Georgia Church Insurance Market Report 2026

The market turned in 2026

For the first time since 2017, commercial insurance prices are falling. The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers' quarterly market survey recorded an average premium decrease of 1.2% in the first quarter of 2026 — the first decline in nearly nine years, ending a streak of 33 consecutive quarters of increases. Property, the line that hit churches hardest, is where competition returned first: industry surveys tracked property rates falling through late 2025 and into 2026 as carriers added capacity and loosened terms.

Brokers surveyed describe the new environment in three phrases: lower pricing, more flexible underwriting, and expanded carrier appetite. In plain terms — carriers want to write business again.

But the turn is uneven. The largest commercial accounts saw the steepest decreases, while the smallest accounts still averaged increases. And church insurance sits in the slowest-turning corner of the market.

How churches got here: the hard market years

From roughly 2020 through 2025, three forces compounded against ministries:

Severe-weather losses across the Southeast. Hail, wind, and hurricane losses repriced property risk across Georgia — and church buildings, with steep sanctuary roofs, steeples, and older construction, sit on the expensive side of that repricing.
Construction-cost inflation. Replacement values climbed sharply, and since building replacement value is the single largest driver of church premium, valuations pushed premiums up even where rates held still.
Carriers retreating from the class. Industry reporting through 2025 and 2026 documents carriers non-renewing church accounts, cutting capacity in storm-exposed regions, and carving back coverage — abuse and molestation liability in particular has been sub-limited or excluded by carriers exiting the exposure. Trade coverage in 2026 described church renewals running 12–30% increases, with some storm-hit congregations seeing far worse after a non-renewal.

The result: many Georgia churches are carrying premiums set at the very peak of the hard market — and coverage that quietly shrank while the price grew. If that's your situation, the non-renewal guide and our breakdown of why premiums rose cover the mechanics.

What Georgia churches typically pay

Across the 700+ Georgia ministries we serve: most established churches — owned buildings, paid staff, active programming — pay between $10,000 and $50,000 per year for a complete insurance package, with a typical premium around $20,000.

Single-campus established church — one building, paid staff, core programs: typically $10,000–$20,000 per year.
Mid-size, multi-building church — 200–800 members, multiple buildings, 5–20 staff, active youth and children's programs: typically $20,000–$50,000.
Large campus, school, or multi-site ministry — campus-style facility, 20+ staff, school or preschool, multiple vehicles: $50,000–$100,000+.

These are ranges, not quotes — building values, construction, claims history, programs, and coverage selections drive the differences. The full breakdown, including the eight factors that set your premium, is in the church insurance cost guide.

On our book in 2026, well-placed ministry programs are renewing far better than the industry's 12–30% reports: property up about 10–12% where increases occur at all, workers' compensation flat, commercial auto up roughly 2%, and umbrella flat. That gap — between what the market charges a marketed account and an unmarketed one — is the central fact of 2026.

How Georgia churches structure coverage

Industry aggregate church-policy data — covering Georgia and a countrywide book of more than 66,000 ministry policies — shows how Georgia churches actually build their programs:

General liability: 97% of Georgia churches carry exactly $1 million per occurrence. The limit is nearly universal; the differences live in the exclusions.
Abuse and molestation: $300,000 is the most common limit (57% of policies); only about 11% carry $1 million. Given that defense costs alone routinely exceed $100,000 — and that carriers are actively sub-limiting this coverage at renewal — this is the limit most worth pressure-testing. See our abuse and molestation guide.
Umbrella: roughly half of Georgia churches carry no umbrella at all; about a third carry $1 million. This is the most common serious gap we find in coverage reviews.
Employment practices liability: about 18% of churches carry none — despite wrongful-termination and discrimination claims being among the fastest-growing ministry exposures.
Property values: about half of Georgia church policies insure under $3 million in property; roughly 18% insure more than $10 million.

You can compare your own program against these distributions line by line with the coverage benchmark tool.

What this means for your renewal

Three takeaways from where the market stands:

If your premium was set at the peak of the hard market, have it re-shopped. The market that priced it no longer exists — carriers are competing again, and pricing set in 2024–2025 is now negotiable.
Start 90 to 120 days out. A turning market rewards ministries whose agents have time to market the account to competing carriers — the 90-day renewal process exists for exactly this. Churches that auto-renew never see the competition.
Document your risk management. Carriers compete hardest for ministries with clean, documented track records — background checks, maintenance records, and current loss runs are what move an underwriter from "renew as-is" to "win this account." While you're at it, check the two gaps half the market carries: no umbrella, and an abuse limit that hasn't been pressure-tested since the carve-backs began.

Sources & methodology

Market conditions: The Council of Insurance Agents & Brokers (CIAB) quarterly Commercial Property/Casualty Market Index (Q1 2026: first average premium decrease in nearly nine years, ending 33 consecutive quarters of increases; decreases steepest for large accounts, smallest accounts still averaging increases) and contemporaneous industry surveys tracking commercial property rate declines from late 2025 into 2026. Church-market conditions — non-renewals, capacity pullbacks, abuse-coverage carve-backs, and the 12–30% church renewal range — per 2026 insurance trade reporting, including Insurance Journal's May 2026 analysis of the church insurance market.

Coverage-structure data: limit distributions come from industry aggregate church-policy data — a profile of in-force ministry insurance business as of April 30, 2026, covering Georgia, the Southeastern region, and a countrywide book of 66,000+ ministry policies. Methodology detail is documented with our coverage benchmark tool.

Georgia cost ranges and renewal observations reflect MinistrySure's experience serving 700+ Georgia ministries and match the ranges published in our cost guide. This report is updated annually; any individual ministry's premium depends on its buildings, programs, claims history, and coverage selections.

Frequently asked questions

Is the church insurance market getting better in 2026?

The broader commercial market clearly is: average premiums fell in the first quarter of 2026 for the first time in nearly nine years, with property the most competitive line. Church insurance is turning more slowly — industry reporting still shows many church renewals up 12–30% — which is why the gap between a well-marketed ministry program and a neglected one has never been wider.

How much does church insurance cost in Georgia in 2026?

Most established Georgia churches — owned buildings, paid staff, active programming — pay between $10,000 and $50,000 per year for a complete package, with a typical premium around $20,000. Larger campuses, schools, and multi-site ministries can exceed $100,000. Building replacement value is the largest single driver. See the full church insurance cost guide.

Why are churches still seeing big increases if the market is softening?

Because church property is a tougher corner of the market: steeple-height roofs and older buildings in hail and wind country, concentrated abuse-liability exposure, and fewer carriers writing the class. Softening reaches well-run, well-documented ministries first — accounts that get marketed to multiple carriers with time to compete. Churches that auto-renew never see the competition.

What insurance limits do most Georgia churches carry?

Per industry aggregate church-policy data: 97% of Georgia churches carry exactly $1 million in general liability; $300,000 is the most common abuse and molestation limit (only about 11% reach $1 million); roughly half carry no umbrella at all; and about 18% carry no employment practices liability. Those last three are where the serious gaps live.

What can a church do to get a better renewal in a turning market?

Two things move underwriters most: documentation and time. A clean, documented loss history — background checks, maintenance records, current loss runs — is what carriers now compete for. And starting 90–120 days before renewal gives your agent time to market the account to multiple carriers instead of accepting one number. A coverage review is the fastest way to see where you stand.

MinistrySure is an independent insurance agency in Loganville, Georgia specializing exclusively in churches, Christian schools, and faith-based ministries. Led by brothers Matthew and Michael Campbell, MinistrySure has served 700+ Georgia ministries.

Church Insurance Cost · Church Insurance in Georgia · Why Premiums Rose · Non-Renewal Help · Coverage Review