Buying a home in Arlington moves fast once the contract is signed. Within days you’re scheduling the inspection, delivering the option fee and answering a lender who wants proof of insurance on a house you don’t own yet.
For what coverage costs, see our breakdown of Texas homeowners insurance costs; for local creeks, storms and housing, see our local guide to Arlington homes.
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When should you start the insurance review on an Arlington home purchase?
The short answer: Start during the option period, the window after the contract’s Effective Date when you can still end the contract for any reason, because that’s when an insurance problem costs you the least.
If your offer is on the Texas Real Estate Commission’s One to Four Family Residential Contract (Resale), TREC No. 20-19, paragraph 5B gives the buyer “the unrestricted right to terminate” by notice within a set number of days after the Effective Date, in exchange for an Option Fee. The form leaves that number blank; you and the seller negotiate it.
Under paragraph 5A, the fee is due within 3 days after the Effective Date, and paragraph 5B says notices must be given by 5:00 p.m. local time on the deadline. Paragraph 10A adds a line worth taking literally: “Consult your insurance agent prior to change of ownership and possession.” This is a plain-language summary, not legal advice; ask your real estate agent or a real estate attorney about your contract’s terms and exact dates.
- Days 1–2: the inspection notes a roof the seller’s disclosure lists as about 16 years old.
- Day 3: the buyer asks the seller for a claims report and sends us the address.
- Day 4: the quote shows a 2% wind and hail deductible on a $300,000 dwelling limit: $6,000 out of pocket on a hail claim.
- Before May 8: the buyer decides, with real numbers, whether to negotiate a roof repair or walk away.
What does your lender need from your homeowners insurance before closing?
The short answer: Lenders generally require proof of homeowners insurance, and the CFPB says it’s common to pay the first year’s premium at closing, and many lenders then require an escrow account for insurance and taxes.
Texas law doesn’t require homeowners insurance, but your lender will if you owe money on the home, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. The CFPB says lenders “generally require proof.”
| Item | What it means for you | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of insurance | Your loan officer says which document and how to list the lender. | CFPB |
| First-year premium | Commonly paid in advance at closing. | CFPB |
| Escrow account | Insurance and taxes paid monthly; “many lenders require” it. | CFPB |
| Closing Disclosure | Due three business days before closing. | CFPB |
| Who pays premiums | “Required premiums for flood and hazard insurance” are a buyer’s expense. | TREC ¶12A(2) |
| Flood insurance | Required in a high-risk zone with a government-backed mortgage. | FloodSmart |
If you don’t keep required insurance, the CFPB says your lender may buy it and charge you, after advance notice. When we help a buyer, we get the loan officer’s instructions first, then build the policy around closing day.
What does the Texas seller’s disclosure tell you about insurance?
The short answer: TREC’s current Seller’s Disclosure Notice asks about flood claims and aid, floodplain location, roof age and repairs, and whether the property is insured, which previews the questions insurers ask.
The Seller’s Disclosure Notice (TREC No. 55-1) is prepared under Texas Property Code § 5.008. The items that matter most for insurance:
- Roof: type, approximate age, and any previous structural or roof repair the seller knows of.
- Water: water damage not due to a flood event.
- Flood history: any flood damage claim with an insurance provider, including the National Flood Insurance Program, and any FEMA or SBA flood assistance.
- Flood location: whether the property is partly or wholly in a 100-year or 500-year floodplain, a floodway or a flood pool, and any present flood coverage.
- Insurance status: whether the property is presently covered by insurance and by windstorm insurance, and whether the seller has been unable to insure it.
How do you check a home’s insurance claims history before you buy?
The short answer: Ask the seller for a CLUE report, which the Texas Department of Insurance says lists claims filed on the property for the past seven years, including the date, type of loss and amount paid.
TDI puts it plainly: “If you’re buying a home or car, you can ask the current owner for the report.” Ask early in the option period.
What we look for: a roof or hail claim with no matching roof replacement, repeat water claims, and anything the disclosure doesn’t explain. A past claim isn’t a deal breaker. It’s a reason to ask what was repaired, by whom, and whether there are receipts or permits.
Which inspection report items do insurers care about?
The short answer: The roof, foundation and drainage, electrical panel, plumbing and water heater, heating and air, and any pool or outbuilding, because those parts of the Texas inspection report bear directly on coverage and claims.
Texas inspectors use TREC’s Property Inspection Report form (REI 7-6). A TDI rule, 28 TAC § 21.1006, says an insurer may not decline to write a home policy based on the property’s age, but may decline based on physical conditions, “including wiring, heating, air conditioning, plumbing, and roofing.” That’s the list we read first.
Age, damage, material
Shapes how a hail claim is settled.
Slab and drainage
Earth movement is a common exclusion.
Panel and wiring
Named in the TDI rule.
Supply lines, water heater
Slow leaks are usually excluded.
Age and condition
Also named in the rule.
Pools and outbuildings
Raise liability questions. Tell us.
The roof needs its own math. Your wind and hail deductible is often a percentage of the dwelling limit (see how Texas wind and hail deductibles are calculated), and an older roof may be settled at actual cash value (see insuring a Texas home with an older roof). Know both while a roof repair is still negotiable.
By clicking Get My Free Quote, I give Robinson Legacy Partners LLC, an Allstate agency, and its licensed agents my prior express written consent, by electronic signature, to contact me with calls and text messages — including marketing calls and texts made using automated technology or an artificial or prerecorded voice — and by email, at the number and email I provided, about my insurance quote and related insurance products and services, even if my number is on a Do Not Call list. My information is never sold or shared with other agencies for their own marketing. Consent is not a condition of purchase; I can call (817) 262-5300 instead. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the arbitration clause and E-SIGN consent.
How do flood zones and the 30-day flood wait affect your closing?
The short answer: Your lender checks whether the house is in a FEMA high-risk zone, and flood coverage bought while you’re taking out the mortgage has no 30-day wait, but coverage added later usually does.
Federal law (42 U.S.C. § 4104b) requires regulated lenders to use FEMA’s Standard Flood Hazard Determination Form, whose purpose, under 44 CFR 65.16, is to determine whether a building is in a Special Flood Hazard Area and whether flood insurance is required. High-risk zones begin with A or V, and FloodSmart says a government-backed mortgage in one means you must buy flood insurance.
Timing is where buyers get caught. FloodSmart says coverage starts 30 days after purchase, except: “There is no wait if you buy flood insurance while making, increasing, extending or renewing a mortgage.” So decide before closing, required or not.
For Arlington’s mapped creeks, see our rundown of Arlington creeks and floodplains. Look up the exact address on FEMA’s Flood Map Service Center, and see our flood insurance page.
What changes when you’re buying an older Arlington home or a new build?
The short answer: Older homes put the focus on roof, plumbing and electrical updates, while new builds put it on start dates and rebuild cost, and Arlington has plenty of both.
About half of Arlington’s housing units were built from 1970 to 1989, according to the City’s 2020–2024 Housing Needs Assessment (2014–2018 Census data). The city is still building: its development profile for October–December 2025 counts 78 net new single-family units finaled, the most in its North (28) and Southeast (22) sub-areas.
| Question | 1970s–80s resale | New build |
|---|---|---|
| Roof | Check Age and past hail claims | Usually new Keep install papers |
| Plumbing and electrical | Ask first Supply lines, water heater, panel | New Keep inspection records |
| Dwelling limit | Check Rebuild cost, not sale price | Check Rebuild cost, not sale price |
| Policy start | Closing day | Confirm Closing day, even if the schedule slips |
Don’t set the dwelling limit from the sale price or the appraisal. The Tarrant Appraisal District defines market value as what a property would sell for on the open market; your dwelling limit should reflect what it costs to rebuild the house.
And if a storm hits after you sign, paragraph 14 of the TREC contract has the seller restore casualty damage by the Closing Date, and gives you options if that doesn’t happen. Tell us, and get the house looked at again before you close.
What should you do at closing and in the first 30 days?
The short answer: Start the policy on closing day, match the insurance lines on your Closing Disclosure and settle flood coverage, then handle the homestead exemption, your car policy and your records in the first month.
One closing item isn’t homeowners insurance: the owner’s title insurance policy, which deals with the ownership record, not damage to the house. Under Insurance Code § 2703.151, the Commissioner of Insurance “fixes and promulgates the premium rates” for it (Texas Register, May 1, 2026).
- Start the policy on closing day
Match the effective date to closing, list the lender the way it asked, and send the proof your loan officer wants.
- Check the insurance lines on your Closing Disclosure
It arrives three business days before closing. Match the premium and escrow deposit to your policy.
- Settle flood coverage before you sign
Required in a high-risk zone. Elsewhere, coverage bought after closing usually waits 30 days.
- Apply for your homestead exemption
If you own and live in the home, you may qualify; new owners apply through the Tarrant Appraisal District. It’s a property tax item, not insurance.
- Update your car insurance and address
Your cars’ garaging address changes. Insuring home and cars together may lower what you pay; eligibility varies.
- Keep your purchase papers together
Save the declarations page, inspection report, seller’s disclosure and any claims report for renewals and claims.
Robinson Legacy Partners is an Allstate agency in south Arlington, and we can set up your home insurance and car policy together. Buying a condo, or a house in Mansfield? See our guides to Arlington condo insurance costs and coverage and Mansfield home insurance. New to town? See our moving to Arlington insurance checklist and our guide to coordinating home, auto and life coverage. A new mortgage is also a natural time to look at life insurance; see our guide to life insurance in Arlington.
The bottom line
Buying a home in Arlington, the insurance review belongs in the option period, not the last week. Read the disclosure, ask for the claims report, read the inspection with insurance in mind, check the flood zone, and get a real quote while you can still negotiate.
Send us your ZIP below or call (817) 262-5300, Monday through Friday, 8:30 to 5. We’ll put your deductibles in dollars and line the policy up with your closing date, in English, Spanish, Arabic, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu or Coptic.
By clicking Get My Free Quote, I give Robinson Legacy Partners LLC, an Allstate agency, and its licensed agents my prior express written consent, by electronic signature, to contact me with calls and text messages — including marketing calls and texts made using automated technology or an artificial or prerecorded voice — and by email, at the number and email I provided, about my insurance quote and related insurance products and services, even if my number is on a Do Not Call list. My information is never sold or shared with other agencies for their own marketing. Consent is not a condition of purchase; I can call (817) 262-5300 instead. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use, including the arbitration clause and E-SIGN consent.
Arlington home buyer insurance FAQ
How long is the option period on a Texas home purchase contract?
There is no set length. The TREC resale contract leaves the number of days blank, so the buyer and seller negotiate it along with the Option Fee. The fee is due within 3 days after the Effective Date, and a termination notice must be given by 5:00 p.m. local time on the last day. Whatever the length, schedule the inspection, the claims report request and your insurance quote early so there’s time to act on what you learn.
Do I need homeowners insurance before closing on a house in Texas?
If you’re using a mortgage, almost certainly. The Texas Department of Insurance says Texas law doesn’t require homeowners insurance, but a lender will if you owe money on the home, and the CFPB says lenders generally require proof of coverage. Your loan officer will tell you what document is needed and how to list the lender. Plan for the policy to take effect on closing day, and send the proof early.
Is the first year of homeowners insurance paid at closing?
Often. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau says it’s common to pay your first year’s homeowner’s insurance premium in advance at closing. After that, many lenders require an escrow account, where part of each monthly payment goes toward insurance and property taxes. The TREC resale contract lists required flood and hazard insurance premiums as a buyer’s expense. Check those lines on the Closing Disclosure, which arrives three business days before closing.
Does a Texas seller have to tell me about past insurance claims?
Partly. TREC’s Seller’s Disclosure Notice asks whether the seller ever filed a flood damage claim with any insurance provider, including the National Flood Insurance Program, and whether they got FEMA or SBA flood assistance. It also asks about past roof repair, non-flood water damage and whether the property is presently insured. For hail, wind, fire or water claims, ask the seller for a CLUE report, which the Texas Department of Insurance says covers seven years of claims on the property.
Is title insurance the same as homeowners insurance?
No. Title insurance deals with the ownership record, while homeowners insurance deals with damage to the house, your belongings and your liability. In a TREC resale contract, the owner’s title policy is furnished at the seller’s or buyer’s expense, whichever box is checked, and your title company issues it. In Texas, the Commissioner of Insurance sets title insurance premium rates. You still need a separate homeowners policy for your lender and for your own protection.
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