A homeowners insurance renewal checklist before you pay.

Record the core numbers

Write down the old annual premium, new annual premium, renewal date, and policy term. Then calculate the dollar increase and percentage increase.

RateReceipt focuses on annual numbers because they are easier to compare across homeowners and do not mix in mortgage escrow adjustments.

• Old annual premium
• New annual premium
• Dollar change
• Percentage change
• Renewal month and effective date

Compare limits and deductibles

Check whether Coverage A, other structures, personal property, loss of use, liability, and medical payments changed. Then compare deductibles line by line.

Separate deductibles are easy to miss. Wind, hail, hurricane, named-storm, wildfire, and water deductibles can change the real cost of a claim.

Confirm discounts and documents

Some discounts require updated proof. Roof age, monitored alarm, water shutoff, mitigation, claim-free, bundle, and new-home discounts may need documentation or may have expired.

Ask the insurer to list removed discounts. A short discount review can sometimes reduce a renewal without changing coverage.

Decide what kind of action is needed

A small increase may only require a discount review. A large increase, nonrenewal, new deductible, or coverage restriction deserves a deeper comparison and possibly official state resources.

Use the renewal as a decision point, not a panic point. The goal is to understand the change before you decide.

Useful resources

• NAIC insurance department directory
• CFPB homeowners insurance shopping guide