Homesite Home Insurance Review 2023: Pros and Cons – NerdWallet

Founded in 1997, Boston-based Homesite is part of the American Family insurance group. Unlike some other companies that sell policies primarily through agents, Homesite offers a quick quote process that makes it easy to buy a policy online in many states. The company has a variety of optional coverage types that you can add to your policy.

Homesite home insurance isn’t available just on the company’s website. Both Geico and Progressive sell some Homesite homeowners insurance policies.

Homesite homeowners insurance earned 4 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account coverage and discounts, ease of filing a claim, website transparency, financial strength, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.

Depending on where you live, Homesite’s personal liability coverage may not automatically apply to incidents involving pets or swimming pools. Instead, you may have to add animal or pool liability to your policy separately if you need either type of coverage.

For homeowners policyholders in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington, Homesite offers free access to Wildfire Defense Systems. If a fire is threatening your area, WDS may take protective actions such as setting up sprinkler systems, removing anything combustible from around the house and applying fire-retardant gel.

You may also be able to add the following to your policy:

Identity theft coverage. If someone steals your identity, this coverage can pay for legal fees and other expenses associated with recovery.

Personal injury coverage. This coverage expands your liability insurance to cover libel, slander and invasion of privacy claims.

Extra coverage for valuables. A standard homeowners insurance offers limited coverage for jewelry, musical instruments and other pricey items. Adding this coverage ensures you’ll be reimbursed for their full value if they’re damaged or stolen.

Extended dwelling coverage. In case your home costs more to rebuild than expected due to inflation or high demand, this option adds a 25% or 50% cushion to your dwelling coverage limit. So if you have $200,000 of coverage for the structure of your home, Homesite would pay an extra $50,000 to $100,000 if necessary to rebuild it after a covered claim.

Replacement cost coverage for personal property. If your belongings are stolen or damaged, many homeowners policies reimburse you on an actual cash value basis. That means your payout is based on what the items were worth at the time of the incident. For older items, you might not get much of a payout since they’ve lost value over time. With replacement cost coverage, you’ll receive enough to buy brand-new replacement items.

Water backup coverage. This coverage pays for damage from a sewer line or drain that backs up, or a sump pump that overflows.

Mold protection. This coverage can reimburse you to test and remove wet or dry rot, fungi or bacteria.

Equipment breakdown coverage. If a major appliance or household system has a mechanical or electrical failure, this coverage can pay for repairs or replacement.

Service line coverage. This endorsement pays for damage to underground pipes, wires or other lines that serve your home.

Earthquake protection. Standard homeowners policies won’t pay for earthquake damage, so this coverage may be useful to add if you live in an area at risk.

Additional belongings coverage. This endorsement expands what the personal property section of your policy will cover to include scenarios like spills and drops.

Increased roof coverage. Having this coverage ensures you’ll get enough to fully replace a damaged roof after a hail- or windstorm (minus your deductible), rather than a partial payout based on the age of the roof.

Depending on where you live, the following might earn you a discount on Homesite homeowners insurance:

• Having a centrally monitored burglar or fire alarm.

• Having indoor sprinklers in your home.

• Bundling your homeowners policy with an auto policy from Homesite’s sister company, Connect.

Homesite had fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators relative to its size for home insurance, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

Website: It’s easy to get a homeowners insurance quote on Homesite’s website. You can also use the site to pay bills, set up autopay and view policy details.

Claims: You can file a claim through your online account or by calling 866-621-4823. You can also use your online account to track the status of an existing claim. Learn more about how to file a home insurance claim.

Customer service: Homesite offers customer support by phone (800-466-3748) and email ([email protected]).

Free protection from wildfires in some states. The Wildfire Defense Systems included with your policy could potentially save your home.

Online quotes. If you’re not up for calling an agent to buy a policy, you’ll appreciate Homesite’s easy online quote process, which lets you customize your coverage in a variety of ways.

Customer satisfaction. Homesite finished last for customer satisfaction in J.D. Power’s 2023 Home Insurance Study.

No mobile app. Homesite doesn’t have an app to help you manage your policy, though its website offers some useful functions.

Homesite’s range of coverage options makes it a good fit for various homeowners. However, you may want to consider another company if you value working with a local agent to figure out the coverage you need.

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