Home Insurance in Palmdale, CA: Wind, Wildfire and the San Andreas

Most houses here are fairly young. The city had about 12,000 residents in 1980 and about 169,000 at the 2020 Census, so neighborhoods from Rancho Vista to east Palmdale were mostly built in the decades since.

Young doesn't mean cheap to rebuild. Set your dwelling limit (the coverage for the house itself) at what it would cost to rebuild with today's labor and materials, which can be very different from the sale price or what you paid. Our overview of homeowners insurance in California explains each part of the policy.

You can see the fault from the car. Lake Palmdale fills a basin formed by past fault movement (NASA), and the SR-14 road cut just south of town exposes rock layers folded and squeezed by the San Andreas (UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory).

Earthquake coverage is its own policy. The California Earthquake Authority (opens in a new tab) provides most of it in California through participating home insurers, and some private carriers offer it too. Deductibles are a percentage of your coverage, far higher than a typical homeowners deductible, so read that number before you buy. Our earthquake insurance page compares the choices.

When the National Weather Service issues a high wind warning for the Antelope Valley, it's the roof, the fence and anything loose in the yard that take the beating. Here's where those claims usually land on a policy:

• Dwelling: the roof, siding, windows and anything attached to the house, like a patio cover.
• Other structures: detached garages, sheds, block walls and fences, usually up to a set share of your dwelling limit.
• Personal property: patio furniture and other belongings, within your policy's limits.

Cold is the other surprise. Palmdale's normal December low is 31.6 degrees (NOAA, 1991 to 2020), so exposed pipes can freeze. A sudden burst is usually covered, but a slow drip that rotted a wall over months usually isn't. Wrap exposed pipes and know where your main water shutoff is.

One gap to know about: standard policies exclude flood. The city's General Plan notes localized flooding east of SR-14 near Amargosa Creek and Anaverde Creek, so if your street sits near a wash, ask us whether a separate flood policy makes sense.

The city's General Plan flags the wildland-urban interface along its southwestern and western edges, and outside city limits, Acton, Agua Dulce, Leona Valley and Lake Hughes sit among brush-covered hills. In August 2020 the Lake Fire started southwest of Lake Hughes and burned 31,089 acres (CAL FIRE).

Before you shop, look up the address on the state's Fire Hazard Severity Zone map (opens in a new tab). Then pull together what underwriters tend to ask about: roof material and age, defensible space (brush cleared back from the house), ember-resistant vents and any recent upgrades.

If none of the carriers we quote can write the home, our California FAIR Plan guide explains the fallback: a basic fire policy from the FAIR Plan plus a difference-in-conditions (DIC) policy for things like theft, water damage and liability. Already holding a non-renewal letter? Read what to do after a home insurance non-renewal.

Many newer homes in the valley came with solar for a simple reason. Lancaster became the first U.S. city to require solar panels on new homes, starting in 2014, and the state's building standards made them a requirement for new homes permitted from 2020 on (California Energy Commission).

Tell us whether the system is owned, financed or leased, what it cost and whether it has a battery. Panels or a battery added after the policy started may push your rebuild cost past your dwelling limit, and so can a garage conversion or an added room.

Have cars to insure too? Pricing the house and cars together with Mercury is usually the first quote we run. See how bundling home and auto works, or compare car insurance in Palmdale and Lancaster.

We also quote home insurance in Santa Clarita and home insurance in Bakersfield. Renters, landlords and business owners can find more on our Palmdale and Lancaster insurance page.