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Affordable Home Insurance in Sarnia

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Article Contents
Picture of By <span>Matthew Roberts</span>
By Matthew Roberts

Updated on November 12, 2024

Visit author page
Picture of By <span>Matthew Roberts</span>
By Matthew Roberts

Updated November 12, 2024

Visit author page

4 minute read

✓ Expert Reviewed By Michelle Bragg, Licensed Insurance Broker
Article Contents

Quick Facts About Home Insurance in Sarnia

  • Sarnia home insurance is MORE expensive than the Ontario average.
  • The average annual cost of home insurance in Sarnia is around $1,334.

Quote data from MyChoice.ca, October 2024

What Risks Affect Sarnia Homeowners?

Different parts of Canada have different risks that homeowners need to watch out for. Here are three common risks that you should prepare for when living in Sarnia:

Basement flooding

Basement flooding is a somewhat common phenomenon in Sarnia. The municipal government even has a dedicated webpage for basement flooding and home improvement grants to mitigate them.

Fire

Wildfires often happen in Ontario. As of early June 2023, there have been 167 forest fires since the beginning of the year. That’s why it stands to reason that Sarnia residents should be vigilant of fires spreading to homes in their community. Fortunately, most basic home insurance policies include fire protection.

Crime

2021 Crime Severity Index data showed a 15.4% increase in overall crimes in Sarnia. Distressingly, violent crime saw a 26.3% increase within the same period. A higher likelihood of crime means a larger risk of harm coming to yourself, your family, and your home as well as its belongings.

How Much Does Home Insurance in Sarnia Usually Cost?

Home insurance in Sarnia costs anywhere from $1,121 to $1,597 annually, with the average premium coming in around $1,334. Your home insurance premiums are affected by various factors, ranging from your home’s condition, proximity to fire hydrants, and more.

Home condition is a major factor in determining your home insurance rates. Insurers look at things like your home’s value, size, age, as well as its contents. Larger and older homes usually get higher rates because they’re more prone to damage and more expensive to rebuild or repair.

Quote data from MyChoice.ca, October 2024

Postal Codes With the Most Expensive Home Insurance in Sarnia

L1S and L1N postal codes have above-average home insurance rates in Sarnia.

Postal CodeAverage Annual Home Insurance Premium
N7V$1,403
N7S$1,349

Quote data from MyChoice.ca, October 2024

Postal Codes With the Least Expensive Home Insurance in Sarnia

The L1T and L1Z postal codes have some of the cheapest home insurance rates in Sarnia.

Postal CodeAverage Annual Home Insurance Premium
N7T$1,291

Quote data from MyChoice.ca, October 2024

Housing Data in Sarnia

What’s the housing landscape in Sarnia like? Here’s a look at housing data in Sarnia from the 2021 Census of Population:

Type of Occupied Dwelling

At 67.4%, single-detached homes are the most popular dwelling type in Sarnia, followed by apartments in buildings over five storeys at 12.3%. The rarest dwellings by far are movable dwellings, numbering just 40 homes with a 0.1% share.

Owner vs Renter Stats/Condo vs Non-Condo Owners

Based on the 25% sample data, around two-thirds (68.1%) of Sarnia residents own their homes while the remaining one-third (31.8%) are renters.

Private Dwellings by Period of Construction: New or Older Homes?

The 25% sample census data shows that most of Sarnia’s homes are old buildings. 35.9% of homes were built in 1960 or earlier, and 35.1% were built between 1961 and 1980. Homes built after 2000 are comparatively rare, only making up 10.7% of the city’s total dwellings.

Major Repairs or Just Maintenance Needed?

From the 25% sample, we can infer that Sarnia’s homes are well-maintained. 93.2% of homes only need minor repairs, while 6.8% need major repairs.

Homeownership Rate by Age in Sarnia

Homeownership in Sarnia is fairly consistent in relation to other rural cities in Ontario, residents aged 40 or above are the main owners of homes in the city while the younger age groups are yet to own a home, particularly the 15 to 24 age group.

Age GroupHomeownership Rate
15 to 2420.9%
25 to 3957.6%
40 to 5469.2%
55 to 7474.9%
75 and over70.4%

Average Home Price in Sarnia by Dwelling Type

Below are the average values of homes in Sarnia, categorized by dwelling type:

Type of DwellingAverage Value
Detached$324,000
Semi-Detachedn/a
Freehold Townhousen/a

Sarnia Population Growth

Sarnia’s population increased ever so slightly from 71,594 to 72,047 people between 2016 and 2021, indicating a small growth rate of roughly 0.6% across the five years.

What Is Not Included in a Typical Home Insurance Policy?

Even if you’ve opted for a highly comprehensive home insurance policy, there are some risks that insurers explicitly don’t include as a covered peril. These are called “exclusions” by home insurers.

Here are the most common home insurance exclusions:

Criminal activities

If your home was damaged due to criminal activity, it won’t be covered by your insurance policy.

Damage from tenants

Generally, home insurance companies require specific coverage for homeowners/landlords who plan to rent out their properties. A standard home insurance policy won’t include coverage if you rent your home out and the tenant causes damage.

Earthquakes

Most policies exclude this risk, but you can cover earthquake losses and damage as an add-on to a standard policy.

Failure to maintain your home

Damage or losses caused by poor home upkeep (e.g., clogged storm drains, broken bannisters) won’t be covered, as your insurer deems it your responsibility to manage wear and tear.

Flood damage

Flooding is typically not covered by a standard policy, but it may be included as an add-on.

Home business activities

Home businesses will need separate home-based business insurance to cover home or equipment damage.

Insect damage

Because this is considered a preventable risk, most insurers don’t cover insect damage.

Mortgage or property taxes

These are separate expenses handled by policy owners as they’re unrelated to your home insurance policy.

Mould

Mould caused by poor home maintenance is typically excluded by home insurance policies. Note that this is separate from mould caused by an insured peril, which will be covered by your policy.

Vacant dwelling risks

Many insurers may void your insurance if you leave your home vacant for a prolonged period.

This is by no means an exclusive list of risks typically excluded from a home insurance policy in Sarnia. Talk to your home insurance provider to see what’s covered by your policy in case of loss or damage.

Why Do I Need Home Insurance in Sarnia?

Home insurance isn’t legally required in Sarnia, like many other places in Canada. But, it’s still a very good idea to have a home insurance policy to protect you from unforeseen events and accidents. Home insurance protects you by providing financial compensation, so you don’t have to pay for repair or replacement out of pocket. Here’s a look at the three reasons to get home insurance in Sarnia:

Liability protection

You can’t foresee accidents; when they happen, you want to be protected. Many unforeseen events can damage your home and belongings. In some cases, people can even get injured. Home insurance can cover the liability costs when these incidents happen. That means you don’t have to spend as much money covering legal costs, medical fees, and other expenses you’re expected to pay.

Home and belongings protection

Home protection is one of the primary reasons people buy home insurance policies. Home insurance covers repair and replacement costs if unforeseen events damage your dwelling building or your belongings.

Mortgage requirements

When you get a mortgage loan, the lender may require you to get home insurance. Mortgage lenders want you to insure your home because they have a stake in the house, and home insurance can protect their investments.

How You Can Get Cheap Home Insurance in Sarnia

If you’re trying to save money on your preferred home insurance coverage in Sarnia, visit our Ontario page for practical tips.

Methodology

Profiles

Average rates were calculated using a standard profile and incident profiles. All personal details pertaining to the quotes and policies have been kept confidential.

Standard Profile

Quoted rates are based on either a 35-year-old male and/or female homeowners with a clean claim history and good credit. They are also non-smokers and live in a home with monitored fire alarms and burglar alarms. The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible, a $1,000,000 liability and water damage included.

Incident Profiles

We examined how rates change by evaluating profiles. We looked at the most common home insurance claims in Canada: water damage claims, sewer backup claims, breaking/theft claims and property damage claims like wind/hail damage while comparing to a rate with a clean record (standard).

Home Details

Quoted rates are based on either a semi-detached or detached 3 or 4 bedroom home with a valuation around or close to $1,000,000.

Team

MyChoice data science, MyChoice research.

Sources

1. Mychoice.ca Internal Data, Home Insurance Quotes Collected, 2024.

2. Mychoice.ca Internal Data, Most Expensive Postal Codes, Ontario, Sarnia, Home Insurance Quotes Collected, 2024.

3. Mychoice.ca Internal Data, Least Expensive Postal Codes, Ontario, Sarnia, Home Insurance Quotes Collected, 2024.

4. Statistics Canada, 2021, Census of Population, Ontario, Sarnia, Housing Statistics. Data Published March 29, 2023.

5. Statistics Canada, 2021, Census of Population, Ontario, Sarnia, Homeownership Rate by Age. Data Published December 16, 2022.

6. CREA, Ontario, Sarnia, Median Price of Homes by Dwelling Type, 2024.

7. Statistics Canada, 2001-2021, Census of Population Statistics, Ontario, Sarnia, Population Statistics. Data Published December 16, 2022.

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