Insurance: the bill where shopping around pays most
For the same house and coverage, California's own premium survey shows insurers here charging anywhere from $1,598 to $4,968 a year. Most owners renew without checking.
Last checked Oct 20, 2026 · Premiums from the California Department of Insurance survey effective May 1, 2026
What a typical policy costs
State survey for Cupertino: a 70-year-old house, $1 million dwelling coverage, $2,500 deductible, per year. It excludes wildfire surcharges. State Farm isn't listed because it isn't selling new policies.
Ways to pay less
Compare quotes every year
about $1,140 a yearThat's the gap between the median and the cheapest insurer for the same coverage. Use the state's free comparison tool, then call an independent agent.
How: California Department of Insurance premium survey: interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov
Insure the cost to rebuild, not the sale price
~$380 a year per $250,000 lessLand is most of a house's price here, and you don't insure land. Ask your insurer for a rebuild-cost estimate and set dwelling coverage to that, not below it.
Raise the deductible from $2,500 to $5,000
~$270–310 a yearThe median saving in the state survey. Worth it if you could cover a $5,000 repair yourself.
Ask for every discount
Bundling home and auto, a monitored alarm (often 5–15%), a newer roof, and the state-mandated "Safer from Wildfires" discounts for hardening your home (up to 20%, though some insurers give much less).
The California insurance crisis, here
- State Farm raised home premiums 17% in June 2025 and stopped selling new policies. It filed in September 2026 to resume, but only for homes certified as wildfire-prepared. Allstate has also filed to reopen.
- The FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort, has about 684,000 policies and raises rates 29.1% on renewals from Oct 15, 2026.
- Santa Clara County is one of the calmer markets: in 2023 only about 0.7% of homes were on the FAIR Plan, and non-renewals were below the state average.
- Cupertino's western hills are in the state's 2025 fire hazard zones: "Very High" along Regnart Road, Lindy Lane and upper Foothill/McClellan, and "High" in Inspiration Heights. Monta Vista, Rancho Rinconada and the civic center area are outside any zone. Homes in a zone pay more and have fewer insurers to choose from.
Earthquake insurance
Regular home insurance doesn't cover earthquakes. Only about 12% of California homeowners buy earthquake cover, mostly through the California Earthquake Authority. Deductibles run 5% to 25% of the dwelling coverage, so a $1 million policy with a 15% deductible pays only after the first $150,000 of damage.
- Price: private insurers' rates in the state survey for Cupertino run $1.15 to $15 per $1,000 of coverage (median about $3.10), so roughly $1,150 to $15,000 a year for $1 million. All three cities are in the same CEA rating territory.
- Retrofit discount: a bolted and braced raised-foundation house gets 20% off CEA premiums if built 1940–79, 25% if older. Earthquake Brace + Bolt grants pay up to $3,000 toward the work (the 2025 round closed; watch for the next one).
- Your ground: No mapped fault-rupture zone in the city, but the Monta Vista–Shannon fault along the foothills is considered potentially active. Monta Vista along Stevens Creek is in a liquefaction zone, and the western hills have mapped landslide zones.
Facts are checked against the public sources listed on each page. Rates change every year; each page shows when it was last checked. Individual bills are confidential in California, so personal numbers are estimates from public rates. Nothing here is legal, tax or insurance advice.