How to Get Commercial Property Insurance in Houston
If you own a taquería on Bellaire, a drywall crew working jobs across Harris County, or a cleaning company running out of a leased unit, your building and everything in it is usually the largest thing you own that you have not insured properly.
This page covers what to have ready before you call, the 2 coverage gaps that catch Houston owners specifically, and what commercial property insurance actually costs in Texas.
If you want the coverage breakdown first, read what commercial property insurance covers. For the statewide overview, read commercial property insurance in Texas.
What to have ready before you call
Have these 5 things in hand and we can quote the same day.
- The address and who owns the building. Whether you own or lease changes the policy. If you lease, bring the section of your lease that says what you are required to insure. Most Houston commercial leases put the building on the landlord and the contents, fixtures and improvements on you.
- Year built, roof age, and construction type. Frame, masonry, or metal. Roof age moves the price more than almost anything else on an older Houston building.
- A contents number. Add up equipment, inventory, furniture and anything you installed yourself. Walk-in coolers, fryers, compressors, racking, ladders and power tools all count. Owners underestimate this by half more often than not.
- Your business type and payroll or revenue. A taquería, a landscaping outfit and a drywall contractor get rated differently even in the same building.
- Any loss in the last 5 years. Fire, theft, water, hail. Tell us up front. It comes up in the underwriting either way, and finding it later restarts your quote.
You do not need a Social Security number to buy a commercial policy. Matrícula Consular, a passport, an ITIN letter, or a DACA work permit are accepted, the same as on the personal side.
The 2 gaps that catch Houston business owners
1. Wind and hail is not a flat deductible, and TWIA probably does not apply to you
Most Houston owners have heard of TWIA, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, and assume it is where coastal wind coverage comes from.
TWIA covers 14 first-tier coastal counties, and in Harris County it only covers property east of Highway 146. That is Seabrook, La Porte, Morgan’s Point and the ship channel edge. If your business is in Gulfton, Sharpstown, the East End, Spring Branch, Northside or anywhere inside the Loop or the Beltway, you are not in TWIA territory and you do not need a WPI-8 certificate.
Your wind and hail coverage comes from your standard commercial property policy instead. The thing to check there is the deductible, because it is usually a percentage of the building limit, not a flat dollar amount. On a $400,000 building, a 2% wind and hail deductible is $8,000 out of pocket before the policy pays anything, even though your standard deductible for a fire or a break-in might be $1,000.
Ask 2 questions on any quote you are handed:
- Is the wind and hail deductible a flat amount or a percentage?
- If it is a percentage, what is the dollar figure on my building limit?
2. Flood is excluded, and the flood map is not the whole story
Standard commercial property policies exclude flood. Every one of them. If water comes in from outside, that is a separate policy.
Harris County flooding is not limited to the mapped floodplain. Plenty of businesses that took water in Harvey were outside the 100-year zone. Being off the FEMA map means flood insurance is cheaper for you, not that you do not need it.
If your unit is at street level, on a slab, or anywhere water has pooled in the parking lot, price the flood policy before you decide against it.
What commercial property insurance costs in Texas
Texas businesses pay an average of $132 a month, or $1,585 a year, for commercial property insurance. Texas runs above the national average on property coverage because of hurricane exposure.
Nationally, small businesses average $108 a month, 46% pay under $100 a month, and the typical deductible chosen is $1,000. Food and beverage businesses average $131 a month, higher than most, because of cooking equipment and fire exposure.
Treat those as a range, not a quote. What moves your number:
- Roof age. The single biggest swing on older Houston buildings.
- Construction type. Masonry rates better than frame.
- Contents value. Kitchen equipment and tools add up faster than owners expect.
- Wind and hail deductible. Taking 2% instead of 1% lowers the premium and raises your out-of-pocket.
- Fire suppression and alarms. Monitored systems reduce the rate.
- Loss history. 1 claim in 5 years is usually fine, 3 is not.
Most small businesses buy this inside a Business Owner’s Policy, which packages property with general liability and usually prices below buying the 2 separately. See BOP insurance in Houston.
How to get covered
- Call or send the 5 items above. (832) 804-9286 or (832) 669-6734.
- We quote the same day. You get the building limit, the contents limit, the standard deductible and the wind and hail deductible in dollars, not percentages.
- Review the exclusions with the agent. Flood, earthquake, wear and tear, and anything your lease requires that the quote does not cover.
- Bind the policy. You get the certificate of insurance the same day, which is what your landlord or lender is usually waiting on.
- Review once a year. New equipment, a bigger space or a second location changes what you need. Owners who skip this end up underinsured at the worst possible moment.
Lizabe Moreno, Ingrid López and Janeth López handle commercial lines in English and Spanish.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need commercial property insurance if I lease my space in Houston?
Usually yes. The landlord insures the structure. Your contents, equipment, inventory and any improvements you installed are yours to insure. Most Houston commercial leases also require you to carry general liability and name the landlord as an additional insured. Check your lease before you decide what limits to buy.
Does my policy cover hurricane damage?
Wind damage from a hurricane is covered under the wind and hail portion of a standard commercial property policy, subject to the percentage deductible. Storm surge and rising water are flood, which is excluded and needs a separate policy.
Do I need TWIA for a business in Houston?
Only if the property is in Harris County east of Highway 146, or in 1 of the 14 first-tier coastal counties. Most Houston addresses are outside that territory and get wind coverage through a standard commercial policy instead.
Can I get a policy without a Social Security number?
Yes. Matrícula Consular, a passport from your country, an ITIN letter from the IRS, or a DACA work permit all work.
How much coverage do I need on my contents?
Enough to replace everything at today’s prices. Walk through the space and add up equipment, inventory, furniture, fixtures and anything you installed. Most owners come in around half of what they actually have.
Is commercial property insurance required in Texas?
Not by state law. It is required by nearly every commercial lease and every lender, so in practice most businesses have to carry it.
Get a quote
Call (832) 804-9286 or (832) 669-6734, or request a quote online. We write commercial property across Texas, in English and Spanish.
Related coverage: business insurance in Houston, general liability, and commercial truck insurance.
Contact us now to learn how we can help protect what matters most to your business.
Related articles
- How to Get Commercial Property Insurance Coverage
- Understanding Commercial Property Insurance in Texas
- Commercial Property Insurance Guide
Janeth López can insure a Texas driver even without a U.S. driver’s license, the kind of policy many families assume isn’t available to them. As an agent at Houston-based Paga Menos Insurance, she covers the whole state across personal and commercial lines, from home, auto, and life coverage to business policies for taquerías, drywall crews, and truckers. She handles all of it in Spanish and builds payment plans around what a client can actually afford.