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Ben Luthi is a Utah-based insurance writer for Compare.com. With more than a decade of experience covering various insurance and personal finance topics, Ben is passionate about helping people make smart decisions with their money. His work has appeared on a variety of well-known personal finance websites, including the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Credit Karma, Yahoo! Finance, Experian, NerdWallet, Insurify, and many more.
Ben has been writing for Compare.com since 2025.
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Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. With nearly a decade of experience writing and editing insurance and personal finance articles, his work has helped readers discover substantial savings on necessary expenses, including insurance, transportation, health care, and more. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.
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At Compare.com, it’s our mission to give you the tools to find the best (and most affordable) insurance for your unique needs and budget. We strive to provide information that’s helpful, clear, and unbiased, and we believe that comparing insurance companies should never put you at risk of spam. Our editorial team — which is made up of experienced writers, editors, insurance agents, and data analysts — has spent thousands of hours researching and creating the coverage overviews, side-by-side comparisons, and detailed reviews you see across our site.
While we make money through partnerships with some of the brands we discuss in our articles, our editorial team operates 100% independently, and these partners never influence or affect the topics, reviews, ratings, or recommendations we provide. We never guarantee favorable reviews or mentions in exchange for compensation from any brands or partners, and we uphold strict editorial standards to ensure our content is always independent, truthful, and unbiased.
Whether you’re a new homeowner or you’ve had home insurance for a while, regularly shopping around for coverage can help ensure you get the best deal on home insurance while getting the coverage you need to stay fully protected.
But not all policies are equal. Cost is just one factor to keep in mind when comparing home insurance quotes. You should also consider your coverage options, limitations, customer satisfaction, discounts, and more.
Here’s what you need to know about how to compare home insurance quotes, along with some basics about what home insurance does and doesn’t cover.
Before buying home insurance, you should determine how you want to shop, evaluate your coverage needs, and get quotes from at least three insurers.
In addition to rates, it’s also important to research a potential insurer’s reputation, financial strength, coverage options, and savings opportunities.
Understanding what home insurance does and doesn’t cover can help you understand what to expect as a homeowner.
Home insurance can be a significant ongoing expense, so it’s important to take your time to get the best fit for you. Here are some steps you can take to compare home insurance rates for your new or existing home.
You have a few different options when it comes to shopping for home insurance. Here’s what you need to know about each:
Captive agent: Captive agents (sometimes called exclusive agents) work with a single insurance company.[1] While they may have a better understanding of what that insurer offers, you probably can’t use them to compare options from other companies. In other words, you may need to work with multiple captive agents to properly research your options.
Independent agent: Unlike captive agents, independent agents work with multiple insurers and can help you compare policy offerings and rates from all the companies they work with. That said, they may receive commission for steering you toward certain insurance companies,[2] so it’s important to ask about potential conflicts of interest.
Online comparison platforms: Insurance comparison websites — like Insurify, The Zebra, and Compare.com — can help you compare quotes from multiple insurers with only a single application. Many of these sites work with more than 100 insurance companies, meaning you can often compare personalized quotes from dozens of insurers at once.
Compare personalized home insurance quotes from 100+ companies.
Regardless of how you decide to shop for coverage, you’ll generally need to provide some personal information and details about your home to get accurate quotes. These include:
Full name
Gender
Date of birth
Marriage status
Credit score
Type of home
Address
Other property details
Current insurance status
Contact information
As you shop around for quotes, it’s crucial to make sure you’re comparing apples to apples and getting the best coverage for your needs and budget. Here’s how to determine what you need:
Dwelling coverage: You’ll want to make sure you have enough coverage to rebuild your home. But keep in mind that this figure may be different from the purchase price or the current market value of your home. Some lenders may require you to get enough coverage to pay off your mortgage loan.[3]
Personal property: Create an inventory of your possessions to gauge how much coverage you’ll need to replace them. If you own certain high-value items like jewelry, furs, silverware, or collectibles, it may make sense to purchase additional coverage beyond what a standard policy offers.
Actual cash value vs. replacement cost: Actual cash value (ACV) coverage is less expensive, but it covers only the current value of your belongings — often less than what it’d cost to replace them. With replacement cost, you’ll get enough coverage to replace the items, regardless of their current value.
Other coverages: If you live in an area prone to flooding or earthquakes, it can make sense to obtain additional coverage for those natural disasters because a standard policy won’t cover them.[4]
The more quotes you get, the better your chances of securing the best deal. At a minimum, we recommend checking rates and coverage with at least three insurers.
While cost is obviously an important factor, here are some other factors to pay attention to as you shop around:
Insurer reputation: Read online customer reviews to get an idea of what your customer service and claims experience might look like with each insurer. You can also contact your state’s insurance department or the National Association of Insurance Commissioners to learn about complaints against each company.
Financial strength: An insurance company’s financial health can be a good indicator of its ability to pay out claims, so you’ll want to work with an insurer with a strong financial strength rating. You can get financial strength ratings from third-party companies like AM Best, Fitch Ratings, and S&P Global.[5]
Discounts: It often makes sense to purchase home and auto insurance from the same insurer. You can get a bundling discount, which could save you up to 30%.[6] Most insurance companies offer several discount opportunities, so it’s worth asking about other discounts that could further reduce your rate.[6]
Policy details: Make sure you understand the types of coverage each insurer offers, as well as policy limits, deductibles, exclusions, and add-on coverage options.
Once you’ve decided on an insurer, it’s time to purchase your new policy. At this point, you can ask any questions you might have and learn more about discounts you may not’ve seen during the quote process.
In some cases, you may need to get a home inspection, especially if your home is older or hasn’t been inspected recently.[7]
As you finalize the policy, you can choose the effective date when the policy will start.[8] If you’re buying a new home, this will likely be your closing date. But if you’re an existing homeowner switching insurers, make sure it lines up with your cancellation date on the original policy so you don’t go without coverage.
Be sure to contact your mortgage lender to notify them about your coverage. Unlike auto insurance, your premiums are often included in your monthly mortgage payment and paid out of an escrow account.[9]
No two insurance companies have the same approach to policy offerings, calculating home insurance rates, or managing claims. That’s why it’s critical to take the time to shop around and compare offers from multiple insurers. It’s the easiest and most effective way to make sure you get the best possible coverage and price.
Unfortunately, providing personal information and obtaining quotes from multiple insurers individually can be time-consuming. But with an online comparison platform, you can save both time and energy by inputting your information just once to get several quotes.
For more context on how rates can differ between insurers, here’s a look at the average annual premiums with $300,000 in dwelling coverage from dozens of companies.
Company  | Average Annual Premium ($300,000 Dwelling) |
|---|---|
| Westfield | $1,189 |
| Kemper | $1,339 |
| Hastings Mutual | $1,463 |
| AIG | $1,587 |
| Erie | $1,656 |
| American Family | $1,702 |
| Cincinnati Insurance | $1,870 |
| USAA | $1,954 |
| Foremost | $2,052 |
| State Farm | $2,133 |
| Armed Forces Insurance | $2,158 |
| Travelers | $2,282 |
| PURE Insurance | $2,303 |
| American Strategic | $2,355 |
| Allstate | $2,401 |
| Auto-Owners | $2,495 |
| Nationwide | $2,526 |
| Grange Mutual | $2,752 |
| Allied | $2,825 |
| Farmers | $2,909 |
| Encompass | $3,111 |
| Chubb | $3,162 |
| Universal North America Insurance Company | $3,421 |
| Hanover Insurance Group | $4,473 |
| MetLife | $4,678 |
| COUNTRY Financial | $4,722 |
| Shelter | $5,955 |
Save hundreds in just a few minutes by comparing quotes side-by-side.
Homeowners insurance can protect you from a variety of threats, including fire, hail, lightning, hurricanes, and more.[10] Here’s a quick breakdown of the different types of coverage you’ll get with a standard policy:
This helps pay the cost to rebuild or repair your home if it’s damaged due to a covered reason. The coverage limit is based on the cost to rebuild your home, but your lender may require you to have at least enough coverage to pay off your mortgage.
Most policies will also cover structures that aren’t attached to your home, such as a garage, shed, or gazebo. The limit is generally 10% of your dwelling coverage.
This portion of your policy pays to replace personal belongings that are destroyed in a covered event or stolen. Your limit is typically 50% to 70% of your dwelling coverage.
Your liability coverage can protect you against lawsuits for injuries or property damage that other people sustain on your property. It can pay for damages and defense fees. Limits start at $100,000, and it can often make sense to buy an umbrella policy that offers broader liability coverage.
If your home is uninhabitable due to damage from a covered peril, ALE coverage helps pay for certain living expenses, such as hotel stays, meals, and other costs you may face until you rebuild your home (up to your policy’s dollar and time limits).
In addition to liability coverage, your policy will typically include medical payments coverage if someone else is injured on your property. Rather than going through the legal system, they can simply submit their medical bills to your insurance company directly.
Although home insurance covers a broad range of needs, a standard policy may not protect you in certain situations. For example, standard policies don’t cover flooding, earthquake damage, mold, infestations, or sewer backups. That said, some insurers may allow you to buy additional coverage for some of these situations.
Other common exclusions include:
Damage from war, landslides, mudslides, and sinkholes[11]
Injuries to you and others living in the home[12]
Injuries from certain dog breeds, like pit bulls or Rottweilers
Liability related to a home-based business (business equipment may be covered, but limits are often low)
Damage resulting from poor maintenance or neglect
When buying a home insurance policy, carefully review the policy documents to understand what is and isn’t covered for your home.
Comparing multiple companies side by side makes shopping a breeze.
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We answered some common questions that might come up as you shop for home insurance.
We’ve researched nearly every insurance comparison platform and found that Insurify, Compare.com, and Jerry are three of the best choices. Each one works with dozens of well-known insurers and offers you real rates for your next policy.
Insurance companies base home insurance rates on a variety of factors, including where you live, your claims history, your coverage amounts and deductibles, the age and condition of your home, and even your credit score. If your quotes are all high, look for ways you may be able to save — and don’t be afraid to shop around to find a better deal.
Insurance companies typically require you to maintain coverage of at least 80% of your home’s replacement cost if you want complete coverage when you file a claim.[13]
Not usually. You can insure a home you don’t own only if you have an insurable interest. This mostly applies only to situations where the house is in probate or owned by a trust.[14] If you’re in this situation, reach out to potential insurers directly to learn more about your options.
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Ben Luthi is a Utah-based insurance writer for Compare.com. With more than a decade of experience covering various insurance and personal finance topics, Ben is passionate about helping people make smart decisions with their money. His work has appeared on a variety of well-known personal finance websites, including the Wall Street Journal, Fortune, Credit Karma, Yahoo! Finance, Experian, NerdWallet, Insurify, and many more.
Ben has been writing for Compare.com since 2025.
Nick Versaw leads Compare.com's editorial department, where he and his team specialize in crafting helpful, easy-to-understand content about car insurance and other related topics. With nearly a decade of experience writing and editing insurance and personal finance articles, his work has helped readers discover substantial savings on necessary expenses, including insurance, transportation, health care, and more. As an award-winning writer, Nick has seen his work published in countless renowned publications, such as the Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, and U.S. News & World Report. He graduated with Latin honors from Virginia Commonwealth University, where he earned his Bachelor's Degree in Digital Journalism.
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If you’re new to homeownership or simply seeking a lower rate, these tips will help you compare home insurance quotes and choose the right coverage.
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Many factors determine how much home insurance you need. We explain how to estimate your coverage to protect your home and everything in it.
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