Coastal homeowners could qualify for insurance premium discounts

WRIGHTSVILLE BEACH, NC (WWAY) — Good news for homeowners in coastal counties. The state Department of Insurance is offering premium discounts on wind and hail policies.

A tornado, hurricane or windstorm can destroy your home in the blink of an eye, but taking necessary steps could help save your house and your wallet. People who take or have taken steps to protect their homes against wind and hail may qualify.

Credit can be awarded to people who have engineered window shutters or a specific type of roof called a hip roof. A hip roof, commonly shaped like a pyramid, holds up well to high winds.

The insurance discount can be beneficial to people who are building a new home or retro-fitting an old one, but it may not be worth the money for people who do not need new shutters or roofing.

“I think it’s ridiculous, because even if I was carrying windstorm insurance, to save several hundred dollars in premiums after making an outlay to completely redesign the roof of my house and have it replaced, which would cost many many thousands of dollars, there’s just no way in the world I could recoup that kind of outlay,” Wrightsville Beach resident George Clark said.

A home valued at $150,000 could qualify for a premium discount between $40 and $450. You can find out if you qualify by checking with your insurance company. The credits will not be effective until May of next year, just before hurricane season.