Scarborough is one of Perth's most sought-after coastal suburbs — a lively beachside community in the City of Stirling that attracts families, professionals, and long-term residents alike. If you own a free standing home here, understanding what you should be paying for home and contents insurance is an important part of protecting your investment. This article breaks down a real insurance quote for a four-bedroom brick veneer home in Scarborough (WA 6019), compares it against local, state, and national benchmarks, and offers practical tips to help you get the best value cover.
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Is This Quote Fair?
The annual premium on this quote comes in at $1,259 per year (or roughly $122/month) for combined home and contents insurance, covering a building sum insured of $788,000 and contents valued at $100,000. The building excess is set at $2,000, with a separate contents excess of $600.
Our price rating for this quote is FAIR — Around Average, and the data backs that up. Based on 79 quotes collected for Scarborough (6019), the suburb average sits at $1,260 per year — just $1 more than this quote. That's about as close to the middle of the market as you can get.
The suburb median is slightly lower at $1,164/yr, which suggests the distribution of premiums in the area skews a little higher due to some outlier quotes at the top end. This quote falls comfortably between the 25th percentile ($738/yr) and the 75th percentile ($1,627/yr), meaning it's squarely within the typical range for Scarborough homeowners. There's no cause for alarm here — but there's also room to potentially do better if you shop around.
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How Scarborough Compares
One of the most striking takeaways from this quote is just how affordable Scarborough is relative to broader benchmarks.
| Benchmark | Average Premium | Median Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Scarborough (6019) | $1,260/yr | $1,164/yr |
| LGA (Cambridge) | $1,431/yr | — |
| Western Australia | $2,144/yr | $1,944/yr |
| National | $2,965/yr | $2,716/yr |
Scarborough homeowners are paying, on average, 33% less than the [WA state average](https://coverclub.com.au/stats/WA) and a remarkable 57% less than the [national average](https://coverclub.com.au/stats/national). Even compared to the broader LGA of Cambridge, Scarborough comes in noticeably cheaper at around $170/yr less on average.
Why the difference? A few factors are likely at play. Scarborough sits outside designated cyclone risk zones, which immediately removes one of the biggest premium drivers in regional and northern WA. The suburb also has relatively modern housing stock and established infrastructure, which insurers tend to view more favourably than older or more remote areas. Compared to the national average — heavily influenced by high-risk regions in Queensland and Northern Australia — Scarborough looks very competitively priced indeed.
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Property Features That Affect Your Premium
Every home is different, and insurers assess a wide range of property characteristics when calculating your premium. Here's how the key features of this particular home are likely influencing the cost:
Brick Veneer Walls & Tiled Roof Brick veneer construction is one of the most common — and insurer-friendly — wall types in suburban Perth. It offers solid fire resistance and durability, which typically attracts lower premiums compared to timber-framed or lightweight cladding alternatives. A tiled roof similarly signals longevity and weather resistance to underwriters.
Concrete Slab Foundation Slab-on-ground foundations are standard for homes of this era in WA and are generally viewed as low-risk by insurers. They're less susceptible to subsidence issues than older pier-and-beam setups, which can be a factor in some Perth suburbs with reactive soils.
Timber & Laminate Flooring While attractive and popular, timber and laminate floors can be more susceptible to water damage than tiles — something worth keeping in mind for your contents and building cover limits, particularly in wet areas like bathrooms and laundries.
Solar Panels This home has solar panels installed, which are typically covered under building insurance as a fixed fixture. It's worth confirming with your insurer that your sum insured accounts for the replacement cost of the panels, as they can add $8,000–$20,000+ to a home's rebuild value depending on the system size.
Ducted Climate Control Ducted air conditioning is another fixed building asset that should be factored into your sum insured. These systems can cost $10,000–$25,000 to replace, and many homeowners inadvertently underinsure by forgetting to include them in their building valuation.
Construction Year: 2001 At around 24 years old, this home is relatively modern by Australian standards. Homes built after the mid-1990s generally comply with improved building codes, which can positively influence premiums. That said, it's worth reviewing whether any major renovations have been carried out since construction — these can significantly affect your rebuild cost.
No Pool The absence of a swimming pool removes a common source of liability and maintenance-related claims, which can modestly reduce premiums compared to otherwise similar properties with pools.
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Tips for Homeowners in Scarborough
1. Review Your Sum Insured Regularly With a building sum insured of $788,000 for a 268 sqm home, the implied rebuild rate is approximately $2,940/sqm — broadly in line with current Perth construction costs. However, building costs have risen sharply in recent years. Use a building cost calculator annually to ensure you're not underinsured, particularly given the solar panels and ducted air conditioning that need to be included.
2. Don't Overlook Your Contents Cover $100,000 in contents cover is a reasonable starting point, but it's easy to underestimate the total replacement value of everything in your home. Go room by room — furniture, appliances, clothing, electronics, jewellery — and reassess whether your limit is sufficient. Many insurers offer a free contents calculator tool to help.
3. Consider Your Excess Carefully This quote carries a $2,000 building excess and a $600 contents excess. Opting for a higher excess is one of the most effective ways to reduce your annual premium. If you have a solid emergency fund and are unlikely to make small claims, increasing your excess could save you meaningfully over time.
4. Compare Quotes at Renewal Even a "fair" price isn't necessarily the best price available. Insurers adjust their pricing models regularly, and loyalty doesn't always pay. Set a reminder to compare at least 2–3 quotes before your policy renews each year. The 25th percentile for Scarborough is $738/yr — well-priced cover does exist in this suburb.
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Ready to See What You Could Pay?
Whether you're renewing an existing policy or insuring a new purchase, it pays to compare. CoverClub aggregates real insurance data from across Australia to help homeowners like you make informed decisions. Get a home insurance quote today and see how your premium stacks up against your neighbours — you might be surprised at what you find.