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How do I choose the best home insurance company?

When deciding which company is best for you, take into account how well the policy offerings and discounts match your homeowner profile, in addition to how a company rates for customer service. You can find details on most of the topics below by clicking on the company review button in the chart above.

Here’s how to find the best auto insurance company for you:

Research their record on customer service and claims handling -- You want to be sure the company has a reputation for being responsive to customer needs, as well as for prompt and no-hassle claims handling.

Review policy offerings – If you want to get specialized coverages for your particular situation, say you want wildfire protection, rent your home through AirBnB, need extended coverage for your small home-based business or own a historic home, make sure the companies on your list can meet those needs.

Assess discounts – When it comes to discounts, what matters most is not how many are available but rather how many match your particular situation. For instance, if you qualify for discounts for roofing with resistant materials, or have installed a high-tech security and monitoring system, or replaced your plumbing, heating or electrical systems, you’d want to choose a company that offers discounts for those.

Consider their financial strength ratings – Be sure the company has a healthy financial portfolio by checking A.M. Best ratings so you can be confident they have the resources to pay claims. Most major carriers will pass muster, but smaller, regional companies may not, so be sure to check.

Check complaints to state regulators – You can see how many complaints were filed to state overseers for companies you’re considering by visiting the company review pages at Insure.com or the National Association of Insurance Commissioner’s website.

Compare pricing – Once you’ve vetted companies on all of the above and decided how much coverage you need, compare quotes from at least three companies to see who has the best rates. Some carriers may have huge discounts, but also a higher base rate, so still are more expensive than the others. One may be a bit cheaper and has identical coverage compared to others, in which case you’ll save money by going that one.

Company Logo Images

USAA

USAA was the top-rated company overall. Eighty-two percent of those surveyed believe the company is trustworthy, 49% strongly agree and 33% agree.

USAA includes replacement cost coverage for your personal belongings as the default, which means you don’t pay extra to have your house and items replaced at today's value, with no depreciation factored in. USAA also offers insurance for those who rent out their home through services such as AirBnB. If military uniforms are damaged and you file a claim, you won’t pay a deductible to replace them if active duty or deployed. Another benefit is that up to $5,000 in protection for identity theft is included in your policy. USAA also sells earthquake insurance.

Pros:

In addition to having the top overall rating, USAA also was No. 1 across all categories – customer service, claims, price and website/apps.

Cons:

Not available to civilian drivers -- it’s only available to active and retired military members and their immediate families.

Some feedback from members surveyed include:

“Very satisfied with the policies they offer and feel like they are always available to answer any questions or help in any way.”

--Arizona, age 56

“I have had a superior experience with USAA. Best customer service, best policy options for coverage and great prices. An excellent value!””

--California, age 47

“They went after the manufacturer for a 13 year old fridge when my kitchen flooded and got me my deductible back.”

--Texas, age 34

Company Logo Images

State Farm

In addition to ranking second overall, State Farm also placed second for customer service. Seventy-three percent of those surveyed believe the company is trustworthy – 32% strongly agreed and 41% agreed.

In addition to standard home coverage, State Farm has an increased replacement cost coverage feature that automatically boosts your replacement cost coverage up to 20% as long as you’ve insured your home at least up to its estimated replacement cost. Another add-on you can buy will help pay the extra cost replace broken heating or cooling systems with energy efficient ones. State Farm also has a benefit that pays to replace large appliances. You can also buy coverage to help for expenses if you need to move or repair your home due to building laws. It also sells earthquake insurance.

Pros:

State Farm had the highest percentage that would renew a policy (97%).

Cons:

State Farm was in the middle of the pack for claims handling. And, compared to other insurers, has relatively few discounts.

Some feedback from members surveyed include:

“Good customer service and rates. Easy to do business with.”

--Ohio, age 67

“The customer service reps really go above and beyond, and the prices are among the lowest.”

--Mississippi, age 49

“Great company, reasonable prices and excellent customer service.”

--Indiana, age 38

“When I had a problem with my roofing and needed to replace it, I called an agent and they took the time to solve my claim and the inspector came to see the house and in this same day they provided me with a check.”

--Arizona, age 41

“I have been with them for over 20 years and they always do a good job for us.”

--Kansas, age 70

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American Family

American Family earned the second spot overall in our rankings and was in the top four in all categories. Seventy-seven percent of those surveyed believe the company is trustworthy, 40% strong agree and 37% agree.

In addition to standard coverage, American Family offers some specialized add-ons. You can buy coverage for matching siding, which will pay to replace undamaged siding so that it matches the siding of the damaged area.

You can also add coverage for family members living in nursing homes or assisted living homes. The relative’s personal possessions are covered under your policy. Under this benefit, your relative is also covered if he or she causes accidental injuries to others or damages to others’ property. (Injuries to personnel of the nursing home or assisted living facility are not covered by this additional coverage.)

American Family now offers a diminishing deductible you can buy that reduces our deductible over time. Your deductible will be cut by $100 yearly at renewal, up to your policy’s maximum limit.

Discounts beyond the typical kind include those for smart homes and a generational discount. If you have a smart-home security system equipped with sensors that detect smoke, fire and water, you can snag a discount. American Family also has a generational discount – if you’re between the ages of 18 to 30 and your parents have an active home or auto policy with American Family, you could save more with on your home policy.

Pros:

Ninety-four percent said they’d renew a policy. A lot of special coverages and discounts.

Cons:

Availability is somewhat limited as American Family only operates in 19 states.

Some feedback from members include:

“They are the best. They are always there for you and treat you like family.”

--Kansas, age 60

“American Family has always been good to us. They are easy to talk to. The claims process is easy and quick. They answer any questions we have completely.”

--Iowa, age 42

“They are great, they have the lowest prices but yet they give me more for my money and they take care of everything for me. If I have any questions they are happy to take my phone call and answer the questions fast and easy to understand. I feel like they care about me and are honest and open with me.”

--Indiana, age 54

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Liberty Mutual

In addition to placing fourth overall, Liberty Mutual placed fifth for customer service. Sixty-eight percent of those surveyed said the company is trustworthy – 27% strongly agree, 41% agree.

In addition to the standard coverages, Liberty Mutual offers coverage specific to hurricanes as an optional add-on. It also includes wind and hail coverage that’s designated specifically for those, not just weather damage, in standard policies. Note that both of these may come with a separate deductible, depending on your state.

Another add-on is offers inflation adjustment. You can automatically adjust your coverage limits at your policy’s renewal to keep pace with inflation and also receive a discount.

Pros:

Ninety-one percent said they’d renew their policy.

Cons:

Fairly standard discounts and coverages, in the middle of the pack for claims handling.

Some feedback from members include:

“They have excellent customer service agents who are courteous and very helpful. They offer prompt assistance when we contact them for claims.”

--Michigan, age 63

“Liberty Mutual offers competitive pricing when bundling with auto insurance.”

--West Virginia, age 55

“Good overall coverage but could improve discount offering for long term customer.”

--Oklahoma, age 50

More on the best companies

Here are the homeowners insurance companies that ranked highest in the categories:

Best home insurance company for claims

Best home insurance company for customer service

Best car insurance company for price

Frequently asked questions about home insurance

The cheapest home insurance companies among those surveyed by Insure.com are as follows,

  • Travelers
  • CSAA Exchange (part of AAA)
  • Allstate
  • State Farm
  • Interinsurance Exchange of the Automobile Club (part of AAA)
  • Chubb
  • Arbella
  • Farmers
  • Safeco
  • Erie

The list above is based on an analysis of average rates for a policy of $300,000 in liability and dwelling, with a $1,000 deductible. What you pay, however, depends on where you live, the materials and age of your home, your credit history and other factors.

Your dwelling coverage should equal the cost to repair damage to your home or rebuild it completely at equal quality — at current prices. This is called the replacement cost. You can calculate this number by making a thorough inventory of building materials used for your home, using online calculators, or, you can hire an appraiser to do it for you.

You should get $300,000 worth of liability coverage. Most home insurance policies come with $100,000 in personal liability insurance but this is rarely enough. The cost to defend a lawsuit or to pay for medical expenses for a serious injury can easily exceed that amount.

The key factors that influence how much you pay for home insurance are:

  • Location of your home
  • Age of your home
  • Materials used to build your home
  • Claims history of the house
  • Your credit history (in most states)
  • Proximity to a fire station
  • Whether or not you have a security system
  • The amount of weather-resistant materials your home has
  • The condition of the roof

What we surveyed to rank the best homeowners insurance companies

We commissioned a survey of top company policyholders. Many of those surveyed had multiple types of policies. The survey collected customer ratings for 20 leading companies in the auto category and 15 leading companies in each of the home, health and life categories. Only current customers of the insurers on our lists were surveyed, and the survey was not open to the general public on the Insure.com website.We asked policyholders about the following categories for ranking purposes:

Value For Price
value-for-price
Usefulness of website & mobile apps
website-mobile-apps
Customer Service
customer-service
Plan To Renew
plan-to-renew
Claims satisfaction
claims-satisfaction
Would Recommend
recommend

We also asked for feedback and anecdotes to help people who may be looking to purchase a policy with their current insurance provider. And we asked questions that are not rated or ranked on, such as why they first purchased from the company and how they prefer to deal with their insurer, as this may be valuable to you when deciding if the company is the right fit for your needs. To view the extra information, be sure to click on the company logo to view its individual page.

How we ranked the top home insurance companies

Our team of insurance and data experts ranked and identified the best home insurance companies based on what policyholders in our survey have to say about their experiences. This is an independent editorial analysis devoid of affiliations or partnerships of any kind - companies did not pay to be included. The A.M. Best financial ratings represent an assessment of an insurer's ability to meet its financial obligations to policyholders. These are separate from the editorial ranking.

Consumer's feedback are weighted as follows:

Price
35%
Customer service
25%
Claims
20%
Website and app
10%
Recommendation
5%
Renew
5%

The expert team reviews and analyzed the survey results to share with consumers because we believe it's important to view and evaluate real-life feedback when shopping for insurance. Getting more information is always better when researching the best insurance companies, so continue on to see what our surveyed policyholders had to say.

Why You Should Trust Us

We’re not only home insurance experts who enjoy sharing our knowledge. We’re also consumers just like you. As consumers, we want to know what to expect when it comes to a company’s claims service and if the insurer has a decent website and apps. We, too, want a good price, great customer service and to feel comfortable when deciding on a company to purchase an insurance policy. For this reason, we take our Best Home Insurance Company’s survey seriously so that all of us can find the insurance company that fits our needs.

Whether it’s your first-time buying insurance or switching insurance providers or 25th time, our mission is to provide you with a quick and easy way to review and determine which companies will be the best fit for you. Our reviews and rankings are unbiased and based on the earnest ratings and feedback from surveyed policyholders.

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