Allstate Homeowners Insurance Review 2023
Allstate homeowners insurance offers a trusted name, extensive add-ons, and generous discounts. But customer complaints are higher than average, and coverage can only be purchased through Allstate agents.
Our experts answer readers' insurance questions and write unbiased product reviews (here's how we assess insurance products). In some cases, we receive a commission from our partners; however, our opinions are our own.
Allstate offers many of the most important personal insurance products, including homeowners insurance. It leads the market in discounts, but its base rates may not be as competitive as State Farm and other big competitors.
Allstate Homeowners Insurance
Even if you've never purchased insurance from Allstate, you've heard its slogan. The catchphrase "you're in good hands" originated in 1950 when the Vice President's daughter was sick. A doctor used the expression to assure him that she would be okay. Since then, Allstate has provided customers with full insurance and other financial products.
As the nation's second most prominent homeowners insurance provider, Allstate has a solid foundation with a reliable record of selling and servicing policies. Interested buyers can request a homeowners quote online, but all quotes go through an Allstate-employed insurance agent.
Allstate Homeowners Insurance Cost
- The size of your deductible: The higher your deductible is, the lower your premium will be.
- Home value: Quotes are not calculated on the value of the land. Instead, providers calculate it based on the cost of rebuilding your home. Prices may rise for more remote areas.
- Insurance claim history: Allstate considers past claims: how many, how often, and the reasoning when creating a quote. If you're buying a home, Allstate may also look at claims attached to the house. A high number of past claims can lead to a higher rate.
- Features of your house: The age, condition, and other features of your home can impact the price of home coverage. Older homes may need inspections and updates to be insured if your roof or plumbing systems are too old.
- Location: Allstate provides homeowners coverage in all 50 states, but the rates vary depending on where you live. Homeowners insurance premiums can even vary within the same state or city.
Living in a condo means you can expect lower rates as the dwelling coverage requirements are small. Many states charge an average of $20-$30 monthly for a condo policy. In a sample quote we obtained, Allstate offered $736,000 in dwelling coverage and $500,000 in liability coverage. All other coverages were set based on the dwelling coverage for a home in good condition. The policy broker down costs into annual and monthly expenses, including a lower rate for buyers who use the insurer's "easy pay" system. You can see a breakdown of our quote below.
Website quote
How to File A Claim With Allstate Homeowners Insurance
Allstate prefers all claims be filed online through "My Account." Once you log in, you can navigate to the correct section, upload your information and begin the claims process. From there, you'll work with an Allstate Claims Representative, who you can speak with throughout the process. If you're having trouble with your online portal, you have a couple of other options:
- Talk with a representative: To speak with a representative about your home insurance claim, call 1-800-255-7828. You'll connect with someone who can answer questions and help you file your claim.
- Connect with your agent: Your agent can help guide you through the online claims process and provide additional support. To find your agent, log in to My Account and click "My Agent" at the top of the homepage.
Allstate Homeowners Insurance Plans
The details of
For a standard home policy, Allstate covers the following.
- Dwelling: This coverage protects the bulk of the home, including its structure, walls, roof, and other attached structures like garages. Covered losses may include fires, vandalism, and other common hazards. More coverage can be purchased for water backup and more with the appropriate riders. The exact coverage will vary based on your policy.
- Other structures: Sheds, unattached garages and carports, and other detached structures are covered under this part of your insurance. Coverage is set based on the replacement value of your home.
- Liability: If an injury occurs on your property or there's damage to someone else's property, liability coverage can help pay the legal costs. Examples could include a dog bite, a guest falling through a broken stair, etc. If you want even higher coverage, Allstate offers personal umbrella insurance for an additional fee.
- Personal property coverage: This coverage protects items in your home and garage. Allstate offers two types of coverage in this category: replacement cost coverage and actual cash value.
Replacement cost value accounts for inflation and provides coverage for the cost of the item today. The cash value is just that, the item's current value. In general, replacement cost value provides higher coverage amounts and might cost more. But it could save you thousands of dollars in the event of a total loss and ensure you can replace all your lost items.
- Guest medical coverage: If a guest is injured on your property and requires medical care, this coverage will pay for it. Covered costs include x-rays, overnight hospital stays, ambulance rides, and more.
- Additional living expenses protection: This coverage provides extra money if your home becomes uninhabitable and your expenses increase. Homeowners can use it for hotel expenses or other living costs until the property is usable.
Allstate's standard homeowners policies are competitive and comparable to other large insurance providers. However, insurance companies like USAA and California Casualty standardize additional coverage options like identity theft protection, replacement cost coverage, and water backup as part of primary coverages, along with coverage perks specific to the military, teachers, and other key demographics. The trade-off? Those companies have strict membership requirements, and Allstate doesn't.
Additional Coverage Options (Riders)
Allstate offers many coverage riders to enhance your homeowners coverage and many discounts. Bundling discounts for buyers using Allstate for auto, home, and other coverage is just the start. If you want extra coverage, Allstate offers the following optional riders.
- Scheduled personal property: Often known as "valuable personal property" coverage, this coverage protects high-value items on your property. Jewelry, watches, antiques, or collectibles are typical examples. In some cases, Allstate may request an appraisal, or you may want to get one to simplify the process in case of a claim.
- Identity theft restoration: This coverage helps pay for legal fees and other associated costs if you deal with identity theft.
- Water backup: Coverage for some water damage types is in Allstate's standard homeowners policy. But if you want drain backup or broken pump coverage, add water backup. This is one of the cheaper riders for most homeowners, but it could save you thousands after a burst pipe or other unexpected event.
- Business property: If you're a business owner, you can increase coverage for business items in your home, including inventory.
- Sports equipment: Similar to scheduled personal property coverage, this rider increases coverage for high-value sports gear. You might choose to include ski equipment or racing attire.
- Green improvement reimbursement: In a claim involving appliances or other eligible items, this coverage covers appliance replacement and other parts of your home with energy-efficient alternatives.
- Flood insurance: If your home is in an affected flood zone, you can add flood insurance with Allstate through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Allstate may manage the policy, but the NFIP will pay any claims.
- Yard and garden: If you have a large backyard or expensive landscaping, add this rider for additional coverage. It increases the limit for replacement costs for specialty plants, rock features, and other costly landscaping work.
- Electronic data recovery: If you lose or break your computer due to a covered event, this rider covers the cost of recovering personal computer data, including photos, texts, or videos.
- Musical instruments: Musicians with expensive instruments like guitars, pianos, or drums may buy this rider to protect their most important assets. You don't have to be a professional to benefit from musical instrument coverage.
FAQs
How do I find a local Allstate agent?
One of the perks that Allstate offers compared to other insurance providers is the ability to work one-on-one with an agent. To find an agent near you, use Allstate's agent search tool. To start a search, enter your zip code. From there, you can filter results based on years of experience, distance, average rating, and availability.
What discounts are available with Allstate homeowners?
Allstate offers a range of discounts such as its welcome, home buyer, easy pay, and multi-policy discounts. An Allstate agent can work with you to ensure you get all available discounts. If you renew your homeowners policy, check in with your Allstate agent to see if any new discounts are available.
Is Allstate good at paying claims?
JD Power's most recent
Can I negotiate my homeowners insurance rates with Allstate?
Allstate insurance agents will run quotes based on your home's replacement value and other factors, including all applicable discounts. Agents can lower homeowners insurance rates by reducing your coverage. However, Allstate professionals can advise you on strategic ways to improve rates without cutting essential coverage.
Compare Allstate
See how Allstate compares to three other options for home insurance coverage: Progressive, Farmers, and State Farm.
Allstate vs. Progressive Homeowners Insurance
But if you have specific requirements for extra coverage, Progressive's optional riders are limited compared to Allstate. So while the Name Your Price Tool may help you set a lower price, you may sacrifice essential coverage due to the lack of comprehensive discounts.
Allstate sells its insurance products exclusively through captive insurance agents. Progressive coverage can be purchased online or through broker agents (who can run quotes from multiple insurance providers to compare your options).
Progressive Homeowners Insurance Review
Allstate vs. Farmers Homeowners Insurance
Apart from pricing, the main difference between policies is that Farmers insurance standardizes replacement cost coverage. So in the event of a claim, payout for replacements is based on current pricing rather than what the damaged property is worth.
Any homeowner who has been through a claim without replacement cost coverage can tell you how impactful it is. It could be the difference between replacing your belongings and paying out-of-pocket to finish rebuilding your home. Allstate offers this coverage, but it comes at an extra cost.
Farmers Homeowners Insurance Review
Allstate vs. State Farm Homeowners Insurance
The primary difference is that State Farm homeowners insurance standardizes extra coverage up to 20% if the home rebuild cost exceeds the policy maximum. Allstate customers pay extra for this coverage. Even though Allstate offers more discounts, State Farm's base premiums are less expensive, which evens out the pricing.
State Farm Homeowners Insurance Review
Why You Should Trust Us: How We Reviewed Allstate Homeowners Insurance
When creating this review, we considered the factors such as customer reviews, coverage options, customer service availability, pricing, available discounts, and optional add-on coverage. In addition, we compared Allstate to other long-standing insurance providers like USAA, Geico, Progressive, and State Farm. We also considered new online providers like Lemonade to create an unbiased review of Allstate's home insurance coverage options.
With all this information combined, we generated ratings for many insurance providers like Allstate, giving buyers an idea of what to expect from individual companies and how Allstate compares to other big names. You can also learn more about Insider's homeowners insurance rating methodology.