Bundling your homeowners policy with your car insurance and shopping around for the lowest rate are among the best ways to save money on home insurance. Make sure to ask about any discounts that may be available to you.
Home insurance companies often have similar policies, but the prices, coverage options and customer satisfaction levels can all be very different.
For this reason, you should shop around and compare home insurance companies to find the best one for you.
When shopping around for home insurance quotes, you’ll find that home insurance companies offer a wide range of rates.
Each company weighs factors differently when determining how much you pay, and each can have different types of discounts and savings.
Average rates are based on a policy with $400,000 of dwelling coverage and $200,000 of personal property coverage. *USAA is only available to active military members and veterans, along with their families.
You can get a home insurance quote by using an online quote comparison tool, talking to an insurance agent or directly visiting an insurance company’s website.
Insurance companies may include different coverages and deductibles in their quotes. We recommend looking at more than just the quoted rate to make the most accurate comparison. If you’re deciding between two insurers, try to compare quotes with the same deductible and other features.
You can simplify the process of comparing quotes by gathering basic information about your home and coverage needs before you start shopping. If there are any details you’re not sure about, check your county assessor’s website or your home’s inspection report.
You’ll need to know how much coverage you need and want as you compare home insurance companies. Coverage limits can have a big impact on your quote.
These coverages are often included in a standard home insurance policy:
[table “12109” not found /]Insurance companies usually offer endorsements (also called add-ons), for certain coverages that other companies automatically include in their base policies.
Two important coverages that you may or may not have to pay extra for, depending on the company, are:
Insurance companies can also offer these optional coverages at a cost:
You should also account for any price differences that may result from having different deductibles in your home insurance quotes.
In most areas, raising your deductible from $1,000 to $2,000 can lower your premium (also known as your rate) by about 10%.
Since your deductible is the amount that comes out of your pocket for property damage or theft claims, you don’t want it to be too high. However, increasing it to the most you’d be able to afford after a disaster can help you save money now.
In many parts of the U.S., insurance companies separate your deductible for wind, hail and/or hurricane damage from the deductible that applies to other covered perils.
While a low price is important, you also want the home insurance company you choose to provide great customer service.
Erie, Amica Mutual and Auto-Owners are the best home insurance companies for overall satisfaction, according to J.D. Power. However, although USAA has a higher rating than any other insurance company, only current and former members of the military and their families can get insurance from USAA.
Country Financial has the lowest complaint index score from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). The NAIC calculates complaint index scores using the number of complaints a company receives and the size of the company. If a company’s score is lower than 1.0, it receives fewer complaints than what’s expected from a company of its size.
*USAA is only available to military members and their families.**Source: J.D. Power 2024 Property Claims Satisfaction Study. Average is 869.
While considering these ratings when shopping for home insurance is a good idea, reviewing each company’s pros and cons is also helpful.
Here’s a look at some of the top home insurance companies:
Test SEOD-1373
The location of your home can affect how much you pay for home insurance. If your home insurance quote is higher than your state average, we recommend looking at other companies.
Your home insurance rate can also vary depending on the city you live in. If you live in a city with a high crime rate or you live by the coast, you might pay higher home insurance rates.
Since coverage types, limits and prices tend to vary by company, comparing home insurance quotes on an exact apples-to-apples basis may be difficult. It’s usually up to you to decide what’s more important: a cheaper price or more coverage.
The difference in prices between the three quote examples below shows how different factors can affect your rate:
We recommend reviewing your coverages, discounts and policy information before buying a home insurance policy. You can buy home insurance through an agent or online. Insurance companies will require a start date for your policy.
If you have an escrow account, you may need to pay for your home insurance yearly or according to your lender’s requirements. Otherwise, you can decide whether to pay for your home insurance policy monthly or yearly.
If you already have homeowners insurance, you should compare quotes every few years to see if you can get a better deal. Since insurance companies adjust their rates regularly, a company that quoted you a high rate in the past may offer a lower rate the next time you shop.
You may also get a lower rate now than you did before if:
Events such as these may also lower your rate with your current insurer. However, comparing quotes as your circumstances change lets you see if a different company can give you a cheaper price.
Your existing home insurer may charge an early termination fee if you cancel midway through a policy term to switch. These cancellation fees tend to be small, but you can avoid one entirely if you switch when your current term expires.
Most home insurance companies allow you to increase your coverage limits in your home insurance policy. When comparing quotes, make sure you are using the same coverage limits for all the quotes in order to get the most accurate comparison.
When figuring out your personal property coverage, you can try creating a home inventory list to make sure you have the right limit that will cover full replacement of your belongings after a total loss.
Also, home insurance policies usually have a default limit of $100,000 for liability coverage. This may seem adequate, but a long hospital stay or extended legal case after an accident can hit that limit quickly. Any claim-related costs after the limit is reached will have to be paid out of pocket.
To avoid this, raise your liability coverage to at least $300,000 to avoid financial stress.
Bundling your homeowners policy with your car insurance and shopping around for the lowest rate are among the best ways to save money on home insurance. Make sure to ask about any discounts that may be available to you.
Homeowners insurance is not required by law. For mortgages, lenders often require you to insure your home at its replacement value, which is the estimated cost of rebuilding it. You can insure it for a lower amount if you have a low loan balance or no mortgage. However, doing so is rarely advised.
If you’re buying a home, it’s best to begin shopping for homeowners insurance as soon as your offer is accepted. For mortgages, lenders require your insurance policy to take effect on your closing date.
Standard home insurance covers your belongings at actual cash value, or at depreciated prices. A replacement cost upgrade pays to replace damaged or stolen items with new ones.
Most policies cap their coverage at $1,500 for jewelry and similar amounts for other valuables, unless you buy add-on protection.
The rates shown in this article are based on non-binding quotes collected from Quadrant Information Services. Your rates may vary. Average rates were compiled from rates in all 50 states. The following coverages and deductible were used unless otherwise noted:
Our team of insurance experts rated insurance companies based on several categories. These categories include average rates, discounts, coverage options, third-party customer service ratings and app/website experience. We weighted these categories based on what customers value in an insurance company.
For third-party customer service ratings, we included NAIC’s complaint index scores and financial strength ratings from AM Best. NAIC complaint index scores are used to determine how satisfied customers are with their claims, while financial strength ratings from AM Best reflect the ability to pay out claims.