Homeowners Insurance in Arkansas: Coverage, Deductibles and Roof Terms
You probably know one.
Short answer: Homeowners insurance in Arkansas combines six coverages, and the dwelling limit should match the cost to rebuild. Arkansas allows insurers to require a separate wind and hail deductible, which can be set as a percentage of that limit, and to require a roof payment schedule on roofs 7 years or older with notice to the insured. Cribb compares both.
What does homeowners insurance cover in Arkansas?
A homeowners policy covers the house, other structures, your belongings, extra living costs after a covered loss, your liability to others and small medical payments to guests, in six parts that many forms label A through F. The letters follow the standard form, but wording and limits vary by insurance company, so confirm the amounts on your own declarations page.
One of the six sets the others. Other structures and contents are often written as a percentage of the dwelling limit, and Triple-I puts them at about 10 percent and 50 to 70 percent. Loss of use may be tied to it too. So a dwelling review can change more than the house.
A · Dwelling
The house and attached structures such as an attached garage. Set it from a rebuilding estimate based on the home’s size, construction, finishes and features. A percentage wind and hail deductible is figured from this number too.
B · Other structures
Detached garages, shops, sheds and fences. Triple-I says most policies cover them for about 10 percent of the dwelling amount. That works until someone builds a serious detached shop and nobody adjusts it, so tell us about the shop, its use and any business property in it.
C · Personal property
Furniture, clothing and everything else inside. The overall limit does not erase special limits: Triple-I notes jewelry may be limited to under $2,000, with special limits on items such as silverware, collectibles and furs. Valuables above those caps can be scheduled.
D · Loss of use
Additional living expenses when a covered loss makes the home unfit to live in: the necessary increase in costs such as a rental and meals, not every ordinary household bill. Triple-I says many policies set it at about 20 percent of the insurance on the house. Check the dollar limit and any time limit before you need them.
E · Personal liability
Covered legal responsibility for injury or damage to others, at home or away, subject to the policy’s terms, limits and exclusions. A dog, a pool, a trampoline or a guest on the stairs all belong in the conversation. This is where a personal umbrella sits on top.
F · Medical payments
Limited payments for a guest hurt at your home, regardless of fault. It does not apply to you or your household and it is not health insurance. Limits generally apply per person.
How much dwelling coverage do you need?
Enough to rebuild the house at today’s construction costs. That is a different number from the sale price, the mortgage balance or the county assessment. Market value includes the land and the location, and homeowners insurance insures the buildings, not the land, so a home can sell for more or less than it costs to rebuild.
Update the estimate after a renovation, an addition, a finished basement, an upgraded kitchen or custom finishes. An estimate is useful only when it describes the home accurately.
Replacement cost or actual cash value?
Replacement cost pays to repair or rebuild with materials of the same kind and quality. Actual cash value subtracts depreciation. Many insurers pay actual cash value first and the rest once the repair is done. Check the house, the roof and the contents separately: a policy described as replacement cost can still settle the roof on a schedule.
Protection above the limit
Triple-I says extended replacement cost, available through most insurance companies, can pay an extra 5 to 25 percent above the dwelling limit. Ordinance or law pays a specified amount toward bringing a house up to code during a covered repair, which is worth asking about on an older home.
Buying a house? Read what to line up before closing
How does an Arkansas wind and hail deductible work?
Arkansas lets insurers make a separate wind and hail deductible mandatory. When it is set as a percentage of the dwelling limit, a 2 percent deductible on a $400,000 home is $8,000 before the policy pays for a covered wind or hail loss. The percentage is of Coverage A, not of the claim.
Arkansas law now puts the dollar figure in front of you: an owner-occupied residential property policy that sets a deductible as a percentage of insured value must show its dollar amount on the declarations page or renewal notice (Ark. Code § 23-79-168), and deductibles that differ by peril must be shown together with the all other perils deductible (Ark. Code § 23-79-169).
It is the line worth reading. Wind and hail were 42.5 percent of homeowners losses incurred in 2023 (ISO data via Triple-I, excluding Alaska, Texas and Puerto Rico), and the National Weather Service in Little Rock counts roughly 37 tornadoes a year in Arkansas, based on the 1991 to 2020 average. Wind damage from a tornado generally falls under the wind and hail deductible too.
Same house, same policy, five very different numbers.
| Deductible on the declarations page | What you pay first on a $400,000 dwelling limit |
|---|---|
| All other perils · $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Wind and hail · 1% | $4,000 |
| Wind and hail · 2% | $8,000 |
| Wind and hail · 3% | $12,000 |
| Wind and hail · 5% | $20,000 |
Illustrative arithmetic to show how a percentage deductible works. It is not a quote and not a statement that any insurance company offers all of these choices.
Read how to work out your Arkansas wind and hail deductibleRead whether homeowners insurance covers tornado damage
Can an Arkansas insurer put a roof payment schedule on your policy?
Yes. Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin 17-2023 (November 2, 2023) allows an insurer to make a roof schedule endorsement mandatory on a roof 7 years or older, with proper notice to the insured, and that notice must be submitted to the Department for approval.
That does not mean every roof changes settlement on its seventh birthday. The endorsement actually attached to your policy controls. And a schedule is knowable in advance: you can read it, find your roof’s age and material on it, and know today what a covered roof loss would pay. That is the conversation to have before a storm, not during a claim.
When you read one, find the roof’s age and material, the percentage it pays, which losses it applies to and the deductible that still comes off. A percentage on a schedule is not by itself the claim payment: covered damage, the approved repair scope and the rest of the contract still decide it. Ask how cosmetic damage is treated.
Roof age can also affect price and eligibility
Separately from how a claim is paid, a roof’s age, condition, material and updates can affect whether an insurance company will offer a policy and what it costs. If your roof is nearing the age where a schedule would apply, price the insurance consequences alongside the roofing quote, not after the next hail storm. Bring the installation date, the material and any replacement or repair records.
Read replacement cost versus a roof payment scheduleRead Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin 17-2023
What does homeowners insurance not cover?
A standard homeowners policy does not cover flood and usually excludes earthquake and other earth movement, does not cover wear, deterioration and maintenance, and excludes or limits sewer backup and business activity unless you add coverage. Some of those gaps can be filled with an endorsement or a separate policy.
Flood
Standard homeowners policies exclude flood, and flood coverage is usually a separate NFIP or private policy. NFIP coverage generally takes effect 30 days after purchase, unless it is bought with a mortgage loan. Being outside a mapped high-risk zone means a lender may not require it, not that water cannot reach the home. See flood insurance.
Earth movement
Earthquake, landslide and similar earth movement are usually excluded. The Arkansas Insurance Department says most standard homeowners policies do not cover earthquake and that coverage usually must be bought separately. Flood and earthquake options have their own definitions, limits and deductibles, and not every kind of earth movement is covered by an earthquake option. See earthquake insurance.
Wear, rot and neglect
Insurance answers sudden, accidental loss, not deterioration. A roof that wore out, a slow leak that ran for months, termites, rot and deferred maintenance fall outside it.
Backup, business and rental use
Sewer and sump backup is not covered on a standard policy, though many companies sell an endorsement. Business property and liability at home are typically limited or excluded. Renting the home to a tenant calls for a landlord or dwelling policy, and vacancy or a major renovation can also change the coverage, so tell us before the use changes.
Read the Arkansas flood insurance guide
Which homeowners endorsements are worth asking about?
Six options address gaps a standard policy leaves open: water backup, service line, equipment breakdown, ordinance or law, scheduled personal property and a personal umbrella. Each varies by insurance company, so the question is whether it is actually included in the proposal, at what limit and with what deductible.
Water backup
Sewer, drain and sump backup is not covered on a standard policy. An endorsement, for an added premium, can add it, and it is different from flood coverage. Ask about the limit, the deductible and cleanup, especially with a finished lower level or a sump.
Service line
Optional coverage for specified losses to eligible buried water, sewer, gas and electrical lines running to the house. Confirm which lines qualify and whether excavation, repair and restoration fall within the stated limit. It is not a maintenance plan.
Equipment breakdown
Can address mechanical or electrical breakdown of eligible equipment such as HVAC, a water heater or a well pump, which a standard policy treats as wear. Age, maintenance and ordinary wear still matter, so review the covered equipment, limits and deductible.
Ordinance or law
Pays a specified amount toward bringing a house up to current code during a covered repair. A small included amount may not fit an older home; ask about a higher limit and the demolition terms.
Scheduled personal property
Lists jewelry, firearms, art, instruments or collectibles individually, with their own limits above the contents caps. Confirm valuation, appraisal requirements, loss away from home and the deductible rather than assuming them.
Personal umbrella
A separate policy for qualifying liability above the home and the autos at once. Worth pricing when a pool, a dog, a teen driver or rental property is in the picture. It is not extra dwelling or contents coverage. See personal umbrella insurance.
Which homeowners form fits your home?
The form that fits depends on how the home is used: an owner-occupied house, a condo, an older home and a rental each call for a different contract, and underwriting decides which one is available. The form is chosen before the limits are.
| Form | What it is for |
|---|---|
| HO-3 · special form | Open perils on the house and other structures, meaning all causes of loss unless excluded, and named perils on contents. A common form for owner-occupied homes. Read the exclusions and endorsements. |
| HO-5 · broader forms | Broader treatment of contents as well as the house on many policies, depending on the insurance company’s form. Broader does not mean every loss or item is covered. Ask for it priced next to an HO-3. |
| HO-6 · condo unit owner | Sized against the association’s master policy and your own responsibilities, not the unit’s purchase price. See condo insurance. |
| HO-8 · older homes | For older homes that would be very expensive to rebuild the original way. It generally returns the home to livable condition with commonly used materials. Compare what it pays before assuming it matches a replacement-cost form. |
| DP-3 · rental or dwelling | For a house you rent out or do not occupy: open perils on the dwelling, named perils on contents. It is not a homeowners policy with a different name. See landlord insurance. |
How much does homeowners insurance cost through Cribb?
Across policies Cribb placed, homeowners premiums have averaged $83 to $129 a month for a $200,000 replacement-cost band and $144 to $209 for a $400,000 band, rising to $220 to $379 or more at $750,000 and above. Your price depends on the home, the roof, your deductibles and your coverage, so use these as a check on your number, not a forecast of it.
Cribb agency averages across policies placed. The bands are by the home’s replacement cost, not by what it would sell for.
| Home replacement-cost band | Cribb agency average |
|---|---|
| $200,000 | $83–$129 per month |
| $300,000 | $118–$167 per month |
| $400,000 | $144–$209 per month |
| $500,000 | $171–$246 per month |
| $750,000+ | $220–$379+ per month |
The ranges shown here are an average of premium on policies Cribb Insurance Group Inc actually wrote, over the 18 months ending September 2026, across 2,500 policies. They describe what other people paid for their own coverage, not what you will pay. Exclusions, limits and conditions apply, and the insurance company sets your premium after its underwriting review.
The 2,500-policy figure describes Cribb’s whole book across all lines. It is not the sample size for homeowners in each replacement-cost band.
The bands do not fix one roof age, deductible, policy form or bundle for every home in them. Two homes of the same value on the same street can price differently, so compare actual offers on the same home, roof, limits and deductibles.
What moves the number? The rebuilding estimate, construction and age, roof and system updates, location and fire protection, both deductibles, and claims and coverage history can all affect an offer. Ask which discounts apply, including any home-and-auto credit. Bundling is an option to compare, not a promised saving or a reason to accept weaker coverage.
Why did my premium go up without a claim?
Rising rebuilding costs, an inflation guard that raises the dwelling limit on many policies, and insurer rate changes can all lift a renewal. A higher dwelling limit also raises a percentage deductible in dollars, which the declarations page or renewal notice on an owner-occupied home now has to show.
Read why homeowners insurance goes up without a claimRead how bundling home and auto works
How do you compare homeowners insurance quotes?
Compare homeowners quotes on the same dwelling limit, both deductibles in dollars, roof settlement terms, endorsements and form before you compare the price. A lower premium built on a higher deductible or a roof schedule is a different policy, not the same one for less.
| Compare this | What to check |
|---|---|
| Dwelling limit | Is each quote built on the same rebuilding estimate? Other structures and contents may move with it. |
| Both deductibles | The all other perils amount and the wind and hail amount, each in dollars. |
| Roof settlement | Replacement cost, actual cash value or a roof payment schedule, and what it pays at your roof’s age. |
| Endorsements | Water backup, service line, equipment breakdown, ordinance or law and scheduled items, with their limits. |
| Form and use | HO-3, HO-5 or another form, written for how the home is actually used. |
| Term and payment | Full premium over the same period, including any fees, and whether it is paid through escrow. |
How do you get a homeowners insurance quote from Cribb?
Start the personal lines quote or call (479) 286-1066, and send your current declarations page if you have one. Cribb Insurance Group is an independent agency in Bentonville serving Northwest Arkansas, and we compare options from multiple insurance companies.
We read the declarations page before we shop it. We convert the wind and hail deductible into dollars on your home, find the roof provision and tell you plainly what it does, check whether water backup and service line are there, ask whether the dwelling limit still reflects rebuilding costs, and compare offers on a matched set of coverages. If your current policy is already the right fit, that is what you will hear.
A newer Centerton home, a Bella Vista home with a lower level and an older Fayetteville home raise different questions about rebuilding, water, systems and liability. A detached shop or a household business adds another layer. These are review examples, not acceptance rules. When another offer makes sense, we walk through the effective date, payment and escrow, and what has to happen before the old policy ends. A website request does not change coverage; the change is in place once the agency or the insurance company confirms it in writing.
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Start with the documents
Current declarations and endorsements, the renewal offer, or the quote you are considering.
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Describe the property
Address, construction, year built, size, roof and system updates, detached structures and improvements.
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Explain the household and use
Pets, a pool, a trampoline, rental activity, a home business, solar equipment, prior claims, and any planned vacancy or major renovation.
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Review the differences
Limits, both deductibles, roof settlement and endorsements, then price. Confirm the new terms in writing before ending the old policy.
Local to you: homeowners insurance in Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale and Fayetteville.
Homeowners insurance questions.
What does homeowners insurance cover?
Six coverages that many forms label A through F: the dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, personal liability and medical payments to guests. Other structures and contents are often set as a percentage of the dwelling limit, so that number drives much of the policy.
What is not covered by a standard homeowners policy?
A standard policy does not cover flood and usually excludes earthquake and other earth movement, and it does not cover wear, deterioration and maintenance. Sewer backup and business activity are excluded or limited unless you add coverage, and valuables such as jewelry carry special limits unless scheduled.
What is a wind and hail deductible, and how is it different from my regular deductible?
It is a separate deductible for wind and hail losses, often a percentage of the dwelling limit rather than a flat amount. On a $400,000 dwelling limit, 2% is $8,000 and 5% is $20,000. Arkansas requires the dollar amount on the declarations page or renewal notice of an owner-occupied home policy.
How does roof age affect homeowners insurance in Arkansas?
Roof age and condition can affect eligibility and price. Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin 17-2023 allows an insurer to make a roof schedule endorsement mandatory on a roof 7 years or older, with proper notice to the insured, and that notice must be submitted to the Department for approval. The endorsement on your policy decides how a covered roof loss is paid.
Does the dwelling limit need to equal the home’s sale price?
No. The dwelling limit should reflect the cost to rebuild the structure, which is different from the sale price, the mortgage or the tax assessment. Market value includes the land, which homeowners insurance does not insure.
How much does homeowners insurance cost through Cribb?
Cribb agency averages across policies placed run from $83 to $129 a month for a $200,000 replacement-cost band to $220 to $379 or more for $750,000 and above, with $144 to $209 for a $400,000 band. They describe what other households paid, not your quote.
Can I keep the same policy when I rent the home to someone else?
Tell the agency before changing occupancy or starting a short-term rental. A policy written for a home you live in may not fit tenant or guest use, and a landlord or dwelling policy may be needed.
How do I get a homeowners insurance quote in Northwest Arkansas?
Start the personal lines quote or call (479) 286-1066. Send your current declarations page if you have one, and have the address, year built, construction, roof and system ages and any updates ready.
A question before the quote?
Ask Cribby about an insurance term, then let our team review the actual proposal.
Ask CribbyInsurance answers you can understand. From a local agency you can know.
Our Northwest Arkansas guides explain coverage, pricing considerations and policy differences in everyday language, so you can shop with greater confidence.
Add Cribb as a Preferred SourceFind our guides helpful? Add Cribb as a preferred source in Google Search, where available. This is your preference, not a Google endorsement.Ask a question or request a correctionArkansas Code sections cited: §§ 23-79-168, 23-79-169 and 23-88-101. Carrier examples illustrate coverage concepts. Availability through Cribb, selected protections and the terms of your issued policy require a specific review.
Send the declarations page.
We’ll read the two lines that matter.
We will convert your wind and hail deductible into dollars, find the roof provision and tell you what it pays at your roof’s age, check for water backup and service line, and lay the real alternatives side by side: coverage, cost and timing, in plain English.
Homeowners insurance starts with two numbers. You probably know one.
Most homeowners can quote their deductible. Far fewer can quote their wind and hail deductible — which is a percentage of the dwelling limit, applies to the peril most likely to actually damage a home here, and can be twenty times larger. Add the way Arkansas handles roof settlement, which is widely explained wrong, and you have the two lines that decide what your policy is worth. Here's all six coverages, both deductibles, and what our clients pay. We shop it across 40+ carriers.
The short answer
A homeowners policy is six coverages, A through F, and B, C and D are usually set as a percentage of A — so the dwelling limit quietly drives almost everything. Two lines matter more than the rest here. Your wind and hail deductible is a percentage of Coverage A, not a flat amount, and on a $400,000 home 5% is $20,000. Arkansas also permits a mandatory roof payment schedule for roofs seven years or older when the required notice is approved by the Arkansas Insurance Department. Knowing whether your policy carries one, and what it pays at your roof's age, is the question worth asking.
Six coverages, and one of them sets the other three.
Most homeowners never see this structure until a claim, which is exactly when it's too late to change it. Read it once and you'll know more about your policy than almost anyone on your street.
Dwelling
The structure — walls, roof, foundation, built-ins, attached garage. Set at replacement cost: what it costs to rebuild today, not what the house would sell for and not what the county assessed it at. This is the number everything else keys off.
Other structures
Detached garage, shop, shed, fencing, in-ground pool. Usually set automatically at a percentage of Coverage A — which is fine until someone builds a serious detached shop and nobody adjusts it.
Personal property
Everything inside. Also set as a percentage of A. Carries category caps — jewelry, firearms, silver and collectibles are limited to modest amounts unless scheduled individually, no matter how much total contents coverage you carry.
Loss of use
Hotel, rental, meals and storage while the home is uninhabitable. Also a percentage of A. After a regional storm this runs longer than anyone plans for, because every contractor in the county is already busy.
Personal liability
Responds when you're legally responsible for someone else's injury or property damage — on your property or off it. A dog, a pool, a trampoline, a guest on the stairs. This is where an umbrella sits on top.
Medical payments
A small no-fault amount for a guest hurt at your home. Modest and fast, and often the thing that resolves a minor incident before it turns into a Coverage E claim against you.
Your wind and hail deductible is not your deductible.
Most Arkansas policies now apply a separate deductible to wind and hail, expressed as 1, 2, 3 or 5 percent of the dwelling limit. It applies to the peril most likely to actually damage a home here.
Same house, same policy, five very different numbers.
On a home insured for $400,000, here is what that one line means in dollars:
| Deductible on the declarations page | What you actually pay first |
|---|---|
| All other perils — $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Wind & hail — 1% | $4,000 |
| Wind & hail — 2% | $8,000 |
| Wind & hail — 3% | $12,000 |
| Wind & hail — 5% | $20,000 |
Illustrative arithmetic on a $400,000 dwelling limit, shown to explain how a percentage deductible works. Not a quote and not an indication of what any carrier would offer you.
The cheapest quote is often the one with the worst hail terms.
This is the trade that gets made without anyone naming it. A carrier can produce a lower premium by moving the wind and hail deductible from 1% to 5%, and on a $400,000 home that's the difference between paying $4,000 and $20,000 after the storm that finally comes. Two quotes are only comparable if both deductibles match — the flat one and the percentage one. We put them side by side on every quote and every renewal, because it's the single easiest place for a comparison to be quietly dishonest.
Arkansas permits roof payment schedules beginning at age seven.
An Arkansas carrier may apply a mandatory roof payment schedule endorsement to roofs seven years or older, with proper notice submitted to the Arkansas Insurance Department for approval.
The right question is: "Does my policy have a roof schedule, and what does it pay?"
Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin 17-2023 allows insurers to apply a mandatory roof schedule endorsement to roofs seven years or older, with proper notice submitted to the Department for approval. The schedule in your policy controls what it pays, so read the declarations and endorsements rather than relying on a general rule of thumb.
The practical difference matters. A schedule is knowable in advance. You can read it, find your roof's age on it, and know today what a total roof loss would pay — which is exactly the conversation to have before a storm rather than during a claim. So the question to ask at renewal isn't whether you've been quietly downgraded. It's "does this policy carry a roof payment schedule, and what percentage does it pay at my roof's age?" That's a specific line on the declarations page, and if you can't find it, ask.
Roof age still drives price and eligibility — just not the way people say.
All of the above is about how a claim gets paid. Separately, the age and condition of a roof are among the strongest factors in what a policy costs and in whether a carrier will write it at all, and appetite varies widely between markets — which is exactly the situation where having a lot of them helps. If your roof is approaching the point where the schedule starts to bite, that's the moment to have the conversation, not after the next hail event. Replacing a roof at the right time is one of the more consequential insurance decisions a Northwest Arkansas homeowner makes, and it's worth pricing the coverage consequences alongside the roofing quote rather than separately.
Six add-ons that close the gaps we actually see.
Each of these closes a hole that exists in a standard policy by default. Most cost a small amount annually and are worth carrying for almost any NWA home.
Water backup
Sewer, drain and sump-pump backup is excluded on a standard policy, full stop. Adding it is inexpensive and it's close to essential for any home with a finished lower level or a sump.
Service line
The water, sewer, gas and electrical lines running from the street to your house are your responsibility and aren't covered as standard. Excavation is most of the cost, which is what makes this one pay for itself.
Equipment breakdown
Mechanical and electrical failure of HVAC, water heaters, well pumps and major appliances — normally excluded as wear. One HVAC failure typically covers many years of the endorsement.
Ordinance or law
Pays the extra cost of bringing the home to current code during a covered rebuild. Often included at a small default percentage and worth increasing, especially on an older house.
Scheduled property
Jewelry, firearms, art, instruments and collectibles listed individually — at agreed value, usually all-risk, usually with no deductible, and covered away from the house. The fix for Coverage C's caps.
Personal umbrella
Extra liability sitting on top of the home and the autos at once. The standard answer once there's a teen driver, a pool, a dog or rental property in the picture, and cheaper relative to what it does than most people expect.
Not every home should be on an HO-3.
The form is chosen before the limits are, and choosing the wrong one is a more expensive mistake than picking the wrong deductible.
Open perils on the structure, named perils on contents. The right form for most owner-occupied single-family homes and the one most policies here are written on.
Open perils on both the structure and the contents, so the burden of proof at claim time shifts. Usually worth pricing on newer or higher-value homes rather than assuming HO-3.
For a unit where an association's master policy covers the building. Sized against that master policy rather than against the unit's purchase price.
Built for homes where a full replacement-cost rebuild would far exceed market value — often the only way to write an older house that other forms won't accept.
For a house you rent out or don't occupy. Covers the structure, fair rental value and landlord liability, and it isn't a homeowners policy with a different name.
Three things it won't cover, no matter how good the policy is.
Flood
Water arriving from outside and spreading across the ground is flood, and it's excluded from every homeowners policy. Being outside a mapped zone means a lender won't require it, not that it can't happen. See our flood page.
Earth movement
Earthquake, landslide, subsidence and earth shifting are all excluded, and the wording is deliberately broad. Coverage exists but has to be added on purpose. See our earthquake page.
Wear, rot and neglect
Insurance answers sudden accidental loss, not deterioration. A roof that wore out, a slow leak that ran for months, termites, rot and deferred maintenance are all outside it — and neglect can complicate an otherwise covered claim.
What our Arkansas clients actually pay.
Drawn from Cribb Insurance Group's own Arkansas homeowners book — clients we placed, not a published market average. Ranges are by replacement cost, which is what a policy is rated on, rather than by what a home would sell for.
| Home replacement cost | Cribb client range | What tends to drive it |
|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $83 – $129 / mo | A smaller home still carries full wind and hail exposure, so the premium doesn't scale down as fast as the value does. |
| $300,000 | $118 – $167 / mo | Roof age and the wind and hail deductible tend to move this band more than anything else. |
| $400,000 | $144 – $209 / mo | The most common band for newer NWA construction. Worth pricing an HO-5 against the HO-3 here. |
| $500,000 | $171 – $246 / mo | Scheduled property and higher liability limits usually start to matter at this point. |
| $750,000+ | $220 – $379+ / mo | Worth comparing against a purpose-built high-value form rather than only a standard one. |
Ranges reflect Cribb Insurance Group client policies in Arkansas. They are historical, they describe other households, and they are not a quote, an estimate for you, or a promise of availability or price. See the full disclosure at the foot of this page.
Two houses of the same value on the same street can price a long way apart. Price turns on the replacement cost and how it was calculated, the age and condition of the roof, construction type, the age of wiring, plumbing and HVAC, your all-perils and wind and hail deductibles, protection class and distance to a responding station, claims and coverage history, whether you bundle, and each carrier's filed rates. This isn't a quote or a guarantee. Send your declarations page and we'll build the real figure with you across our markets.
The weather is why it costs what it costs.
Arkansas sits in one of the more active severe-weather regions in the country. The National Weather Service reports a 30-year Arkansas average of 37 tornadoes a year, and hail and straight-line wind events happen outside that window too. None of that is about the houses — it's about the sky above them. Carriers have responded the way carriers do: higher base rates, percentage-based wind and hail deductibles, and much closer attention to roof age. That's the entire reason a homeowners premium here reads high next to a national average.
It also explains why shopping matters more here than in a calmer state. When carriers are all adjusting to the same weather at different speeds and with different appetites, the spread between the friendliest and least friendly market for one specific house gets wide — and it moves. The company that was sharpest on your home three years ago frequently isn't today, and nothing about a renewal notice tells you that.
Where we earn it.
The quiet mistakes on homeowners policies are a dwelling limit that hasn't kept up with what rebuilding actually costs, a wind and hail deductible nobody converted into dollars, no idea whether the policy carries a roof payment schedule or what it pays, water backup and service line never added, and valuables sitting inside Coverage C rather than scheduled. We read the declarations page before we shop it, put both deductibles side by side in dollars, find the roof provision and tell you plainly what it does, compare like for like rather than premium against premium, and say so when your current policy is already the right answer. We don't adjust your claim and can't overrule an adjuster — but we build the policy to respond, and we compare it across our 40+ carrier markets rather than one company's appetite.
What usually sits next to it.
Homeowners insurance questions.
What does homeowners insurance actually cover?
A standard homeowners policy is built from six coverages, labeled A through F. Coverage A is the dwelling, the structure itself. Coverage B is other structures, meaning detached garages, sheds and fences. Coverage C is personal property, everything inside. Coverage D is loss of use, the additional cost of living somewhere else while the home is repaired. Coverage E is personal liability, which responds when you are legally responsible for someone else's injury or property damage. Coverage F is medical payments, a small no-fault amount for a guest hurt at your home.
Most homeowners never see this structure until a claim, which is exactly when it is too late to change it. B, C and D are usually set as a percentage of A, so the dwelling limit quietly drives almost everything else on the policy.
What is a wind and hail deductible, and how is it different from my regular deductible?
On most Arkansas homeowners policies, wind and hail claims are subject to a separate deductible that is expressed as a percentage of your dwelling limit rather than as a flat dollar amount. Commonly it is one, two, three or five percent. The percentage is applied to Coverage A, not to the size of the claim.
On a home insured for four hundred thousand dollars, a two percent wind and hail deductible is eight thousand dollars and a five percent one is twenty thousand, while the all other perils deductible on the same policy might be one thousand. Since wind and hail is the peril most likely to actually damage a home here, that line matters more than the deductible most people can quote from memory. Check it on the declarations page rather than assuming.
How does roof age affect homeowners insurance in Arkansas?
Roof age is one of the largest factors in both price and eligibility. Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin 17-2023 allows an insurer to apply a mandatory roof schedule endorsement to roofs seven years or older, with proper notice submitted to the Department for approval. The endorsement attached to your policy determines how a covered roof loss is settled.
The practical question is whether your policy carries a roof payment schedule and what that schedule pays at your roof's current age. That is a specific line to look for on the declarations page, and it is worth asking about at every renewal.
What is not covered by a standard homeowners policy?
Flood is excluded and needs a separate policy. Earth movement, including earthquake, landslide and subsidence, is excluded and also needs a separate policy. Normal wear and tear, deterioration, mechanical breakdown and maintenance are excluded, because insurance responds to sudden accidental loss rather than to things wearing out. Sewer and drain backup is excluded by default and has to be added by endorsement. Business activity conducted at the home is largely excluded.
There are also category caps inside your contents coverage, so jewelry, firearms, silver and collectibles are limited to relatively small amounts unless they are scheduled individually. None of these are hidden, but almost nobody reads them until after something happens.
How much does homeowners insurance cost in Northwest Arkansas?
Premiums here run higher than the national picture because of severe weather rather than because of anything about the houses. The National Weather Service reports a 30-year Arkansas average of 37 tornadoes a year, and hail and straight line wind events happen year round. Carriers have responded by raising base rates, applying percentage based wind and hail deductibles, and looking much harder at roof age.
Beyond that, price turns on the replacement cost of the home, its age and construction, the roof, your deductibles, prior claims and coverage history, and which carrier you land with. The ranges published on this page come from our own Arkansas book and describe what other households paid, not what yours will cost.
How do I get a homeowners insurance quote in Northwest Arkansas?
Start a personal quote online or call (479) 286-1066, and send your current declarations page if you have one. That single document lets us rebuild your existing coverage exactly and compare like for like rather than guessing at limits.
Otherwise we need the address, the year built, the square footage, the construction type, the age of the roof and of the major systems, any recent updates, and a rough history of claims. Tell us about anything unusual, such as a pool, a trampoline, a dog, a home business, solar panels or a detached shop, because those change both eligibility and the liability conversation. We review the limits and the wind and hail deductible before we shop it, not afterwards.
If our coverage explainers are useful, mark Cribb Insurance as a preferred source so more Northwest Arkansas homeowners can find our local, plain-English guides.
Send the declarations page. We'll read the two lines that matter.
We'll convert your wind and hail deductible into dollars on your actual home, find the roof provision and tell you plainly what it pays at your roof's age, check whether water backup and service line are on there, look at whether the dwelling limit still reflects what rebuilding costs, and compare it across our markets on a matched spec. If your current policy is already right, that's what you'll hear.
Cribb Insurance Group Inc. is an independent insurance agency licensed in Arkansas. This page describes homeowners insurance in general, industry-standard terms for informational purposes only. It is not a policy, not an offer of insurance, and not a guarantee of coverage, availability, eligibility, or price.
About the rate ranges on this page. The figures shown are drawn from Cribb Insurance Group's own book of Arkansas homeowners clients. They are historical and descriptive: they report what a set of other households paid for a stated replacement cost band, over a past period, under the carriers and rating rules in effect at that time. They are not an estimate of your premium, not a quote, not an offer, and not a representation that any particular price is available to you or to anyone. Individual premiums are determined solely at quote and by the policy actually issued, and are affected by replacement cost, construction, age and condition of the roof and major systems, protection class, deductibles, coverage history, claims, carrier underwriting and filed rates, and available discounts. Rates change over time and past figures are not a prediction of future pricing. No saving, discount or comparative advantage is stated or implied. Deductible figures shown on this page are illustrative arithmetic used to explain how a percentage deductible is calculated and are not an indication of what any carrier would offer.
Dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, personal liability and medical payments coverages, along with endorsements such as water backup, service line, equipment breakdown, ordinance or law and scheduled personal property, and along with limits, sub-limits, deductibles, covered causes of loss, and exclusions, are set by the carrier, vary by state and by policy and over time, are subject to the carrier's underwriting approval and eligibility, and apply only as written in the policy actually issued to you. Percentages used to derive Coverage B, C and D from Coverage A vary by carrier and form. Flood, earth movement, wear and tear, deterioration, maintenance, and business activity at the residence are commonly excluded and may require separate coverage.
Statements about roof schedules reflect Arkansas Insurance Department Bulletin 17-2023, which allows a mandatory roof schedule endorsement for roofs seven years or older with proper notice submitted to the Department for approval. They are general information, not legal advice, and not a description of any particular policy. Whether a roof payment schedule applies to you, and what it pays, is determined by the endorsement actually attached to your policy; read your declarations page and endorsements, and confirm current requirements with the Arkansas Insurance Department. Weather figures are general background drawn from published sources and are not a prediction. Any cost or coverage descriptions are general and illustrative, not a quote, and not a guarantee; your premium and coverage are determined at quote and by the policy issued.
Last reviewed September 2026.