Quote Comparison Table
Normalise three quotes onto a rate per $1,000 of coverage so a higher premium buying more cover is not mistaken for a worse deal.
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Quotes rarely arrive at matching coverage amounts. One carrier suggests a higher dwelling limit, another a lower one, and the premiums sit alongside each other looking directly comparable when they are not.
This table divides each premium by the cover it buys and reports a rate per $1,000. That single conversion is what turns three unrelated numbers into a ranking you can act on.
Result
Best value per $1,000
Quote B
Its rate per $1,000
$3.52
- Quote A rate
- $4.03
- Quote B rate
- $3.52
- Quote C rate
- $3.97
- Lowest premium
- Quote A
- Most coverage
- Quote B
- Cheapest and best value?
- No - the cheapest premium is not the best value per dollar of cover
- Spread between best and worst rate
- 14.39%
This is an estimate based on the values you entered. Actual premiums, coverage, eligibility and pricing vary by provider and by individual circumstances.
A premium only means something alongside the cover it buys. The rate per $1,000 is what makes quotes at different coverage amounts genuinely comparable.
Equal rates do not mean equal policies. Deductibles, exclusions and claim handling still have to be read.
Quotes normalised by coverage
| Quote | Annual premium | Coverage | Rate per $1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Quote A | $1,290 | $320,000 | $4.03 |
| Quote B | $1,480 | $420,000 | $3.52 |
| Quote C | $1,350 | $340,000 | $3.97 |
How to use the quote comparison table
- Enter the annual premium and the coverage amount for each quote.
- Leave any unused quote at zero - two are enough.
- Read the rate per $1,000 for each and the best-value result.
- Check whether the cheapest premium is also the best value; frequently it is not.
What people use this for
- Comparing quotes that arrived at different recommended limits.
- Checking whether a higher premium is buying proportionally more cover.
- Seeing the spread between the best and worst rate you were offered.
- Deciding which two quotes are worth reading in full.
Worked examples
Every figure below is produced by running this calculator against the example inputs, so the numbers always match the tool.
Three quotes at different limits
A: $1,290 for $320,000. B: $1,480 for $420,000. C: $1,350 for $340,000.
- Best value per $1,000
- Quote B
- Its rate per $1,000
- $3.52
- Cheapest and best value?
- No - the cheapest premium is not the best value per dollar of cover
Two quotes at matching limits
When the coverage matches, the rate comparison reduces to the premium comparison.
- Best value per $1,000
- Quote A
- Spread between best and worst rate
- 14.73%
Why premium alone misleads
A carrier that recommends a higher dwelling limit produces a higher premium, and looks worse on a straight comparison while potentially offering better value per dollar of protection. The reverse is also true: a low quote is sometimes just a low limit.
Normalising by coverage removes that distortion entirely. It also makes the follow-up question obvious - if one carrier thinks you need $100,000 more cover than another, one of them is wrong about the rebuild cost, and that is worth resolving before choosing on price.
Equal rates are not equal policies
Two quotes at the same rate per $1,000 can still differ on deductible, on what is excluded, on how a total loss is settled and on whether depreciation is recoverable.
The rate comparison is a filter, not a decision. Use it to reduce a stack of quotes to the two worth reading properly, then read them.
Methodology and assumptions
What this calculator does, and what it deliberately does not do.
- Rate per $1,000 = annual premium ÷ (coverage ÷ 1,000). Quotes with a zero premium or zero coverage are excluded.
- The spread compares the highest rate against the lowest as a percentage of the lowest.
- All figures are estimates produced from the values you enter. This site has no rate feed and no carrier data, so it cannot quote or price a policy.
- Nothing you type is transmitted or stored - the calculation runs entirely inside your browser.
This calculator provides an estimate based on the information you enter. Actual insurance premiums, coverage, eligibility and pricing vary by provider and individual circumstances.
This website is not an insurance company, an insurance agency or a licensed broker. It does not sell insurance, does not provide insurance quotes, and is not authorised to give advice about which policy you should buy.
No result produced here is an offer of insurance or a guarantee of coverage. Only a licensed insurer or agent, working from your verified details, can quote or bind a policy.
Frequently asked questions
What if the quotes have different deductibles?
The rate comparison does not account for that. Use a coverage or policy comparison tool to bring deductibles and claim frequency into the ranking.
Should I always take the best rate?
It is the best value per dollar of cover on the figures entered. Whether it is the right policy depends on exclusions, claim handling and carrier strength.
Why do carriers recommend different coverage amounts?
Because their replacement cost estimators use different assumptions. A large discrepancy is worth investigating - it usually means one estimate is out of date.
Can I compare life and property quotes here?
Yes, as long as each comparison uses the same type of cover. Rate per $1,000 is how both lines are priced.
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