Insurance in Palmdale and Lancaster, CA

The drive from central Palmdale to our door is about 38 miles, and roughly 26 of them are on the Antelope Valley Freeway. From central Lancaster it's about 46. That's a long way to go for a signature, so we don't ask you to make it.

California's legal minimum (30/60/15) is a floor, not a recommendation. A crash at freeway speed can run past those limits fast, and anything above them can come back to you personally.

• Liability: pays for injuries and damage you cause to other people.
• Uninsured motorist: pays for your own injuries when the at-fault driver has no insurance or not enough.
• Comprehensive: pays for a cracked windshield, wind-blown debris, theft or vandalism, minus your deductible.
• Collision: pays to repair your car after a crash, no matter who caused it.

Two local details shape a good Antelope Valley policy: the SR-14 commute through Soledad Canyon piles up miles, and high desert wind and heat are hard on glass. Our page on car insurance in Palmdale and Lancaster covers both, and the guide to California's minimum car insurance explains the limits.

The San Andreas runs through town

The fault zone crosses the Antelope Valley Freeway near the Avenue S exit, and Lake Palmdale sits in a basin formed by its past movement. Homeowners policies exclude shaking damage, so the way to insure it is a separate earthquake insurance policy.

Fire along the foothill edge

Palmdale's General Plan points to the wildland edge on the city's southwest and west sides, and Leona Valley, Lake Hughes, Acton and Agua Dulce sit right in the brush. Underwriters look closely at those addresses. If the regular market says no, our California FAIR Plan guide explains the fallback.

Wind, heat and freezing nights

Lancaster's normal December low is 29.7 degrees and its normal July high is 97.6 (NOAA, 1991 to 2020). Roofs, fences and water pipes take the strain. Wind damage and sudden bursts are normally covered, while wear and slow leaks are not. Our Palmdale home insurance page goes deeper.

A homeowners policy is written for a house the owner lives in. Once tenants move in, switch to a landlord insurance policy that covers the building, your liability as the owner and, on many policies, rent you lose while a covered loss is repaired.

Tenants need their own coverage. The landlord's policy pays for the building, not your furniture or your liability, so renters insurance is what protects you. Condo owners usually need an HO-6 policy instead, explained on our condo insurance page.

• General liability for injuries or property damage you cause to customers or the public.
• A business owner's policy that pairs liability with coverage for your equipment and inventory.
• Commercial auto for work trucks and vans.
• Workers' compensation, which California requires once you have an employee.
• Contractor insurance for trades that need certificates before they can start a job.

Not sure which of these you need? Start with the business insurance overview, then call and we'll sort it out with you.

• Palmdale: Rancho Vista, Anaverde and east Palmdale, plus unincorporated Desert View Highlands, which the city surrounds.
• Lancaster and the west side: Quartz Hill and Antelope Acres.
• East of the cities: Littlerock, Pearblossom, Sun Village and Lake Los Angeles.
• Foothills and canyons: Leona Valley, Lake Hughes, Acton and Agua Dulce.

Through both cities, SR-14 also carries the name Aerospace Highway, a fit for a valley with Air Force Plant 42 in northeast Palmdale (home to Lockheed Martin's Skunk Works, Northrop Grumman and Boeing) and Edwards Air Force Base off to the northeast.