Best homeowners insurance companies of July 2024
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
“Verified by an expert” means that this article has been thoroughly reviewed and evaluated for accuracy.
BLUEPRINT
Updated 2:35 a.m. UTC July 4, 2024
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Westfield is the best home insurance company of 2024, according to our analysis. This 5-star insurer offers low rates for standard homeowners insurance and has a very low level of customer complaints to state insurance departments.
The best home insurance companies of 2024
- Westfield: Best home insurance.
- Erie: Best for property claims customer satisfaction.
- Auto-Owners: Best home insurance for discounts.
- Nationwide: Best for high-value houses.
- Progressive: Best home insurance for cheap rates.
- State Farm: Best for home and auto bundling.
- USAA: Best home insurance for veterans and military.
- Allstate: Best home insurance for home-sharing.
- American Family: Great for enhanced dwelling coverage.
- Chubb: Best for high deductible savings.
Why trust our home insurance experts
Our team of home insurance experts has decades of experience as licensed property and casualty experts, insurance editors and consumers. We approach home insurance analysis as if we were shopping for ourselves or our family members, focusing on rates, coverage upgrades and consumer complaints.
Using a data-driven methodology, we evaluate hundreds of home insurance products, analyze thousands of data points and rate each insurer to help you find the best home insurance product for your situation. Advertisers never influence our editorial content. You can read more about our methodology below.
- 31,600 rates analyzed.
- 14 companies evaluated.
- 5 levels of fact-checking.
Best home insurance rates 2024
Top-rated home insurance companies of 2024
Why it’s the best
Westfield is the best homeowners insurance company because it has a low average annual home insurance rate of $1,344 for a home insurance policy with $350,000 in dwelling coverage. This is more than $300 below the national average of $1,678 per year for a home insurance policy with the same dwelling coverage limit.
Westfield also has the lowest level of consumer complaints out of all of our top-scoring companies, implying that customers are satisfied with its claims process. Westfield also offers robust coverage options and upgrades to increase coverage for the structure of your house and rare offerings with its Wespak package, like golf cart coverage.
Why it’s the best
Erie is the best for property claims satisfaction because it earned the highest score in J.D. Power’s 2023 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study, 912 out of 1,000 points. This implies that policyholders who filed a property damage claim with Erie were very satisfied with how the claims process went. Erie also has a very low level of consumer complaints to state insurance departments.
Why it’s the best
Auto-Owners is great for discounts and offers a slew of ways to help you save on your home insurance, like advanced quotes and pay-in-full discounts. Auto-Owners’ average home insurance rates are competitive for a home insurance policy with $350,000 in dwelling coverage. If you ed a higher coverage amount, however, you’ll see higher-than-average rates.
Depending on where you live, Auto-Owners may sell through a subsidiary or affiliate company. For example, in Florida, property insurance is available through Southern-Owners Insurance Company.
Read our review: Auto-Owners home insurance
Why it’s the best
Nationwide is the best for high-value houses because it offers homeowners insurance coverage for houses with a high rebuild value at below-average rates. A high-value house is typically one that’s valued above $750,000. If your house is damaged by a covered issue and you have high-value home insurance through Nationwide Private Client, you can choose between replacement cost coverage or a cash-out option should you decide not to rebuild.
Read our review: Nationwide home insurance
Why it’s the best
Progressive offers some of the cheapest home insurance rates in our analysis, costing an average of $729 per year for a home insurance policy with $350,000 in dwelling coverage. However, Progressive does not offer extended or guaranteed replacement cost coverage.
With Progressive, home insurance policies are sold by Progressive partners and subsidiaries. Where you live and how you buy your policy — directly from Progressive or through an independent agent or broker — determines which insurers in the Progressive network are available to you.
Read our review: Progressive home insurance
Why it’s the best
State Farm is the best home insurance company for bundling because it offers the highest discount — 23% — for bundling home and auto insurance. State Farm allows you to bundle your home, condo or renters insurance with auto insurance. You can also take advantage of additional discounts when you insure multiple vehicles alongside your homeowners insurance. Bundling might be appealing if you want to have all of your coverage in one place to save time and money.
Read our review: State Farm home insurance
Why it’s the best
USAA is the best home insurance company for the military because the insurer is specifically tailored to the military community. You can get unique perks, including coverage for military equipment and deductible waivers if personal property is lost or damaged due to war. USAA will also cover the cost of replacing or repairing your uniform with no deductible while you’re on active duty. The home insurance company’s focus on the unique needs of those who serve makes it the best homeowners insurance for military members and their families.
Read our review: USAA home insurance
Why it’s the best
If you occasionally rent your house, you can get home-sharing insurance through Allstate HostAdvantage, an endorsement you can add to an Allstate homeowners or condo insurance policy. HostAdvantage covers theft if a renter steals your belongings and up to $10,000 in damage to your personal property (per rental host period).
Allstate’s homeowners insurance policy rates are below the national average across all dwelling coverage limits.
Read our review: Allstate home insurance
Why it’s the best
American Family, or AmFam, is great for enhanced dwelling coverage because it offers both extended and guaranteed replacement cost coverage. This makes it an ideal company if you live in an area that experiences frequent bad storms or natural disasters.
Why it’s the best
Chubb is a great home insurance company for high deductible savings, although Chubb home insurance costs more than the national average across all coverage levels. However, if you raise your deductible from $500 to $2,000 with Chubb, you’ll see significant savings.
Chubb offers homeowners insurance policies as well as Masterpiece coverage, which provides enhanced financial protection. The company maintains agents in all 50 states, but not all coverage is available in every area of each state. For example, coverage in Florida is limited.
What is the best homeowners insurance company?
The best homeowners insurance company is Westfield, according to our analysis. Erie also gets 5 stars in our rating.
Auto-Owners, Nationwide, Progressive, State Farm and USAA all have 4.5 out of 5 stars in our rating, making these insurers solid options as well.
Compare the best home insurance companies of 2024
To find the best home insurance company for you, it’s important to compare home insurance quotes from multiple companies. This can help you to make sure you’re getting the best deal for your coverage needs.
Here is how the best home insurance companies compare to one another in terms of monthly cost for a homeowners insurance policy with $350,000 in dwelling coverage.
| HOME INSURANCE COMPANY | AVERAGE MONTHLY COST FOR $350,000 DWELLING COVERAGE | COMPLAINT LEVEL | OUR RATING | LEARN MORE | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Erie | $105 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
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 Westfield | $112 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
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| $127 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||||
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| $96 | Low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||||
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| $61 | Low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||||
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| $108 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||||
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| $106 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||||
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| $116 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||||
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 American Family | $168 | Very | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
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| $151 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||||
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 Country | $172 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
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| $170 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||||
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 Shelter | $197 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
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 Travelers | $268 | Very low | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||||
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Based on the average annual cost of home insurance policies with dwelling coverage of $200,000, $350,000, $500,000 and $750,000. Source: Quadrant Information Services
Methodology
Our insurance experts analyzed rates from 14 home insurance companies.
Home insurance companies were eligible for 100 points, with each factor carrying a different weight.
- Rates: 60 points. Our home insurance experts analyzed home insurance rates from Quadrant Information Services. The average rates are based on policies with dwelling coverage of $200,000, $350,000, $500,000 and $750,000. The homeowner profile was someone with a good credit score and no claims history.
- Complaints: 30 points. Our team of experts collected complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which shows the volume of home insurance consumer complaints against each company. When a consumer lodges a complaint to their state’s department of insurance — often about an insurance company’s claims process, delays, denials or settlements — these complaints are logged.
- Extended/guaranteed replacement cost coverage upgrade: 10 points. Companies that offer extended and or guaranteed replacement cost coverage got full points. This type of coverage extends dwelling coverage limits and is increasingly important as we see inflation and natural disasters affect rebuild costs across the country.
If you’d like to dig in deeper, head over to our homeowners insurance ratings methodology page.
Best home and auto insurance bundles
Bundling your home and auto insurance — or buying both policies with one insurance company — can lead to some of the highest discounts offered by insurance companies.
“If you buy two types of insurance from the same insurer, such as auto and home (or auto and renters insurance, or auto and condo insurance), you can generate significant savings on each policy. The amount you can save depends on your insurer, but discounts typically run about 10% to 20% of the annual premium,” said Mark Friedlander, spokesperson for the Insurance Information Institute.
Here are the best home and auto insurance bundles, according to our expert analysis.
| HOME INSURANCE COMPANY | AVERAGE BUNDLING DISCOUNT | AUTO INSURANCE COMPLAINT LEVEL | HOME INSURANCE COMPLAINT LEVEL | OUR RATING | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15% | Low | Very low | |||||||
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 | 10% | Very low | Very low | |||||||
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 | 15% | Low | Low | |||||||
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 | 7% | Low | Low | |||||||
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 | 6% | Low | Very low | |||||||
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 | 23% | Low | Very low | |||||||
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 | 15% | Low | Very low | |||||||
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| 18% | Very low | Very low | |||||||
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 | 18% | Low | Very low | |||||||
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| 11% | Low | Very low | |||||||
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Cheapest homeowners insurance companies of 2024
Overall, the cheapest homeowners insurance is offered by Progressive.
If finding the lowest-cost policy is a priority for you, it's important to remember that not all insurers operate in every state and the cost of your home insurance depends on a variety of factors, including your home’s location, age and roof type, as well as your credit score and claims history. Here’s how some of the cheapest home insurance companies compare.
| HOME INSURANCE COMPANY | ANNUAL COST FOR $350,000 DWELLING | AVERAGE ANNUAL SAVINGS VS. NATIONAL AVERAGE | LEARN MORE | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $729 | $949 | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||
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| $1,157 | $521 | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||
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| Erie | $1,256 | $422 | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||
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| $1,270 | $408 | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||
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| $1,298 | $380 | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||
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| Westfield | $1,395 | $334 | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | |||||
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| $1,395 | $283 | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||
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| $1,525 | $153 | Compare Rates Compare rates offered by participating partners | ||||||
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Source: Quadrant Information Services. Based on the average cost of home insurance policies with dwelling coverage of $200,000, $350,000, $500,000 and $750,000.
Home insurance rates vary by state and even by ZIP code. The cost of home insurance is increasing around the country, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, and states like Texas and Oklahoma are seeing significant rate increases.
The key drivers in home insurance cost increases are a surge in expensive weather disasters and an increase in labor and construction costs, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Cheapest home insurance companies by state
Here are the cheapest home insurance companies in each state for a home insurance policy with $350,000 in dwelling coverage.
Source: Quadrant Information Services, based on dwelling coverage of $350,000. Not all 50 states are shown due to data availability. In some cases, Armed Forces Insurance (AFI) or USAA had the cheapest rate but both are open only to those who qualify with a military affiliation.
How to choose the best homeowners insurance policy
When looking for the best home insurance, you’ll need to consider several factors.
- Your house’s rebuild value. You’ll need enough dwelling coverage to fully rebuild your house back to its prior state after a covered disaster, like a house fire.
- The value of your personal property. Take inventory of your personal belongings to make sure you have enough personal property coverage to repair or replace all your stuff.
- The value of your financial assets. You’ll want enough liability coverage to financially protect your assets in the event of an expensive lawsuit.
- Disasters and damage your house is at risk for. If you live in an area that’s at risk for earthquake damage, for instance, you may want a company that offers earthquake coverage.
- Cost and deductible offerings. It’s important to compare insurance companies to make sure you’re getting the best price possible for your needs. Also consider deductible options that the insurer offers, the higher your deductible is the lower your rates will be, but the less you’ll be paid out in the event of a claim.
- Discounts available. Many insurers offer discounts, but some offer more than others. Consider discounts that the company offers that you’re eligible for.
- The company’s reviews. Company reviews are important to understand how it handles claims and its financial standings. We include company complaints in our analysis.
- Type of homeowners policy. There are many different types of home insurance. Which one you’ll need depends on your house. For example, if you own a condo, you’ll need an HO-6 policy.
How to buy the best home insurance
Finding the best home insurance company and policy for you is a multi-step process and it's important to consider all of your options before settling on a policy. After all, your home and everything in it have value, so you don't want to shortchange your needs.
Here are a few tips for finding the best home insurance.
- Determine your home insurance coverage needs. The first thing to consider is how much home insurance coverage you'll need for your dwelling, belongings, liability and loss of use. You want to make sure you have enough coverage to rebuild your home and replace the items in it if necessary, while giving yourself sufficient protection for liability. Loss of use coverage should also be enough to cover your living expenses if you're displaced.
- Consider homeowners insurance add-ons. Depending on where you live, it may be necessary to add coverage for floods or earthquakes to your home insurance policy. You may also want to bump up coverage for jewelry or liability, or add on special coverage for water back ups and sump pump damage. When considering what to add, remember to weigh any added premium costs.
- Shop for home insurance quotes. Getting multiple rate quotes is a no-brainer when shopping for the best home insurance. It's an opportunity to see what you might pay with one company versus another. You may be able to get quotes over the phone, via email or online.
- Check for homeowners insurance discounts. Discounts can lead to big savings on home insurance. When shopping for quotes, remember to ask about available discounts for things like bundling, smart homes, home security systems or having a newer home. You might also be able to snag discounts if you belong to certain membership or professional associations.
Home insurance rates vary by state and even by ZIP code. The cost of home insurance is increasing around the country, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence, and states like Texas and Oklahoma are seeing significant rate increases.
The key drivers in home insurance cost increases are a surge in expensive weather disasters and an increase in labor and construction costs, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
To find the lowest rate for your needs, it’s a good idea to compare home insurance quotes. Here are the cheapest home insurance companies by state.
How much is homeowners insurance?
The average cost of home insurance in the U.S. is $1,678 per year for a policy with $350,000 in dwelling coverage, according to our analysis of rates. How much you pay for home insurance depends heavily on how much dwelling coverage you need.
Dwelling insurance covers your house and its attached structures, such as a garage and deck. You’ll want enough dwelling insurance to pay to rebuild your house and its attached structures from the ground up.
Here is how much you’ll pay on average for different dwelling coverage amounts.
| HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE DWELLING COVERAGE | AVERAGE ANNUAL COST | AVERAGE MONTHLY COST |
|---|---|---|
$200,000
| $1,150
| $96
|
$350,000
| $1,678
| $140
|
$500,000
| $2,212
| $184
|
$750,000
| $3,068
| $256
|
Cost of home insurance: New house vs. older house
The age of your house will affect your home insurance premiums. Newly constructed houses tend to cost less to insure than older houses because they are built with updated household systems. Older houses may have been built with materials that are now harder to find, making repairs more costly. Older houses also tend to have fewer updated safety features.
Here’s how much some homeowners insurance companies charge for a policy with $350,000 in dwelling coverage for a house built in 2023 versus a house built in 1973.
| Product Image | Average annual home insurance for a new house | Average annual home insurance for a 50-year-old home | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $1,298 | $2,681 | ||||
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| $1,667 | $2,375 | ||||
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| $2,036 | $2,870 | ||||
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 | $684 | $1,424 | ||||
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| $1,239 | $3,233 | ||||
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| $1,158 | $1,943 | ||||
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| $2,416 | $5,926 | ||||
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| $1,213 | $2,679 | ||||
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| $1,252 | $1,888 | ||||
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Source: Quadrant Information Services, based on dwelling coverage of $350,000 for homeowners insurance for a house built in 2023 versus a house built in 1973.
How to save on homeowners insurance
You may be able to lower your home insurance rates if you:
- Change home insurance companies. Get and compare home insurance quotes from different companies to see how much you might save by switching.
- Mitigate your house’s risk. Storm-proof windows and doors and add safety features like a burglar alarm — these actions may qualify you for a discount.
- Raise your deductible. This will lower your premiums, but keep in mind that a higher deductible means a smaller payout when you file a claim.
Home insurance discounts
Home insurance companies can offer multiple discounts to homeowners to reduce costs. These may include:
- Bundling discounts.
- New customer discounts (if switching companies).
- First-time buyer discounts.
- Safety feature discounts.
- HOA discounts.
- Green home or smart home discounts.
- Military discounts.
- Auto pay discounts.
- Senior discounts or discounts for retirees.
- Paperless statement discounts.
- Roof replacement discounts.
For example, if you recently purchased a house, or your house is new, on average you may receive 7% to 24% off your premiums, according to our analysis. A qualified insurance agent should be able to tell you which discounts you might qualify for and how much you could save on coverage.
How to compare the best homeowners insurance
There are a number of things to consider when comparing homeowners insurance, as every home insurance company and policy are different. It’s a good idea to compare at least three different home insurance companies to make sure you’re getting the best deal for your needs.
When evaluating different options for home insurance, it's important to consider your:
- Rebuild costs. Dwelling coverage should be equal to the cost to rebuild your house back to its original state before a covered disaster destroys it. If you're unsure of the cost to rebuild your insurance company can estimate it for you.
- Liability needs. It's important to have sufficient liability coverage in the event that you're sued. For instance, you may want coverage equal to the value of assets that could be awarded in a judgment.
- Personal belongings. Personal belongings should be covered in your policy, but you may want to purchase add-on coverage for any big-ticket items you own. You may also want to upgrade to replacement cost coverage so you’re paid out at today’s prices for your stuff.
- Coverage upgrades. Consider any additional home insurance coverage you may need. Do you live in a flood zone? You’ll likely need flood insurance. Do you have a sump pump? You may want to consider water backup coverage.
- Your budget. Once you’ve determined your homeowners insurance needs, it's important to consider what you can reasonably pay for insurance costs. An ideal homeowners insurance policy offers the scope of coverage you need at a price point you can comfortably afford.
What does home insurance cover?
A standard home insurance policy includes six types of coverage, each of which is designed to protect a different facet of your property. Here's a quick look at what's covered.
Dwelling coverage
Dwelling coverage applies to the actual structure of your house. Specifically, it pays to repair or rebuild the house if it's damaged by a covered circumstance in your homeowners insurance policy.
The most common type of homeowners insurance protects the structure of your house and detached structures from “all risks,” meaning all causes of damage unless specifically excluded from your policy.
Common exclusions in a home insurance policy include flood damage, earthquake damage, pest infestations and water and drainage backups. Depending on the home insurance company, you may be able to add extra coverage to your homeowners policy to supplement coverage for these exclusions.
Other structures coverage
Other structures coverage pays to repair or rebuild detached structures on your property.
Examples of other structures include:
- Detached garages.
- Fences.
- Gazebos.
- Guest houses or pool houses.
- Sheds.
Damages must be related to a covered event for the other structures portion of your homeowners insurance policy to pay out a claim.
Personal property coverage
Personal property coverage pays to repair or replace your belongings if they're damaged by covered events.
Examples of covered personal property include:
- Books.
- Clothing.
- Electronics.
- Furniture.
- Home decor.
Your personal property coverage pays to repair or replace your belongings if they're damaged by one of the 16 causes, or named perils, listed in your home insurance policy. Types of damage covered by a standard homeowners insurance policy include:
- Fire and lightning.
- Windstorm and hail.
- Explosions.
- Riot or civil commotion.
- Damage caused by aircraft (not your own).
- Damage caused by vehicles (not your own).
- Smoke.
- Vandalism or malicious mischief.
- Theft and home break-in.
- Falling objects.
- Weight of snow, sleet or ice.
- Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam.
- Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking or burning.
- Freezing.
- Sudden and accidental damage from artificially generated electrical current.
- Volcanic eruption.
Some types of personal property may have special coverage limits. For example, jewelry coverage may be capped at $1,500 for theft. If you keep high-value jewelry in your home, you may want to consider adding a floater or a stand-alone jewelry insurance policy to make sure those items have adequate financial protection.
Loss of use coverage
Loss of use coverage can reimburse you for additional living expenses you accrue (above your normal spending) if you're temporarily unable to live in your home because it's been damaged or destroyed by a covered problem.
For example, this part of your policy can pay for:
- Hotel or temporary rental.
- Laundry service.
- Meals.
- Pet boarding.
Keep all receipts for any extra expenses to help accelerate the claims process, so you can be reimbursed faster.
Personal liability insurance
Liability insurance covers property damage or injuries to others that you are responsible for.
Your liability coverage pays others in these kinds of scenarios:
- A friend comes to visit and falls down the front steps because of a loose hand railing, resulting in an ankle injury that requires medical treatment.
- Your child throws a ball, breaking a neighbor's window and damaging their personal property.
It can also pay for your legal defense if, for example, your dog bites a stranger at the park and they sue you for damages related to the injury.
Medical payments coverage
Medical payments coverage pays for more minor medical expenses if a guest is injured on your property, regardless of who was at fault. Most standard home insurance policies have small amounts of medical payments coverage, from $1,000 to $5,000.
Additional home insurance coverage considerations
Many of the best home insurance companies offer optional additional coverages that you can add to your policy to cover excluded causes of damage or upgrade your current coverage. Some common ones are listed below.
- Water backup or sewer backup coverage: Pays to repair water damage caused by sump pump, drainage, or sewer backups.
- Extended replacement cost coverage: Extends your dwelling coverage limit an additional 25% in the event that your standard dwelling coverage isn’t enough to fully rebuild your home after a disaster.
- Guaranteed replacement cost coverage: Pays to rebuild your home past your dwelling coverage limit no matter the cost. This comes in handy if a natural disaster spikes the cost of labor and materials needed to rebuild houses.
- Equipment breakdown coverage: Pays to repair your appliances, like a furnace, HVAC system, washer machine, if they break due to electrical or mechanical failure.
- Identity theft coverage: Pays restoration costs that come with restoring your identity, like replacement of government IDs, credit score restoration, and fraud specialist fees. However, this coverage does not reimburse you for stolen money or goods.
Expert tip: The type of house you live in, like a condo or a single-family house, will determine what kind of home insurance policy you need. Learn the difference between the 8 types of home insurance policies.
What doesn’t home insurance cover?
Common exclusions from home insurance coverage include damage caused by earthquakes, floods, maintenance issues, wear and tear and pest infestations.
You can buy flood insurance and earthquake insurance to ensure you’re covered for damage caused by these problems.
What factors affect homeowners insurance rates?
Home insurance companies take several factors into account when calculating your home insurance rates, including:
- The age of your house and roof.
- The building materials of your house.
- Your claims history.
- Your credit score (depending on the state).
- Your ZIP code.
Editor’s expert take:
“The type of house you own, like a condo or a single-family house, will determine what kind of home insurance policy you need. If you’re a tenant or a landlord, you’ll also need a different type of policy. We created a guide for you to check out the eight types of home insurance policies."
Kara McGinley, Deputy Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
Types of homeowners insurance policies
There are several types of homeowners insurance policies that are designed around specific types of houses and living situations. These include:
- HO-3 policy. The most common form of home insurance, an HO-3 insures your house against all types of damage unless specifically excluded. It also insures your belongings against 16 specific types of damage in your policy. This type of home insurance policy includes coverage for dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, liability and medical payments to others.
- HO-4 policy. Also called renters insurance, this type of policy is designed for tenants who rent their house or apartment. It includes personal property, loss of use, liability and medical expenses to others coverage. It does not include dwelling coverage since the renter does not own the structure of the home.
- HO-5 policy. Also called comprehensive coverage, this is the most robust form of home insurance coverage. It includes the same coverages as a standard HO-3 policy, but insures your house and belongings against all types of damage unless listed as an exclusion.
- HO-6 policy. Known as condo insurance, this type of home insurance is designed for condo or co-op owners. It includes the same type of coverage as an HO-3 policy, but how much dwelling coverage you’ll need will depend on your HOA’s master policy. Condo owners contribute to the HOA’s master policy which pays for repairs to the structure of the condo and common areas. How comprehensive the master policy is will depend on your HOA.
- HO-7 policy. Also called mobile and manufactured home insurance, HO-7 home insurance policies pay for damages to your mobile house and belongings from named problems in your policy. It also includes loss of use coverage, liability insurance and medical payments to others coverage. Depending on the insurance company, you may be able to upgrade or enhance your HO-7 policy.
- HO-8 policy. This type of home insurance is designed for houses that are older or historic. Historic houses typically don’t qualify for HO-3 policies because they’re often made with outdated or vintage materials that aren’t easily replaced. This usually means historic houses have higher rebuild values than newer ones. HO-8 policies contain the same type of coverage as HO-3 policies, but you’re only covered for damage caused by 10 specific issues.
Which home insurance policy do you need? The 8 types of homeowners insurance
Editor’s expert take:
“I recommend getting home insurance quotes every year or every few years. Getting quotes from multiple companies can ensure you aren’t missing out on a better deal elsewhere with another company for the same amount of coverage.”
Kara McGinley, Deputy Editor of Insurance, USA TODAY Blueprint
How to file a homeowners insurance claim
Here are some steps to take when filing a home insurance claim.
- Contact your home insurance company immediately. You can do this over the phone or online depending on the insurance company.
- Document the damage with photographs or video footage. You should also take note of any damage to personal belongings and consult your home inventory if you have one. The more proof of damage you have the faster your claims process will likely be.
- Make temporary repairs to prevent further damage. If you need to buy materials to make the temporary repairs, save the receipt for reimbursement from your insurer.
- File a claim with your home insurance company and prepare for the claims adjuster to arrive. If you’re filing a property damage claim, your insurer company will typically send out a claims adjuster to survey and confirm the damage.
- Begin the claims payout process once your claim is approved. Depending on the home insurance company, your insurer may send you a check or multiple checks for repairs, may help you find a contractor to fix the damage and set you up with a place to temporarily live if your home is uninhabitable
Home insurance outlook for 2024
Thanks to supply chain issues, inflation and expensive natural disasters in previous years, several states approved home insurance rate increases for insurers.
This means a couple of things in 2024:
- Homeowners in some states may receive shocking rate increases or nonrenewals.
- Insurers that increase rates are more likely to continue to be able to afford to pay out for approved claims and stay in business.
If you’re shopping for home insurance in 2024, it’s important to compare home insurance quotes from several different insurance companies to make sure you’re getting the best coverage at the most affordable price for your needs.
Best homeowners insurance companies FAQs
To determine how much home insurance you need, first consider the cost of rebuilding your house from the ground up. That’s what your dwelling coverage limit is based on.
To figure out how much coverage you need for personal belongings, conduct a home inventory. There are several free apps that can help.
For liability insurance, a good rule of thumb is to have enough coverage to protect the total value of your assets, or what you could lose in a lawsuit.
Bundling your home and auto insurance could help you save money. Combining policies with the same insurer can also take some of the hassle out of paying premiums.
If you’re considering bundling insurance policies, it’s helpful to do some comparison shopping first to see which insurers offer the biggest discounts.
If you have a mortgage on your house, you’ll need home insurance as lenders require it. Even if you don’t have a mortgage, you should still consider home insurance.
Forgoing a home insurance policy means you’re on the hook for paying to rebuild your house and replace all of your belongings if disaster strikes.
Without home insurance, you also miss out on liability coverage, which means you’ll have to pay out of pocket for any injuries or property damage to another party that you’re at fault for — and pay for your own legal defense if they sue.
Homeowners insurance is typically not tax deductible. The only time you might be able to deduct home insurance from your taxes is if you run a home business or rent out your house. However, you’d need extra home insurance coverage to do either of those things, as standard homeowners insurance doesn’t cover business practices.
The 80% rule for home insurance is that your dwelling coverage should be at least 80% of the estimated cost to rebuild your house.
This rule is intended to prevent you from being underinsured and having to shoulder excessive out-of-pocket costs if your home is damaged or destroyed.
Westfield and Erie offer the best homeowners insurance according to our analysis. Each scores 5 stars in our best home insurance companies rating. However, home insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s important to compare home insurance quotes from multiple companies to make sure you’re getting the best coverage for your needs at an affordable price.
No, standard homeowners insurance does not cover repairing your house after damage from a flood. In order to be covered for the cost of repairs after a flood damages your house, you’ll either need to add extra flood coverage to your homeowners policy or buy a standalone flood insurance policy. Depending on where you live, your mortgage lender or insurance company may require you to carry flood insurance.
Yes, homeowners insurance covers fire damage. This includes coverage for wildfires, so if your house is destroyed in a wildfire, you should be able to file a claim with your home insurance company. In high-risk wildfire areas, insurers may offer discounts if you take measures to fireproof your house.
No, standard home insurance doesn’t cover earthquake damage, but you may be able to add coverage to your homeowners policy for an additional fee. You can also purchase separate earthquake insurance.
Yes, homeowners insurance covers many types of storm damage, including tornadoes, thunderstorms and winter storms. Hurricane damage may be limited or excluded if you live in a high-risk area, which means you may have to purchase separate wind insurance and flood insurance to be reimbursed if a hurricane winds and storm-surge flood damages your house.
Some home insurance companies ban dog breeds that they deem too high-risk to insure.
If your dog has a history of biting or behavioral issues, that may also disqualify it for coverage under the liability portion of your home insurance policy. This means if your dog attacks someone at the park, you won’t be able to file a liability claim for the injured party’s medical expenses or your legal bills if they choose to sue you.
The top 10 dog breeds most often banned by home insurance companies are:
- Doberman Pinscher.
- Pit bull.
- Rottweiler.
- Chow Chow.
- Wolf dogs and wolf hybrids.
- Presa Canario (Canary dog).
- Akita.
- German shepherd.
- Husky.
- Mastiff.
The cheapest home insurance company is Progressive, which charges an average of $729 per year for a home insurance policy with $350,000 in dwelling coverage. The second cheapest is Nationwide, which charges an average of $1,157 per year for the same policy.
The most common type of home insurance is an HO-3 policy. HO-3 policies insure primary, single-house residences. HO-3 policies include six types of coverage: dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, liability and medical payments to others.
Here are some steps to take when filing a home insurance claim.
- Contact your home insurance company immediately. You can do this over the phone or online depending on the insurance company.
- Document the damage with photographs or video footage. You should also take note of any damage to personal belongings and consult your home inventory if you have one. The more proof of damage you have the faster your claims process will likely be.
- Make temporary repairs to prevent further damage. If you need to buy materials to make the temporary repairs, save the receipt for reimbursement from your insurer.
- File a claim with your home insurance company and prepare for the claims adjuster to arrive. If you’re filing a property damage claim, your insurer company will typically send out a claims adjuster to survey and confirm the damage.
- Begin the claims payout process once your claim is approved. Depending on the home insurance company, your insurer may send you a check or multiple checks for repairs, may help you find a contractor to fix the damage and set you up with a place to temporarily live if your home is uninhabitable.
Find the best homeowners insurance in your state
Best home insurance in California
Best home insurance in Florida
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Learn more about homeowners insurance
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Average cost of homeowners insurance
Editor’s Note: This article contains updated information from previously published stories:
- What does homeowners insurance cover and not cover?
- Is your insurance policy good enough? Here’s a checklist to review
- Homeowner’s insurance: 10 tips for older Americans
- Hurricane Florence lifts Home Depot, Generac shares, drags down insurers
- Some Harvey-battered homeowners thought skipping flood insurance was low-risk gamble
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