Compare Home Insurance Quotes Side-by-Side
Compare home insurance quotes from Progressive, Allstate, Liberty Mutual and Nationwide (+ other top companies) with The Zebra.
Home insurance quotes: everything you need to know
Homeowners insurance is your safeguard against unforeseen losses. However, many feel they are overpaying for their policy, making comparing home insurance quotes a necessity. In this article, we simplify the process, guiding you through how to compare, pinpointing the essential information you need, and helping you select the appropriate coverage—making sure you're only paying for what you truly need.
Key Takeaways
- To get a quote, you will need basic information about your house, including a rough estimate of your home replacement cost.
- Rates vary by individual factors, but homeowners insurance premiums can cost more than $2,000 per year.
- 59% of Zebra customers visiting this page believe they are overpaying for their policy.
- You can save an average of $482 on home insurance by using The Zebra's side-by-side comparison tool or by speaking with one of our licensed independent agents.
How to get a homeowners insurance quote
A good place to begin is with your car insurance provider. This will allow you to bundle your policies and receive a discount. Keep in mind that this company won't always be your best or cheapest option, but it gives you a starting point.
Here are three steps to help you find the best homeowners coverage for your needs:
- Choose how you want to shop
- Pick your coverage (open or named peril)
- Adjust your coverage as needed (optional)
Now let's go over the steps with a little more detail so you can make the most educated decision when you're ready to shop.
Step 1: Choose how you want to buy a homeowners insurance policy
There are three ways you can receive a home insurance quote.
- Directly via a captive insurance agent - this method requires you to contact a home insurance agent online, over the phone, or even at an in-person office. This can be a good option if you want the personal help of an insurance agent. However, these agents typically can’t offer comparison home insurance quotes and can sometimes be more expensive.
- Independent agents - independent agents are similar to captive agents but work with multiple insurance companies so they can offer you options to compare home insurance quotes. However, these agents are rare and still don’t allow you complete flexibility.
- Online comparison marketplaces - websites such as The Zebra allow you to compare homeowners insurance quotes side-by-side from multiple companies at once, likely saving you time and money.
Regardless of which method you choose, you'll need to have certain information handy to get homeowners insurance quotes.
- Full address
- Number of full-time residents in the home
- Is the home your primary, seasonal or secondary residence?
- Year built
- Square footage
- Number of stories and bathrooms
- Presence of detached structures like a shed or garage
- Roof and exterior wall materials
- Presence of wood stoves or fireplaces
- Pet information
- History of home insurance claims
- Notable renovations or updates
- Presence of safety information like smoke detection, burglar alarms or security cameras
Step 2: Pick how you’re covered — named or open peril policies
Most homeowners insurance companies base their quotes on your home's replacement cost, which is the amount it would take to rebuild your home in case of a total loss. This value depends on labor and materials, not the real estate market or demand.
No need to stress about knowing the exact dollar amount of insurance you need. Many insurance companies, including The Zebra, use your home's address to automatically suggest basic policy options. Some may even verify your replacement cost through a home inspection.
Your main decision is how you want your home and belongings covered. You've got options, ranging from basic to better to best, and the price varies between coverage levels. It's all about finding the coverage that suits you best, and we're here to help.
| Policy Options | Your Home Covered by: | Personal Property Covered by: |
|---|---|---|
| BASIC: HO-2 Broad Form | Named Perils | Named Perils |
| BETTER: HO-3 Special Form | Open Perils | Named Perils |
| BEST: HO-5 Comprehensive Form | Open Perils | Open Perils |
Definition: All the hazards and threats to your property that are covered will be explicitly listed on your policy.
Available in: HO-2 for dwelling and personal property; HO-3 for personal property.
What is covered by a named peril policy?
All the hazards and threats to your property that will be covered will be explicitly listed (i.e., named) on your policy. This is considered a less robust type of homeowners policy because anything that damages your home outside of the events listed below might not be covered.
In a named peril policy, the damage caused by the following events will be covered:
- Fire
- Lightning
- Theft
- Vandalism
- Windstorms and hail
- Damage caused by vehicles
- Damage from aircraft
- Weight of ice, snow and sleet
- Freezing of household systems
- Riots
- Explosions
- Falling objects
- Volcanic eruptions
- Water damage: overflow or discharge
- Damage from artificially generated electrical current
- Sudden tearing, cracking or bulging of home
What is covered by an open peril policy?
An open peril policy, sometimes known as an “all peril” policy, will provide coverage against all perils except those explicitly listed in your policy. This is a much more robust form of coverage than a named peril policy.
For this type of policy, all perils will be covered except for the following:
- Freezing pipes and systems in vacant dwellings
- Damage to foundations or pavements from ice and water weight
- Theft from a dwelling under construction
- Vandalism to vacant dwellings
- Latent defects, corrosion, industrial smoke, pollution
- Settling, wear and tear
- Damage caused by pets, other animals and pests
- Weather conditions that aggravate other excluded causes of loss
- Government and association actions
- Defective construction, design and maintenance
Depending on your insurance company, you might be able to add additional coverage options for some of these excluded perils if you desire.
Whether you have an open peril or named peril policy, the following are never covered by homeowners insurance:
- Enforcement of building codes and similar laws
- Earthquakes
- Flooding
- Power failures
- Neglect (failure to take reasonable steps to protect your property)
- War
- Nuclear hazard
- Intentional acts
Step 3 (Optional): Adjust default home insurance coverage
As we mentioned earlier, most home insurance policies will create your coverage amounts based on the replacement cost of your home. This means you might want to adjust your coverage slightly to better fit your individual needs. Take a look at our table below to see the standard breakdown of coverage most insurance companies default to.
We recommend thinking through a few questions to understand what (if any) modifications you should make to your home insurance quote.
| Coverage A: Dwelling | Your house + attached garage | Varies |
|---|---|---|
| Coverage B: Other structures | Any stand-alone structures — like a carport or tool shed — not attached to the home. | 10% of Dwelling Coverage |
| Coverage C: Personal Property | Coverage can be on a replacement cost or Actual Cash Value basis | 50% of Dwelling Coverage Limit |
| Coverage D: Loss of Use | Cover the cost of temporary relocation in the event the home is unlivable due to covered losses. | 20% of Dwelling Coverage Limit |
| Coverage E: Medical Payments | Covers medical costs incurred on the property by those not listed as residents of the household, regardless of fault. | Custom |
| Coverage F: Personal Liability | Covers the costs of another party's injuries as well as claims against an insured for property damage | Custom |
Replacement Cost vs. Actual Cash Value (ACV)
Actual cash value, or ACV, is the amount it would cost to replace an item according to its current worth. Replacement cost would give you the amount needed to replace the item for its current market value. To understand this better, let’s look at a claim for a 5-year-old TV.
A homeowners policy with ACV reimbursement would give you the value of what your 5-year-old TV is currently worth today. Given a TV's depreciation value of as much as 40%[1] every year, the amount you would receive would not be sufficient to cover a new TV.
Under a replacement cost reimbursement, an insurance company would cover the cost of getting a new (but similar) 65-inch TV. Because of the likelihood of paying out of pocket, we typically recommend insuring your personal property with replacement cost coverage rather than ACV.
Do I need to increase the default amount of coverage?
Depending on you and your home, the default coverages above might not be ample enough coverage. Those with valuable personal property should consider adding an endorsement. An endorsement is any change to an insurance policy — whether adding coverage or removing it.
If you have these items and their value is greater than the coverage limit, consider adding an endorsement.
- $200 limit on money, gold, coins
- $1,500 limit on jewelry, watches, furs
- $1,500 limit on watercraft, trailers
- $2,500 limit on firearms
- $2,500 limit on silverware
- $2,500 limit for on-premises business property
- Variable limit on electronics
As far as personal liability and dwelling coverage, we recommend having liability limits equal to or greater than your household’s net worth. This coverage is designed to protect your assets if you’re ever sued. By setting this limit high, you can avoid exhausting your insurance coverage and having to forfeit assets to pay legal fees.
For your dwelling coverage, many insurance companies will give you coverage to a certain percentage — 100 to 150% of the replacement cost of your dwelling's value. As long as it's equal to or greater than 100%, you should be sufficiently covered.
Additional information:
Ready to start comparing home insurance quotes?
As an independent insurance broker, we partner with top home and auto insurance companies across the US. It all begins with your ZIP code, which allows our free tool to retrieve home insurance quotes from our partners, giving you the freedom to pick the best option without the usual hassle.
Only with The Zebra's home insurance comparison tool can you:
- Save time. Conveniently view multiple home insurance quotes simultaneously.
- Make informed decisions. Compare rates, homeowners companies, and coverage options side-by-side.
- Get answers from experts. Ask your questions directly to our licensed in-house agents.
- Lock in your rate and save. The average Zebra customer saves $480 on homeowners insurance!
And here's the best part – we respect your preferences. You won't receive any unsolicited messages or feel pressured to choose a home insurance quote that doesn't align with your needs. Plus, our services are 100% free to you.
Let The Zebra deal with insurance companies for you!
Comparing homeowners insurance quotes: an example
Below is an example of personalized quotes you might see when using our comparison tool. Let's walk through how to determine which of these homeowners' quotes is best based on each company’s coverage, reputation, price, and deductibles.
Real image of The Zebra's product — individual results may vary.
Let's break down each option before we get started.
- Policy type: HO-5
- Deductible - $1k
- Dwelling - $286.2k
- Personal liability - $300k
- Policy type: HO-5
- Deductible - $1.5k
- Dwelling - $286.2k
- Personal liability - $300k
- Policy type: HO-3
- Deductible - $2.9k
- Dwelling - $286.2k
- Personal liability - $300k
Now, we're ready to compare! We'll use three key steps to help you efficiently compare your options.
Step 1: Compare homeowners insurance rates
As you shop for homeowners insurance, cost is probably the first thing that will grab your attention. While it's important to stay within your budget, remember that the cheapest policy isn't necessarily the best one. If a quote is exceedingly low, make sure that it actually provides the coverage that you need.
However, we understand the need to save where possible — in our example, Nationwide offers the cheapest home insurance quote. You can also ask a potential insurer about any discounts they may offer for homeowners or certain homes (like a home with an alarm system).
Nationwide's policy was $39 cheaper than Mercury and $195 cheaper than Liberty Mutual.
We've gathered annual and monthly home insurance premiums from top companies for you to get an idea of what your rates might be. Remember that these rates are averages — you and your home’s insurance premium will depend on several factors, including where you live, the average cost of building materials, claim history and even your credit score.
| Company | Avg. Annual Premium | Avg. Monthly Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Allstate | $1,561 | $130 |
| American Family | $1,764 | $147 |
| Amica Mutual | $2,843 | $237 |
| Farmers | $1,871 | $156 |
| Nationwide | $1,231 | $103 |
| State Farm | $1,484 | $124 |
| Travelers | $2,674 | $223 |
| USAA | $1,385 | $115 |
The Zebra’s homeowners insurance data methodology
The Zebra’s Dynamic Insurance Rating Tool for home and auto insurance rates utilizes the latest ZIP code-level rate filings from across the U.S., sourced from Quadrant Information Services and S&P Global. These filings, typically updated annually or biennially by insurers, are verified through Quadrant’s QA process and then integrated into The Zebra’s estimator.
The displayed rates are based on a dynamic home and auto profile designed to reflect the content of the page. This profile is tailored to match specific factors such as age, location, and coverage level, which are adjusted based on the page content to show how these variables can impact premiums.
For a comprehensive understanding, see our detailed methodology.
Step 2: Look at a company's reputation
When picking home insurance, we suggest you consider the insurer's reputation for responsive claims handling. Price matters, but don't make it the only focus. Trust me, you don't want surprises when you need coverage the most. Your home is probably the most expensive asset you've got, so be sure to prioritize protection.
Nationwide's overall rating was higher than Mercury and Liberty Mutual.
Both Liberty Mutual and Nationwide have similar customer satisfaction ratings but Nationwide’s financial strength and compliant score are better.
Note that Mercury is only available in a handful of states in the US and thus isn’t nationally ranked by many third-party sources. In the states it is available, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) has Mercury rated as “Poor” in customer complaints.
To learn more about individual companies, you can look into third-party evaluations from JD Power, NAIC, Better Business Bureau, or your state's insurance department.[2] Below are just a few of the top names in the business, and we've compiled a larger list of top home insurance companies with ratings and scores to help save you time as you research.
| Home Insurance Company | J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Rating | A.M. Best Financial Strength Rating | NAIC Customer Complaint Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Farm | 4/5 | A++ | Very Good |
| Allstate | 3/5 | A+ | Good |
| USAA | 5/5 | A++ | Very Good |
| Liberty Mutual | 2/5 | A | Below Average |
| Farmers | 3/5 | A | Good |
| Travelers | 2/5 | A++ | Good |
| American Family | 3/5 | A | Good |
| Nationwide | 2/5 | A+ | Very Good |
| Chubb | 2/5 | A++ | Very Good |
| Erie | 5/5 | A+ | Very Good |
Step 3: Compare levels of homeowners coverage
The HO-3 policy from Liberty Mutual isn't as good as the HO-5 offered by Nationwide or Liberty Mutual. Nationwide and Mercury’s quote is based on the “best” policy because it covers both your home and personal belongings against anything except what is explicitly excluded.
Nationwide offers the best policy offering at the best rate.
Step 4: Compare your deductibles
Did you know that one of the key factors affecting your monthly homeowners insurance payment is your deductible? Increasing your deductible can often lead to a lower overall premium because your insurance company is shouldering less financial responsibility if you ever need to make a claim.
However, it's important to strike the right balance. Don't set your deductible too high, or you might find it challenging to meet in case you need to file a homeowners claim. Also, keep an eye out for any separate deductibles that may apply to specific situations like hurricanes or windstorms. Being well-informed can help you make the best decision for your insurance needs.
Home deductibles differ from auto insurance
Home deductibles are deducted from your claim payout and are percentage or dollar-value-based.
- Dollar-value based - With a $1,000 deductible and a claim totaling $5,000 in property damage, you get a $4,000 payout and are responsible for the rest.
- Percentage-based - if your dwelling is valued at $367,000 and your wind and hail deductible is 1%, your deductible would be $3,670.
In our example, Nationwide has the lowest deductible and the lowest premium.
So which option wins?
In the example we've used to demonstrate different home insurance options you might see, Nationwide provides the best option. This is based on their reputation, coverage level, and price.
Of our options, Nationwide provided the broadest coverage by insuring both the home and its content under an Open Perils policy, while having the most consistent review scores. Furthermore, Nationwide had the lowest deductible with the cheapest total premium.
Keep in mind that this was just an example of shopping for home insurance, but we'd love to help you get your own personalized home insurance quotes! Get started by entering your ZIP code below.
We search and compare top home and auto quotes so you don't have to!
Find home insurance in your state
Where you live is a big indicator of how much you will pay for home insurance. Each state has its own set of risk factors (such as wildfires, tornadoes, floods, or other natural disasters) that make home insurance state-specific.
Below we’ve listed average home insurance rates by state as well as each state’s cheapest provider to help you get an idea of what you might pay.
Comparing home insurance: FAQs
Homeowners insurance can be overwhelming and complicated, so take a look at these frequently asked questions that you may also be wondering.
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Comparing home insurance quotes
Have a specific question regarding home insurance? Ask The Zebra's experts!
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About The Zebra
The Zebra is not an insurance company. We publish data-backed, expert-reviewed resources to help consumers make more informed insurance decisions.
- The Zebra’s insurance content is written and reviewed for accuracy by licensed insurance agents.
- The Zebra’s insurance editorial content is not subject to review or alteration by insurance companies or partners.
- The Zebra’s editorial team operates independently of the company’s partnerships and commercialization interests, publishing unbiased information for consumer benefit.
- The auto insurance rates published on The Zebra’s pages are based on a comprehensive analysis of car insurance pricing data, evaluating more than 83 million insurance rates from across the United States.