Insurance for Boylan Heights homes and renters

Around Boylan Heights

• Montfort Hall
• South Boylan Avenue
• Boylan Avenue bridge
• Cutler Street
• Dorothea Drive
• Rocky Branch
• Western Boulevard
• Dorothea Dix Park
• Downtown Raleigh

Century-old houses in a historic district

Boylan Heights was platted with Raleigh’s first curving street plan, and almost every house has a front porch. The City Council made it a local Historic Overlay District in 1984, and it is also listed in the National Register of Historic Places. In the overlay district, exterior changes generally need a certificate of appropriateness from the Raleigh Historic Development Commission.

That matters after a fire or storm. Repairs may need to match original materials such as wood siding, windows and porch details, and older wiring, plumbing and heating may have to be brought up to code. We look at replacement cost based on what it would really take to rebuild your house, plus ordinance or law coverage for the code upgrades.

Alleys, garages and retaining walls

Service alleys run behind the houses, lined with detached garages, sheds and workshops. Those are usually covered under the other structures part of a homeowners policy, often a percentage of the dwelling limit, so a large garage or studio may need a higher limit.

The neighborhood slopes down from Montfort Hall, and some lots have masonry or stone retaining walls. Many homeowners policies exclude earth movement and limit coverage for retaining walls, so ask us how your policy treats them before a wall starts to lean.

Big trees and Rocky Branch

Mature hardwoods shade the streets and yards, which means tree-fall claims after summer storms and tropical systems. Rocky Branch runs along the south edge of the neighborhood toward Dix Park. Rising water from a creek or heavy rain is flood, which homeowners and renters policies exclude, and NFIP flood policies generally have a 30-day waiting period.

Renters and rental bungalows

Being a short walk from downtown makes Boylan Heights popular with renters, and some bungalows and garage apartments are rented out. Renters need their own policy for belongings and liability. Owners who rent a house or an accessory apartment need a landlord (dwelling fire) policy, or should confirm the rental is allowed on their homeowners policy.