AAA Home Insurance Review 2022: Is It Right for You? – NerdWallet

Founded in 1902, AAA comprises more than 30 separate regional motor clubs in the U.S. As such, which AAA club issues your home insurance will depend on your location. For example, a homeowner in Los Angeles would get a policy through the Automobile Club of Southern California, while someone in Tennessee would be insured by the Auto Club Group. Each of these providers offers its own coverage options and discounts.

It can be a little confusing, but if you visit the AAA website and put in your ZIP code, the organization will send you to the website of your local club. There you can learn more about your insurance options and, in some cases, get an online quote.

You may need to be a member of AAA to buy its homeowners insurance, so you’ll want to factor the membership fee into the cost of your premiums when comparing quotes with other companies.

Because different AAA clubs have different insurance providers, we’ve rated each of them separately. Below are NerdWallet’s star ratings for three of the largest AAA-branded insurance companies.

NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The homeowners insurance scoring formula takes into account policy coverage options and discounts, ease of filing a claim, website transparency, the financial strength of the company, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.

You can generally expect your homeowners policy to have the basic coverage described above, regardless of which AAA insurer provides it. But beyond that, your choices for additional coverage will vary depending on where you live.

Below is a sampling of coverage options you might be able to add:

Personal injury. Pays legal expenses and damages if someone sues you for slander, libel or other personal injury issues.

Extra coverage for valuable items. Provides additional coverage for jewelry or other expensive items.

Equipment breakdown. Covers household systems or appliances if they experience a mechanical failure.

Extended or guaranteed replacement cost coverage for your dwelling. Provides a cushion in case rebuilding your house is more expensive than expected after a disaster. Extended replacement coverage raises your dwelling limit by a certain percentage, while guaranteed replacement cost coverage will pay whatever it takes to restore your home to the way it was before.

Green building. Pays to use eco-conscious and/or energy-efficient materials for repairs or to replace destroyed items with environmentally friendly equivalents.

Identity fraud. Covers expenses associated with recovering from identity theft. (Learn more about identity theft insurance.)

Ordinance or law. Pays to bring your home up to current building codes after a covered event.

Replacement cost coverage for personal property. Without this coverage, the insurer may cover your belongings on an “actual cash value” basis. If your items are destroyed or stolen, the company’s claim check will reflect what they were worth at the time, which might not be enough to buy brand-new replacements. Replacement cost coverage pays the full value to buy new versions of your lost things.

Service line. Pays for damage to underground utility lines linking your home to the street.

Water backup. Covers damage if your sump pump fails or a drain backs up.

Homesharing. Pays for damage associated with renting your home out to others.

Diminishing deductible. Reduces your deductible by a set amount for each year you don’t file a claim.

As with coverage, discounts also vary between AAA-branded insurers. You may be able to save money on your homeowners policy by:

• Bundling multiple policies.

• Not having any recent insurance claims on your record.

• Living in a gated community.

• Insuring a home that was recently constructed or renovated.

• Paying your premium in full, upfront.

• Protecting your home with devices such as burglar alarms.

• Taking steps to prevent wind damage to your home.

As a measure of consumer satisfaction — or lack thereof — we evaluate how many complaints state regulators receive from customers of each insurance company. This number varies significantly from one AAA-branded insurer to another.

Here’s how many complaints some of AAA’s biggest providers have drawn over a three-year span:

Complaint ratios are based on three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Website: Each AAA motor club has its own separate website. Some have lots of information about your insurance options and offer features like online quotes and bill payments. Other clubs have a more basic web presence and require you to speak with an agent to finalize your coverage. Which website you get depends on the ZIP code you enter.

App: The Auto Club app lets you manage your insurance policies and AAA membership, as long as you belong to a club that the insurer serves. (This includes Automobile Club of Southern California, AAA Texas, AAA Northeast and others.) The more general AAA Mobile app is focused on membership needs such as calling for roadside assistance and planning trips.

Claims: Your options for filing a claim depend on which insurer you have. You may be able to file a claim online or by phone, and you may also be able to track your claim online with some providers. Check your motor club’s website for specifics. For advice, see how to file a home insurance claim.

Customer service: Check your motor club’s website for phone numbers and other customer service options.

Member benefits. If you sign up for AAA membership, you get more than just insurance. You can also get roadside assistance, travel discounts and other perks.

Wide availability. With its network of motor clubs, AAA serves a broad swath of the country.

Membership fee. If you aren’t otherwise interested in AAA’s benefits, you’d have to get a great rate on your homeowners insurance to make it worth paying the membership fee.

Inconsistency. Because AAA home insurance comes from different companies in different regions, not all members will have the same coverage options, discounts or access to a mobile app to manage their policy.

AAA homeowners insurance may be worth considering if you’re already a member of the organization or you’re interested in some of the other membership benefits. But depending on where you live, there may be other options with stronger customer service.

Not ready to make a decision? You may be interested in these other homeowners insurance companies:

• Hippo: Digital-first insurance that comes with free smart-home technology in many states.

• Travelers: Coverage and discount options for eco-conscious homeowners.

• USAA: Homeowners insurance for veterans, active military and their families.