Texas weather is its own underwriting category. Hail in the metroplex, wind on the coast, freeze events statewide, and a foundation moving every August — a homeowners policy that doesn't account for all of it is a policy you'll find out is wrong at claim time. Sphere writes the version that holds.
Sphere Insurance writes Texas homeowners (HO-3 and HO-5), condo (HO-6), and landlord (DP-3) policies through the same trusted carrier panel shown on our homepage, including Progressive, GEICO, National General, GAINSCO, Bristol West, Kemper, and American Access. At the first review, your agent advises and guides you through the proper coverage selections: dwelling limit, ordinance-or-law, replacement cost on personal property, wind/hail deductible, water-backup and service-line options, personal liability, and umbrella options. We also review coastal homes (Galveston, Corpus Christi, South Padre) and high-value homes through approved specialty markets in our carrier panel, with agreed-value contents, fine art and jewelry, and worldwide personal-articles coverage where available.
Texas runs four climates at once: Gulf Coast hurricane exposure, hail-belt thunderstorms, freeze events that ruined every plumbing layout in 2021, and a clay soil that pulls foundations apart every summer. A homeowners policy that doesn’t account for at least three of these is a policy that will fail at claim time.
Sphere writes Texas homeowners as its own discipline. Properties are shopped through multiple trusted carriers, and customers are guided through rebuild-cost sizing, coverage options, and the wind/hail deductible decision instead of accepting defaults.
Sphere’s homeowners desk writes primary residences, second homes, vacation properties, and rental real estate for Texas owners with:
For high-value homes (replacement cost $2M+), we work through approved specialty markets in our carrier panel that can account for wine cellars, fine art, smart-home systems, and household staff coverage as a default rather than an add-on.
Three coverage decisions drive many Texas homeowners claim disputes: the dwelling limit (too low to rebuild), the wind/hail deductible (chosen by default instead of intentionally), and the ordinance-or-law endorsement (missing entirely on older homes). Sphere advises and guides new customers through all three at the first policy review so the coverage choices are intentional.
We also review whether water-backup coverage, service-line coverage, and equipment-breakdown coverage belong on your policy. These endorsements can cost about $80–$200/year on a typical Texas home, depending on carrier and property, and are designed for failures standard policies often exclude: sewer backup, a water-line break from street to house, or HVAC compressor damage from a power surge.
Pays to repair or rebuild your home on a replacement-cost basis — not depreciated cash value. Sphere reviews extended rebuild options (often 125% of the dwelling limit when available) and ordinance-or-law coverage for code upgrades during reconstruction, which is one of the biggest gaps on older Texas homes.
Detached garages, sheds, fences, pool houses, and outdoor kitchens. Standard at 10% of dwelling; Sphere increases this on properties with significant outbuildings or pool infrastructure.
Furniture, electronics, clothing, and personal effects. Written on replacement-cost basis with scheduled-item endorsements for jewelry, watches, firearms, art, instruments, and collectibles where standard sub-limits (typically $1,500–$2,500) don't reflect actual value.
Pays for hotel, rental housing, restaurant meals, and additional living expenses while a covered loss is being repaired. Sphere reviews longer loss-of-use periods on high-value homes where reconstruction timelines can run long.
Covers bodily injury and property damage you cause to others — pool injuries, dog bites, slip-and-fall, libel and slander. Default $300K; Sphere recommends $500K+ paired with an umbrella for households with pools, dogs, or significant assets.
Pays minor medical expenses for guests injured on your property regardless of fault — typically $5,000.
Texas wind and hail is a separate peril with its own deductible — usually 1%, 2%, or 5% of the dwelling limit. Sphere walks every customer through which deductible their roof age and location actually warrant; the wrong choice here is the most expensive mistake in Texas homeowners insurance.
Sudden-and-accidental water damage is standard. Sphere offers service-line coverage (water, sewer, gas line breaks between street and house) and water-backup coverage (sump pump, sewer line) where available, and your agent will advise you on whether either endorsement fits your home and carrier options — both are excluded by default on most carrier base policies.
| Sphere | Big captive carriers | Online-only carriers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carriers shopped for coastal Texas (Galveston, Corpus, South Padre) | Specialty markets + TWIA navigator | Often declined on coastal | Often declined on coastal |
| Replacement cost on dwelling | Extended-limit options reviewed | Standard (100%), upgrade costs extra | Standard (100%), upgrade costs extra |
| Ordinance-or-law endorsement | Endorsement options reviewed | Paid add-on | Paid add-on |
| Re-shop at every renewal | Yes — across multiple trusted carriers | No — one company | No — one company |
| Claim advocacy with the adjuster | Your agent walks the claim | You file, adjuster contacts you | You file, adjuster contacts you |
An HO-3 covers your dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, personal liability, and medical payments — with named perils on personal property and open perils on the dwelling. Wind and hail are covered as a separate peril with their own deductible. Flood is never included; it requires a separate NFIP or private flood policy. Sphere walks every customer through which sub-limits, endorsements, and deductibles their property actually needs.
Yes. We write Galveston, Corpus Christi, South Padre, Rockport, and other Gulf Coast counties through specialty markets that don't blanket-decline the coast. For homes inside the TWIA-designated catastrophe area, we write the underlying HO-3 through a private carrier and pair it with TWIA for wind and hail — typically a 30–50% premium reduction vs. writing the entire policy through TWIA.
The dwelling limit should match the cost to rebuild your home — not its market value. In 2026 Texas, residential construction averages $185–$240/sqft for standard builds and $300–$450/sqft for custom or luxury. Personal property is typically written at 50–75% of the dwelling limit; Sphere walks every customer through a contents inventory at the first policy review.
No — every standard homeowners policy in Texas excludes flood, regardless of carrier. Flood coverage is written separately through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) or private flood markets. Sphere writes both and walks customers through whether their property's flood zone (AE, X, VE) actually requires it.
Captive and online-only carriers write one carrier's product, and if their underwriting tightens, they non-renew or raise rates and you have to start over. Sphere quotes multiple trusted carriers in parallel, advises you on extra rebuild coverage and ordinance-or-law options, walks the wind/hail deductible decision with you instead of defaulting it, and rewrites your coverage at every renewal across the full panel.
Texas separates wind and hail from the all-other-perils deductible. The wind/hail deductible is usually a percentage of the dwelling limit (1%, 2%, or 5%) rather than a flat dollar amount. On a $500,000 home, a 1% wind/hail deductible is $5,000; a 2% is $10,000. Choosing the right deductible based on your roof age, location, and risk tolerance is the single most expensive decision in a Texas homeowners policy — your Sphere agent walks you through it explicitly.
Yes. Long-term rental properties are written on a DP-3 (landlord) policy. Short-term rental homes — Airbnb, VRBO — require either a dedicated short-term rental policy or an HO-3 with a STR endorsement. Sphere writes both and matches you to the carrier that doesn't have hidden exclusions on hosting income.
Start online in a couple of minutes — or call and we’ll walk through it together.
Last updated: May 2026
