USAA Homeowners Insurance Review: Affordable, Comprehensive Coverage for Military Members and Veterans

This homeowner insurance is a good fit for: Qualifying military members, veterans, and their family members who want comprehensive, affordable coverage and top-notch customer service.

USAA homeowners insurance is an ideal choice for anyone who qualifies for it. Premiums are typically below what competitors charge, and USAA excels in overall customer satisfaction. Overall, USAA offers great value for its members.

Top perks

Affordable premiums

USAA offers some of the most affordable insurance coverage available. Premiums for homeowners insurance are consistently lower with this insurance product than what many other competitors charge for similar coverage. Policyholders also have the option to customize coverage to find protection within their budget and can save by bundling policies or going claims free. USAA offers a number of discounts:

• Bundle Savings: Current USAA auto policyholders can save up to 10% on their homeowners premiums.
• Protective Device Credit: Policyholders can save up to 5% with a monitored fire alarm or monitored home security system.
• Connected Home Discount: Policyholders can save up to 7% with connected home devices that detect water leaks and smoke, as well as monitoring security.
• Multi-Product Discount: Policyholders can save up to 5% on their homeowners premium with any of the following:
  • Rental property insurance
  • Renters insurance
  • Valuable Personal Property insurance
  • Umbrella insurance
  • Bank product
  • Life insurance
• Loyalty Savings: Policyholders can save up to 5% on their premiums when they have a property policy with USAA for three continuous years.
• Claims-Free Discount: USAA homeowners insurance policyholders with no claims for five or more years get up to 15% off.

Replacement cost coverage is standard

USAA covers household items at today's replacement cost with no depreciation. Replacement cost is the amount it takes to rebuild your home or replace damaged items at today's value. This means, after the deductible is paid, the policy would pay enough to buy a new TV, computer, or other items as if the old ones were stolen or damaged while covered. Many other policies will cover just actual cash value. Actual cash value accounts for depreciation, or lost value over time, and is the value of your home or damaged items at the time of the loss.

Top-notch customer service and support

Not only does USAA offer the lowest rates, it would be ranked No. 1 in virtually all areas of the U.S. in J.D. Power's customer service rankings. Because it doesn't meet its award criteria, J.D. Power gives USAA a score but does not include it in the rankings. The insurer has been the subject of fewer complaints to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners than many competitors of a similar size. Most USAA members report high satisfaction with the financial service provider, with the majority of people with USAA membership purchasing multiple products.

Financial stability

Moody's gives USAA a financial strength rating of AAA and AM Best gives USAA an A++ rating, which means it is in a superior position to pay out claims to customers.

Comprehensive coverage

USAA offers comprehensive coverage and includes certain types of homeowners insurance protection as standard that most other insurers charge for. For example, USAA provides identity theft protection with every homeowner's policy, and it also offers home-sharing coverage for those who rent out rooms.

Military uniforms are also covered for active duty and deployed members. And personal belongings are covered at their replacement cost rather than their depreciated market value.

What could be improved

Limited availability

The biggest drawback to USAA is that homeowners insurance from the company is not available to most people; it's available only to someone who is a USAA member. People who are not active duty military members, veterans, or family members of individuals who meet this criteria will not be able to get USAA home insurance coverage.

To be eligible for USAA auto insurance, a customer must:

• Currently serve in the Army, U.S. Air Force, Coast Guard, Marines, Navy, National Guard, or Reserves
• Be retired or honorably discharged from the military
• Be the current spouse, widow, widower, or unremarried former spouse of a USAA member
• Be the child of a USAA member
• Be a cadet or midshipman at a U.S service academy, affiliated preparatory school, an officer candidate within 24 months of commission, in advanced ROTC, or on an ROTC scholarship

In-person support

USAA has very few physical locations. Those who want help with a homeowners insurance policy from an in-person agent will likely be unable to get it from this insurance provider.

When looking for homeowners insurance that's affordable and more accessible: Like USAA, Travelers homeowners insurance is known for its consistently low prices. However, it's much more widely available since no military affiliation is required. Policyholders won't necessarily get all of the coverage USAA includes with its low-price policies, though. For example, Travelers provides identity protection but only with Platinum Plus homeowners coverage.

When looking for in-person help with homeowners insurance: State Farm offers many in-person agents to help homeowners get covered, while USAA locations are few and far between. Keep in mind, though, that customers may pay more for policies from State Farm and other providers.

USAA is consistently one of the lowest-priced insurers available. Its homeowners insurance premiums are well below the national average, and many military members and veterans will find USAA to be the most affordable coverage provider.

USAA doesn't offer many discounts for homeowners insurance, but there are a few options to save on USAA insurance.

• Bundled coverage allows homeowners to save up to 10% on premiums if they also obtain USAA auto insurance. This is below what some competitors offer, though. For example, Allstate, another insurance company, provides savings of up to 25% for bundled coverage.
• Claims-free discount provides a 10% discount for homeowners who do not have any claims for five or more years. Other insurers offer a similar discount but the claims-free period is shorter. With Farmers, for example, the discount becomes available after just three claims-free years.

Dwelling coverage and other structures

Dwelling coverage pays for the repair or replacement of a home if it is damaged or destroyed by a covered event. Other structures coverage also pays for damage or destruction of other buildings or structures on the property, such as driveways, sheds, and detached garages. Examples of covered events include fire, theft, vandalism, and most weather-related events.

Personal belongings

USAA pays for repair or replacement of personal property that is destroyed or damaged by a covered event. Coverage is provided at a replacement rate, rather than based on the depreciated or reduced market value of the property. USAA also covers military uniforms for active duty military members if something happens to them.

Home sharing coverage

For those who rent out properties, home sharing coverage is available to protect both homeowners and guests. This applies whether policyholders rent out a room or the entire property.

Personal liability

When a homeowner is held legally responsible for damage to others, USAA can provide coverage. This liability insurance pays for damage to other people's property, as well as injuries that visitors to the home may sustain.

Loss of use

When policyholders cannot live in their home due to a covered loss, USAA will pay for any increased living expenses resulting from their displacement.

USAA members can sign up for coverage by creating an online account. Military credentials are required to do so. There are few local USAA offices to provide help to potential customers, but support is available via phone.

USAA consistently receives top marks for customer service. It earned J.D. Power & Associates top ranking for customer satisfaction in 2022, and has been the subject of fewer complaints than similarly sized insurers in the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' database.

USAA insurance is a top choice if:

• Military affiliation makes coverage available
• Premium price is a concern
• Comprehensive coverage, including identity theft protection, is important.
• USAA offers other membership benefits such as discounts on shopping.
• USAA also is financially strong, ranked No. 4 in the nation in terms of premiums written.

But homeowners may want to consider State Farm if they want more in-person support or Travelers if they are looking for affordable premiums but don't have a military affiliation.