What is Other Structures Coverage for Home Insurance?
In most cases, 10% of the main dwelling part of your homeowners insurance covers other structures on your property, such as detached... Read More
Compare Home Insurance Quotes
Comparing home insurance quotes could save you almost $1,000 per year.
Compare Home Insurance Quotes in Your Area
How to compare home insurance
Compare home insurance quotes
State Farm, Erie and USAA have the best combination of cheap home insurance rates, useful coverage and reliable customer service.
Erie offers the cheapest home insurance quotes overall. But it's only available in 12 states and Washington, D.C.
As you compare home insurance companies, remember that your quotes are always free. Just share some info about you and your home, and insurance companies will give you rates you can compare.
Home insurance quote comparison
Company | Annual rate | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Erie | $1,244 | |
| State Farm | $1,363 | |
| Allstate | $1,369 | |
| Nationwide | $1,390 | |
| Farmers | $1,475 | |
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*USAA is only available to military members, veterans and their families.
If you have car insurance, make sure you compare quotes from your current insurance company, too. Most companies offer a discount for bundling auto and home insurance, which could save you up to 25%.
Insurance companies may ask for a lot of info about you and your home to give you an accurate quote. Be prepared with the following to make the process as easy as possible.
Personal info
- Birth date
- Social Security number
- Prior addresses
House info
- Square footage
- Construction date
- Building materials
- Age of roof and plumbing
- Renovation details
- Security and fire safety devices
Other info
- Past insurance claims
- Credit score
- Info about pets
Companies use this info to decide how much you'll pay for insurance. That's because it affects the chance that you'll have to make a claim and how expensive that claim could be. For example, a 20-year-old roof is more likely to leak during a storm than a 2-year-old roof.
Compare homeowners insurance quotes in your state
Where you live affects your home insurance rates. This is partially because climate and weather can cause a lot of damage to your home.
Compare Home Insurance Quotes in Your Area
For example, homeowners in Florida pay some of the highest rates in the country. The average cost of home insurance in FL is $2,207 per year, in part because of regular hurricanes.
That's one reason why the cheapest home insurance company in your state may not be the same as the cheapest company overall. In fact, the most affordable company overall, Erie, only has the cheapest rates in one state — Wisconsin.
Compare the cheapest home insurance quotes by state
State | Cheapest company | Annual rate |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Farmers | $817 |
| Alaska | Country Financial | $948 |
| Arizona | State Farm | $916 |
| Arkansas | Shelter | $863 |
| California | Travelers | $1,116 |
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Even within a state, rates can vary widely. Your home insurance could be more expensive if where you live has more claims, higher crime rates or severe weather events.
Compare home insurance customer service
Good customer service is important in helping you get your life back to normal quickly after a disaster.
USAA, Erie and State Farm have the best-rated customer service, based on J.D. Power customer satisfaction ratings, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index and ValuePenguin's own editor's ratings.
A J.D. Power rating above 819 indicates a high level of customer satisfaction. An NAIC rating below 1.00 indicates a low level of complaints, which translates to good service.
Compare home insurance companies
Company | J.D. Power rank
?
| NAIC
?
| |
|---|---|---|---|
| USAA* | No. 1* | 0.33 | |
| Erie | No. 1 | 0.50 | |
| State Farm | No. 5 | 1.05 | |
| Auto-Owners | No. 3 | 0.10 | |
| Nationwide | No. 8 | 0.95 | |
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*USAA is only available to current and former military members and their families. It does not qualify for official ranking in the J.D. Power study.
Customer service is an important part of what you're paying for with home insurance. A major storm or fire will already disrupt your day-to-day life. It could even require you to move out of your home for weeks or months. Great customer service will make the claims process stress-free and get you back in your home more quickly.
Compare reviews of home insurance companies
Every insurance company has positive and negative qualities. When comparing homeowners insurance companies, it's important to decide which features are the most important to you.
Comparing home insurance policies
Home insurance quotes can look different from one company to the next. The coverage types and limits you choose affect your quote, so you'll need to make sure that each quote meets your needs.
The examples below are real policies owned by members of ValuePenguin's team. You can see how the coverage limits and prices vary.
For example, the home insurance policy from Allstate is $4,726 per year. It's much more expensive than the policies from Liberty Mutual and AAA, but it also includes a lot more coverage.
Allstate home insurance quote: $4,726/year
-
Editor rating
-
Annual rate:
$4,726
- Policy type: HO-5
- Deductible: Varies by type of damage
- Dwelling: $571,489
- Personal liability: $500,000 per occurrence
- Dwelling: $571,489
- Other structures: $28,575
- Personal property: $142,873
- Loss of use: $25,000 per occurrence
- Personal liability: $500,000 per occurrence
- Medical payments: $5,000 per person
Liberty Mutual home insurance quote: $881/year
-
Editor rating
-
Annual rate:
$881
- Policy type: HO-5
- Deductible: $1,000
- Dwelling: $92,000
- Personal liability: $300,000 per occurrence
- Dwelling: $92,000
- Other structures: $9,200
- Personal property: $69,000
- Loss of use: Actual loss sustained
- Personal liability: $300,000 per occurrence
- Medical payments: $1,000
AAA home insurance quote: $430/year
-
Editor rating
-
Annual rate:
$430
- Policy type: HO-5
- Deductible: $1,000
- Dwelling: $257,000
- Personal liability: $300,000 per occurrence
- Dwelling: $257,000
- Other structures: $25,700
- Personal property: $154,200
- Loss of use: $38,550
- Personal liability: $300,000 per occurrence
- Medical payments: $5,000
It's also very important to look at the deductible on your quote.
In the example above, the AAA and Liberty Mutual quotes both have a $1,000 deductible. However, the Allstate deductible varies depending on the cause of damage to your home. Damage caused by wind or hail has a $5,715 deductible, and tropical cyclone damage comes with an $11,430 deductible. So if you chose the Allstate policy, you would have to pay a lot more to repair your roof if your shingles blew off in a storm.
In this situation, the Allstate policy is best if you have an expensive home and need more coverage. But you would need to keep more money in the bank to pay your deductible in case a claim happens.
The Liberty Mutual policy is a good option for a less expensive home. But if your home was destroyed, you would only get up to $92,000 to repair or rebuild the damage. If that wasn't enough to rebuild your home, you would need to pay the rest yourself.
The AAA policy is a good middle ground. It has cheap rates, moderate coverage limits and a lower deductible than Allstate. But AAA doesn't have as many add-on coverages as other companies, so you might not be able to personalize your policy.
Compare home insurance coverage options
Comparing your coverage options helps you build the right policy for your needs.
Home insurance comes with standard coverage options, and you can buy add-ons for extra protection.
Standard coverage included
Dwelling
Coverage A: Dwelling
- What does it pay for? Damage to the structure of your home, like your walls, windows and roof
- How much do I need? Enough to rebuild your home
Other structures
Coverage B: Other structures
- What does it pay for? Damage to buildings not attached to your home, like a shed or fence
- How much do I need? Policies typically include 10% of your dwelling coverage limit
Personal property
Coverage C: Personal property
- What does it pay for? Damage to your belongings, like your furniture, clothes and electronics
- How much do I need? Policies typically include 20% to 50% of your dwelling coverage limit
Loss of use
Coverage D: Loss of use
- What does it pay for? Your living expenses if you have to move out of your home due to damage
- How much do I need? Policies typically include 20% to 30% of your dwelling coverage limit
Personal liability
Coverage E: Personal liability
- What does it pay for? The cost of a lawsuit if you hurt someone or damage their property
- How much do I need? As much as you can afford to buy
Medical payments
Coverage F: Medical payments
- What does it pay for? Medical bills if a guest is hurt in your home
- How much do I need? $1,000 to $5,000
Optional add-on coverage
Many companies also offer coverage upgrades for an extra cost.
- Earthquake insurance
- Equipment breakdown
- Identity theft protection
- Flood insurance
- Valuables coverage
- Water backup coverage
Other parts of a home insurance policy
Basic home insurance policies are fairly similar. However, there are a few options that you should understand so that you can make an informed decision.
Deductibles
Your home insurance deductible is the amount you'll pay toward repairing or replacing items after a claim. For example, imagine you had a $1,000 deductible and had to replace your roof for $10,000. The insurance company would write you a check for $9,000 and you would pay $1,000.
Your deductible can range anywhere from $500 to $5,000, and the amount you choose directly affects your insurance quotes.
Choosing a low deductible will raise your insurance cost. A higher deductible will result in cheaper rates.
It's important to choose your deductible based on how much you feel comfortable spending in an emergency.
Policy types
The most common home insurance policy types are HO-3 and HO-5. The main difference between these options is that an HO-5 policy includes more protection for your personal property.
HO-5 policies offer more coverage, so they're typically more expensive.
HO-3 policy
An HO-3 policy lists all of the types of damage your belongings are protected against. If your stuff is ruined and the cause isn't listed on your policy, you can't make a claim.
This is also known as a named perils policy.
HO-5 policy
An HO-5 policy only lists hazards your belongings are not protected against. An HO-5 policy has broader coverage, so your things are protected against most types of damage.
This is also known as an open perils policy.
Actual cash value vs. replacement cost
There are two common types of coverage that insurance companies offer for personal property: actual cash value and replacement cost.
- Actual cash value pays for damage to your stuff based on its current value. That means your insurance company will factor wear and tear into your payout. For example, if you have a 3-year-old couch that's destroyed in a fire, the company will pay for a used couch in similar condition.
- Replacement cost pays for damage to your stuff based on the amount it would cost to buy a similar item brand new. If you have replacement cost coverage and your 3-year-old couch is destroyed, the company will pay for a new couch.
Not all homeowners benefit from the extra protection offered by replacement cost coverage. But the added cost may be worth it if you care about having brand new items.
Compare home insurance quotes: Actual cash value vs. replacement cost
Actual cash value quote:
$2,239 per year
Replacement cost quote:
$2,365 per year
In this example, a replacement cost policy only costs $126 more per year than an actual cash value policy, so it's probably worth it. If your home or belongings are damaged, you'll get the full cost to replace them.
These rates are averages from five large companies in Texas and are for a policy with $150,000 of dwelling coverage.
These factors can make a big difference when it comes to the cost of your home insurance.
It's important to understand what's included in your quote so you can make an apples-to-apples price comparison.
Buy a policy
After you've compared rates, companies and coverage, it's time to buy a policy.
You might be able to do this online, but you might need to work with a local agent. Either way, there are a few steps to follow.
First, pick a date for your coverage to start. If you currently have insurance, the date you choose should be the same as your current policy's cancellation date. Otherwise, you'll have a lapse in coverage.
Next, make a payment. You'll only have to do this if you pay for your home insurance yourself. If you have a mortgage, chances are your home insurance is paid from your escrow account, so you don't need to pay directly.
Call your mortgage company. Your mortgage company will get the paperwork in the mail showing that you've switched insurance companies, but it's a good idea to call and let your mortgage company know ahead of time. That way, you can make sure you know what address your insurance company should send the bill to, so that it comes out of your escrow account.
Frequently asked questions
How much does homeowners insurance cost?
The average cost of home insurance in the U.S. is $1,516 per year, or $126 per month.
Who has the best homeowners insurance?
State Farm offers a great balance of low rates and good customer service, and it's available to most homeowners across the country. But the best home insurance for you depends on what you need in a policy.
How can I get a good deal on my home insurance?
To find the best homeowners insurance rates, compare quotes from multiple companies. Homeowners should also make sure they're taking advantage of available discounts.
For example, consider bundling home and auto policies. And let your insurance company know if you have a security system, fire safety devices or an impact-resistant roof.
Which company has the cheapest price for home insurance?
Erie has the cheapest home insurance rates, with an average of $1,244 per year. Unfortunately, Erie is only available in 12 states, so many homeowners can't take advantage of its low prices. People who live outside of Erie's coverage area should consider State Farm.
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Methodology
To find the best cheap homeowners insurance, ValuePenguin compared quotes from top companies in every residential ZIP code across the country. Dwelling coverage is based on the median home age and value for each individual state. For example, the California sample home was built in 1975 and insured to a value of $505,000. Meanwhile, the sample West Virginia home was built in 1974 and insured for $119,500. Our experts used median home values to figure out the rebuilding cost in each state.
Quotes also include $100,000 of personal liability coverage, $5,000 of medical payments coverage and a $1,000 deductible.
To illustrate the difference in cost between actual cash value and replacement cost coverage, our experts gathered quotes from five top companies across every ZIP code in Texas. Quotes are based on $150,000 of dwelling coverage.
ValuePenguin's analysis used insurance rate data from Quadrant Information Services. These rates were publicly sourced from insurer filings and should be used for comparative purposes only — your own quotes may be different.