With that in mind, we created an objective rating system to score each home insurance company. Here’s what that review process looked like:
We analyze the information on each company’s website. This allows us to determine what products and services are offered by each home insurance provider. We get a sample quote from the companies by either talking to a sales representative or by using the online quote tool. This tells us what a policy looks like and costs. We test customer service by talking to a company representative, finding out their hours of operation, and determining what technological features are available for customers. We update all of this information on a continuous basis, storing it in a proprietary database that allows us to compare dozens of home insurance companies against each other.
With this data, we created a rating methodology to score each home insurance company. Our rating system is a weighted, 100-point scale based on the following factors:
Coverage (30): We rated home insurance companies higher if they offered the six main types of homeowner protection—dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, liability, and medical payments to others coverage. State availability (7.5): Companies scored higher if they covered more states than their competitors. Customer service (15): This factor is based on our communications with the company representatives, as well as the companies’ claims and quotes processes, availability throughout the week, and customer service information found on their websites. Technology (12.5): Technology can increase the efficiency of filing and tracking home insurance claims. Companies scored higher if they had technology options like mobile apps and online chat functions. Reputation (20): We gauged trustworthiness based on years of experience and Better Business Bureau ratings. Additional benefits (15): Companies that offered optional features, like discounts and endorsements, scored higher than competitors that didn’t.
The This Old House Reviews Team has a full-time researcher who collects and regularly updates data points from every company to help us compare them on key factors such as coverage, service, and dependability. To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.
