Amica, Auto-Owners and USAA offer the , useful coverage and reliable customer service.
Amica has the cheapest home insurance quotes, compared to other major insurance companies. But many smaller regional companies offer lower rates.
As you compare home insurance companies, remember your quotes are always free. Just share some info about you and your home, and insurance companies will give you rates to compare.
And if you have car insurance, get quotes from your current insurance company, too. Most companies offer a discount for bundling auto and home insurance, which could save you up to 28% on your home insurance bill.
*USAA is only available to military members, veterans and their families.
Find Cheap Homeowners Insurance Quotes in Your Area
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 your pets
Companies use this info to decide how much you'll pay for insurance. That's because it affects the chance 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.
For example, homeowners in Colorado pay some of the highest rates in the country. The average cost of home insurance in Colorado is $4,310 per year, in part because of regular hailstorms and wildfires.
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, Amica, only has the cheapest rates in one state — Rhode Island. And 23 different companies offer the cheapest rates in at least one state.
Even within a state, rates can vary widely. Your home insurance could be more expensive if your city or ZIP code 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, Amica, Chubb and Erie 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.
*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 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.
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.
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 the damage or rebuild. 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.
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.
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 is sometimes a percentage of your dwelling coverage limit. 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.
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.
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 called a named perils 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.
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 the value of 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.
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 $2,395 per year, or roughly $200 per month.
Who has the best homeowners insurance?
Amica offers the best balance of low rates and excellent 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?
The cheapest home insurance typically comes from smaller regional companies, such as DB Insurance in Hawaii, Norfolk &
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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. Rates are for a 45-year-old married man with good credit and no prior insurance claims. Rates are based on the average home age and size in each state.
Quotes include:
$350,000 of dwelling coverage
$100,000 of personal liability coverage
$1,000 of medical payments coverage
$1,000 deductible
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.
About the Author
Lindsay Bishop
Senior Writer
Lindsay Bishop is a Senior Writer at ValuePenguin, where she educates readers about home, auto, renters, flood and motorcycle insurance.
Lindsay began her career in the insurance and financial industry in 2010. She was a licensed auto, home, life and health insurance agent and held Series 6 and 63 financial licenses.
After a hiatus from the financial sector, Lindsay returned to the industry as a content writer for ValuePenguin in 2021. She enjoys having the opportunity to help readers make smart decisions about their insurance so they can be prepared for anything life throws their way.
When Lindsay isn't writing about insurance, you can find her spending time with family, enjoying the outdoors on Sunday long runs or riding her Peloton.
How insurance helped Lindsay
As a homeowner for 15 years located in South Carolina, Lindsay has plenty of experience navigating the coastal insurance market and managing the claims process. That includes successfully negotiating a full roof replacement claim.