some Tips To protect your home from fires.
Additional Living Expenses
Some standard home insurance policies may include additional living expenses, which is a coverage option that offers compensation for things like temporary living arrangements, food, clothing, and other necessary expenses if you are forced to temporarily evacuate your home as a result of an insurable loss while repairs are being done.
Additional Coverage Options for Home Insurance in Ottawa
Common optional add-ons include sewer backup, overland water coverage, and earthquake protection. Leaving out specific risks like overland flooding and sewer backups in standard policies may necessitate optional add-ons.
Earthquake Coverage
Earthquake isn’t included in most standard home insurance policies in Canada. If your area is prone to earthquakes, consider adding this to your coverage options.
Overland Water Coverage
Changing water patterns in Canada might cause unwanted water to enter your property and cause damage. Ottawa’s proximity to major rivers makes overland flood insurance especially important, particularly for homes in riverside or low-lying areas. Water damage coverage in Ottawa should ideally include both sewer backup and overland water protection to address critical local risks. Get this endorsement for damage caused by torrential rains, spring thaws or overflowing rivers or lakes.
Flood Insurance Coverage
Flood is another insurance you can add to your insurance plan. While overland water insurance protects you from freshwater sources, flood insurance is mainly for protection against seawater. Contact your home insurance broker in Ottawa to inquire if the insurance companies provide flood coverage as some insurance providers don’t.
Sewer Backup Coverage
This coverage covers the costs of repairing damage anywhere in your house from standing sewage. Sewer backups are a significant risk in Ottawa due to aging infrastructure increasing during heavy rain or rapid snowmelt. Because standard policies often exclude this type of water damage, adding sewer backup coverage is strongly recommended.
What Are the Different Types of Ottawa Home Insurance?
Basic Home Insurance
This type of coverage is the least expensive and it only covers the risks you specify to your property and its content. It’s a great option if you want to purchase home insurance tailored to your specific needs.
Broad Home Insurance
Broad is an upgrade from basic home insurance coverage. It includes the structure of your home, as well as named risks for your items and belongings. In Ottawa, Broad coverage typically includes protection against everything listed under basic coverage, plus additional coverage for vandalism and theft.
Comprehensive Home Insurance
This level of coverage offers the most protection, as it includes your property and all its content against all risks, except for a specified few.
What is the Average Home Insurance Cost Per Month in Ontario?
On average, home insurance premium costs $211/month or $2532/year. Each city in Ontario has a different insurance rate, depending on many factors. Ottawa is cheaper than most cities in Ontario when it comes to the average monthly premium.
What Factors Go into Determining a Quote for Ottawa Home Insurance?
- Property type: A 2-storey house costs different than a condo or a studio apartment as each one has a different size and is subject to a different set of risks. For example, a detached house has a roof that needs to be insured by the house owner, unlike the roof of an apartment building that is owned by multiple people.
- Home replacement cost: This refers to the cost of rebuilding the house if it gets completely destroyed. Renovations and home upgrades might affect the home replacement cost.
- Location: Crime rates, natural disasters, and claim rates statistics differ from one area to another, leading to different home insurance rates. In Ottawa, proximity to rivers and flood-prone areas can significantly impact premiums, especially if overland water or sewer backup coverage is added to the policy.
- Internal construction: This includes electrical, plumbing, and heating systems or any system that can lead to potential hazards. An outdated system could put your home at higher risk, so it increases the home insurance premium rate.
- Credit score: Many companies take credit score into consideration, as a high credit score signals that you’re reliable, and vice versa.
- Insurance history: Your insurance history is also a factor that insurance providers consider. If you’ve made a claim before, you might get an increased insurance premium. Moreover, a coverage gap could also lead to an increased Ottawa home insurance premium.
FAQ’s: Ottawa Home Insurance
Home insurance isn’t legally mandatory in Ottawa. However, many mortgage lenders require a certain amount of coverage to protect their investment. Not to mention that for Ottawa homeowners, it’s recommended to get home insurance to protect your home and financials.
Ottawa Home insurance premiums cost an average of $211 per month or $2532 per year. Bear in mind that it’s an estimated number and home insurance premium rates differ from one individual to another.
Some perils aren’t covered by insurance companies in most cases. These include intentional loss, illegal properties, pollution, wear and tear, vermin, and losses due to war.
Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for a number of Home insurance discounts. Some of these discounts are listed below:
- Multi-policy discount, which you can get by bundling your auto and home insurance policies with the same insurance provider
- Claims-free discount, if you have no previous claims
- Maturity discount, if you are above a certain age
- Mortgage-free discount, if you have no outstanding mortgage
- Deductible discount, if you’ve chosen a higher deductible/assumed more risk
No, insurance brokers at McDougall’s get paid through commissions from the insurance providers and not the clients.
There are many ways to get cheaper home insurance premiums. For example, bundling insurance policies from the same company might get you a discount. Moreover, a good credit score, upgraded security features, and an increased deductible can all reduce the monthly premium. Generally, we advise you to compare Ottawa home insurance quotes before deciding which policy to purchase.
What Our Customers Are Saying
