Start with the same home and the same coverage limits
Gather the written quotes and your current declarations page. Check the property, occupancy, policy dates, dwelling limit, belongings, liability, and loss-of-use coverage. Ask why any limits differ. A quote with a lower dwelling limit is not a like-for-like price comparison.
Use the same row labels for every quote: dwelling, personal property, liability, ordinary deductible, wind or hurricane deductible, roof settlement, water-related exclusions, and policy term. Mark an unanswered field as unknown rather than treating it as included.
Put the premium on a common time basis
Record the total premium for the stated policy term—not an installment that leaves out a down payment. A $1,200 six-month premium annualizes to $2,400 if the next six months cost the same. A $2,300 annual premium is $100 lower on that arithmetic basis; it is not necessarily the better policy.
Our worksheet multiplies each term premium by 12 divided by its term in months. It shows the calculation without predicting renewal prices. Enter installment fees or other charges separately in your questions for the agent; the worksheet does not infer them from an advertised monthly payment.
Translate percentage deductibles into dollars
If a quote states a deductible as a percentage of the dwelling limit, identify that basis before calculating it. In an illustrative quote with a $400,000 dwelling limit, 2% is $8,000. It is not 2% of the repair bill. A separate $2,500 ordinary deductible would not make the hurricane deductible $2,500.
Ask the agent when each deductible applies, whether a deductible applies per event or on another basis, and where the answer appears in the policy. The worksheet provides room for both the ordinary and separate deductibles.
Source: Florida DFS: hurricane deductibles.
Ask what happens at claim time
Have the agent explain replacement cost versus actual cash value, any roof-specific settlement schedule, and conditions for recovering withheld depreciation. Check exclusions and sublimits, including water damage and any endorsements you requested.
End with a short written list: which quote details still need confirmation, what changes you requested, and who will send the revised documents. A completed worksheet organizes a conversation; it cannot establish that a loss is covered.
Source: Texas DOI: home insurance guide.