Your Chicago home represents a significant investment and a place where you’ve built your life. Whether you own a single-family home in a neighborhood like Beverly or Lincoln Park, a historic greystone in Logan Square, or a townhome in the South Loop, protecting your property with the right homeowners insurance is essential.
At Hicks Insurance Group, we’ve been helping Chicago homeowners secure comprehensive coverage since 1998. As an independent insurance agency with access to over 14 top-rated carriers, we compare multiple options to find you the best protection for your specific Chicago property at competitive rates.
Why Chicago Homeowners Choose Hicks Insurance Group:
Chicago homeowners need comprehensive insurance protection that accounts for urban property values, historic homes, and city-specific risks. A complete homeowners policy provides multiple layers of protection:
Protects: Your home’s physical structure—walls, roof, foundation, attached garage, and built-in appliances
Coverage Details: Dwelling coverage pays to repair or rebuild your Chicago home if it’s damaged or destroyed by covered perils such as fire, windstorm, hail, lightning, or vandalism. This is the foundation of your homeowners policy.
Chicago Considerations: Chicago property values are higher than suburban areas, and construction costs in the city reflect this. Whether you own a century-old bungalow, a historic greystone, or a modern single-family home, your dwelling coverage must reflect the full replacement cost at today’s Chicago construction prices—not just your home’s market value or the mortgage balance.
Historic Homes: If you own a historic Chicago property with unique architectural features, custom millwork, or period-specific materials, you may need specialized coverage to ensure proper restoration using authentic materials and techniques.
Protects: Your belongings—furniture, clothing, electronics, appliances, and personal items
Coverage Details: If your possessions are damaged, destroyed, or stolen (including theft outside your home), personal property coverage reimburses you for their value. Standard policies typically provide coverage equal to 50-70% of your dwelling coverage.
Chicago Urban Considerations: Higher property crime rates in some Chicago neighborhoods make adequate personal property coverage particularly important. Additionally, if you own high-value items such as fine art, jewelry, or collectibles common among Chicago homeowners, you’ll likely need scheduled personal property endorsements for full protection.
Protects: You and your family from financial responsibility if someone is injured on your property or if you’re held responsible for property damage to others
Coverage Details: Liability coverage pays for legal defense, medical bills, and damages if you’re sued or found legally responsible. Standard homeowners policies offer $100,000 to $500,000 in liability coverage.
Chicago Recommendation: Given higher property values and the potential for larger liability claims in urban areas, we strongly recommend Chicago homeowners carry higher liability limits—typically $500,000 to $1 million—or consider umbrella insurance for additional protection beyond your homeowners policy.
Common Liability Scenarios:
Protects: Your living expenses if your Chicago home becomes uninhabitable due to covered damage
Coverage Details: If you must temporarily relocate while your home is repaired after fire, storm damage, or other covered events, ALE coverage pays for hotel costs, temporary apartment rental, restaurant meals, and other increased expenses.
Chicago Reality: Temporary housing in Chicago is expensive. Ensure your policy provides adequate ALE coverage to cover the higher costs of living in the city during an extended displacement period.
Protects: Detached structures on your property such as garages, sheds, fences, and gazebos
Coverage Details: Standard policies provide other structures coverage equal to 10% of dwelling coverage, but this can be increased if needed.
Chicago Application: Detached garages are common in Chicago neighborhoods. If you have a valuable detached garage or other structures on your property, verify your coverage limits are adequate.
IMPORTANT FOR CHICAGO HOMEOWNERS
Why This Matters: Many Chicago homes, particularly older properties with basements, are at risk for water backup from sewer lines, sump pump failures, and drain blockages. Chicago’s aging infrastructure and heavy rainfall make water backup a real concern.
What It Covers:
Critical Note: Standard homeowners policies typically exclude water backup damage. You must add this coverage as an endorsement.
Recommendation: Chicago homeowners should strongly consider water backup coverage with limits of $10,000-$25,000. The additional premium is modest (often $75-200/year), but protection against costly basement flooding is invaluable.
Separate Policy Required
Critical Distinction: Standard homeowners insurance does NOT cover flood damage from rising water. Chicago’s proximity to Lake Michigan and the Chicago River means flood insurance may be necessary, particularly for properties in designated flood zones.
What Flood Insurance Covers:
Chicago Flood Risk: Even if your property isn’t in a designated high-risk flood zone, Chicago’s urban flooding challenges mean flood insurance is worth considering. We can help you assess your flood risk and obtain coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private carriers.
Essential for Chicago Homeowners with Valuable Possessions
Why You Need This: Standard homeowners policies have sub-limits on high-value items. If you own expensive jewelry, art, collectibles, or electronics common among Chicago homeowners, you need scheduled personal property coverage.
Items Often Requiring Scheduling:
Benefits: Scheduled items are covered at full appraised value with no deductible, including coverage for accidental damage and mysterious disappearance.
Important Difference: If you own a Chicago condo, you need condo insurance (HO-6 policy), not traditional homeowners insurance (HO-3 policy). Understanding the distinction is critical:
Condo Insurance (HO-6):
Single-Family Home Insurance (HO-3):
We help Chicago condo owners understand their condo association’s master policy and ensure proper coverage coordination.
If you own a Chicago landmark or historic property (greystone, vintage bungalow, Victorian home), you may need specialized coverage for:
We work with carriers experienced in insuring Chicago’s historic homes to ensure proper protection.
Chicago’s higher property values and urban environment warrant higher liability limits than suburban areas. We typically recommend Chicago homeowners carry:
This protects you from potentially devastating lawsuits related to injuries on your property or damage claims.
Serving Chicago Since 1998: For over 25 years, we’ve helped Chicago homeowners protect their properties with comprehensive insurance coverage. While our office is conveniently located in nearby Mokena (19144 88th Avenue), we serve Chicago neighborhoods throughout the city and understand the unique insurance needs of Chicago properties.
Chicago-Specific Insurance Knowledge:
Independent Agency Advantage: As an independent agency partnering with over 14 top-rated carriers, we provide Chicago homeowners with:
Personalized Service: You’ll work directly with experienced insurance professionals who take time to understand your Chicago home, your assets, and your coverage needs. We’re not a faceless online platform or call center—we’re real people committed to protecting what matters most to you.
We help Chicago homeowners maximize available discounts while maintaining comprehensive protection:
Common Discounts:
We ensure you’re taking advantage of every discount you qualify for to reduce your Chicago homeowners insurance costs.
Perfect 5.0 out of 5 stars
“Illinois’ highest-rated independent insurance agency”
Chicago homeowners trust Hicks Insurance Group because we deliver expert advice, flexible coverage options from multiple carriers, and personalized service you can count on. Our perfect 5-star rating reflects our commitment to protecting what matters most to you.
Standard homeowners insurance provides dwelling coverage for your home’s structure, personal property coverage for your belongings, liability protection if someone is injured on your property, additional living expenses if you need temporary housing, and other structures coverage for detached buildings. Each component protects a different aspect of your property and financial well-being.
Standard homeowners insurance does NOT cover flood damage. If your Chicago property is in a designated flood zone or near Lake Michigan or the Chicago River, flood insurance may be required by your mortgage lender or wise protection. We can help you assess your flood risk and obtain coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program or private carriers.
Condo insurance (HO-6 policy) covers your personal property, improvements to your unit, liability, and assessments from the condo association—but NOT the building structure (covered by the association’s master policy). Traditional homeowners insurance (HO-3) covers the entire structure plus contents and liability. Chicago condo owners need HO-6 policies, not HO-3.
Given Chicago’s higher property values and urban environment, we recommend Chicago homeowners carry at least $500,000 in liability coverage, and many carry $1 million or more. Additionally, umbrella insurance providing $1-2 million in additional liability protection is common among Chicago homeowners for comprehensive protection against lawsuits.
Have more questions? Call us at (708) 532-7474 or request a quote online.
Protect your Chicago home with comprehensive coverage at competitive rates. Our experienced team compares options from over 14 top-rated carriers to find you the best protection and value for your specific Chicago property.
Three Easy Ways to Get Your Free Quote:
Office Hours:
Monday-Thursday: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Friday: 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Why Chicago Homeowners Choose Hicks Insurance Group:
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