What is Stillwater known for in homeowners insurance?

Stillwater is known for writing what the industry calls “non-standard” homes, the properties that the tightest preferred-carrier rules tend to decline. In plain terms, a non-standard home is one a typical insurer might turn away because of an older roof, a past claim, a lapse in prior coverage, a credit-related rating factor, or a feature like a wood stove or an older electrical panel.

Homes that often fall into the non-standard category include:

• A roof that is 15 to 25 years old when a preferred carrier wants it newer.
• A single water or weather claim in the last few years that triggered declines elsewhere.
• A gap in prior coverage that stricter carriers penalize heavily.
• An older but well-maintained home that standard markets are nervous about.
• A landlord or seasonal-use angle that complicates placement with a strictly owner-occupied insurer.

Non-standard pricing tends to follow the risk. A 1968 ranch with a 19-year-old roof and one wind claim from a 2023 storm might be declined by a preferred carrier after underwriting review, while a non-standard market could still offer replacement-cost protection at a higher premium rather than leaving the home uninsured.

Non-standard policies come with trade-offs worth understanding: a higher premium, a higher deductible/" class="oc-glossary-link">wind and hail deductible, or a roof settlement based on actual cash value rather than full replacement cost as the roof ages. As a home improves, for example after a roof replacement, it can often qualify for a more competitively priced standard market.

If you are not sure whether your home is standard or non-standard, that is exactly the kind of question an independent agency sorts out. Get a free coverage review and we will tell you which markets fit your home and why.