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If you're under contract right now, here's the short version: you need a policy in place before you close. Not eventually. Your lender is going to ask for proof of insurance, and every year I watch a few people leave it until the last week and then scramble.
This gets you an actual quote — not a “someone will call you” form. It runs through NR Insurance, Nebraska Realty's in-house agency, which mostly matters because it means I can pick up the phone and help if something gets stuck.
You can quote the house on its own or bundle it with auto, which is usually where the savings show up. If you bundle, it'll ask for a driver's license number — that's normal. It's what lets them run a real rate instead of a ballpark.
Have these handy
- A driver’s license number for at least one person on the policy
- Year, make, and model of any vehicles you want quoted
- The age of your roof, if you know it
- Your current policy, if you have one to compare against
It pulls the rest of the house details on its own once the address is in — and if anything it pulled looks wrong, you can change it.
Get your instant quote
A few questions and you’ll see a real number. No phone call required.
Three things about insurance here that catch people off guard
Nebraska and western Iowa sit in what the insurance industry politely calls Hail Alley. That one fact shapes almost everything about how policies are written around here, and it's why advice you read from a national website often doesn't match the quote in front of you.
Your hail deductible is probably a percentage, not a flat number
You might see “$1,000 deductible” and feel fine about it. But most policies written here carry a separate wind and hail deductible — usually 1% or 2% of what your home is insured for, not a flat dollar amount.
An older roof may not be covered for what it costs to replace
Replacement cost pays what a new roof costs today. Actual cash value pays that minus depreciation. More carriers are moving older roofs onto actual cash value — and on a twelve-year-old roof, the check can land well short of the bid.
Rates here have climbed faster than almost anywhere else
Nebraska has been near the top of the country for home insurance increases the last couple of years, driven almost entirely by hail. If you're budgeting off a number a friend quoted you two years ago, that number is stale.
Run the math
What a percentage deductible actually costs
On a home insured at $350,000, the difference between a flat deductible and a percentage one is not small. Same storm, same roof, wildly different day.
Worth knowing which one you have before the hail shows up.
Under contract? Here's when this needs to happen
Insurance is one of the few closing items that's entirely on you — no one else can do it for you.
Right after inspection
Start shopping. You now know the roof age and the condition of the big systems — exactly what a carrier wants to know. Quoting before inspection usually means re-quoting after.
2–3 weeks before closing
Pick your policy and send the declarations page to your lender. They need it to finish the file. This is the deadline people miss.
At closing
Your first year's premium is usually paid at the table and folded into escrow. It shows up on your Closing Disclosure — no separate bill.
Already own your home?
Most people set up a policy the week they close and then never look at it again. Meanwhile the house appreciates, construction costs go up, and the coverage quietly falls behind what it would actually take to rebuild.
The same quote tool works for this. It takes a few minutes, and worst case you find out you're already in good shape.
Worth a fresh look if
- You haven't compared rates in three or more years
- You put on a new roof — especially impact-resistant, which often earns a discount
- You finished a basement, added a bathroom, or built on
- Your renewal came in noticeably higher than last year
- You've never checked whether your wind and hail deductible is a percentage
Common questions
How much is homeowners insurance in Omaha?
There's no single answer, and anyone who gives you one without asking about your house is guessing. It depends on the age and value of the home, the roof, your claims history, your deductible, and where you are in the metro. Nebraska runs higher than the national average because of hail. A real quote beats any estimate I could give you here.
Do I have to use NR Insurance?
Not at all. You can use any carrier or agent you want, and plenty of my clients stay with whoever they've had for years. This is here because it's fast and it's one less thing to chase down. Shop it against your current carrier — that's a smart move either way.
Does this cover homes in Iowa too?
Yes. Council Bluffs and the surrounding Iowa communities are covered. Same hail exposure, same things to watch for on the policy.
What's the difference between insurance and a home warranty?
Insurance covers sudden damage — hail, fire, wind, a burst pipe. A home warranty is a service contract for normal wear and tear on things like the furnace or water heater. Separate products; one doesn't replace the other. Your lender only requires the insurance.
Do I need flood insurance in the Omaha area?
A standard homeowners policy does not cover flooding. If the home is near the Missouri or Platte, or in a designated flood zone, your lender will likely require a separate flood policy. Worth asking about early, because it changes the monthly number.
NR Insurance is an affiliate of Nebraska Realty. You are never required to use any particular insurance provider as a condition of a real estate transaction, and you are free to shop for coverage wherever you like. Coverage, pricing, and policy terms are determined by the insurance carrier — this page is general information, not insurance advice.
Need to know what your home is currently worth?
Your policy is priced on what it would cost to rebuild your house — a different number than what it would sell for. Get a custom valuation, and keep getting updates as the market moves.
