State Farm Homeowners Insurance Review: Customizable Policies You Can Buy Online

This homeowners insurance is a good fit for: Those seeking policies that are easy to customize and those who want to quickly buy a policy online

State Farm is a leader among home insurance providers because it offers easily customizable homeowners insurance policies and strong online tools. It also has a nationwide agent network that can assist homeowners with their policies. Read our full review to decide if State Farm is a good fit for you.

Top perks

Easily get quotes online

State Farm's online quote tool helps homeowners quickly determine how much coverage they need. Not all home insurers offer online quotes, and few go as far as State Farm to help customers find the right coverage level. Even new homeowners shouldn't have trouble navigating the quote tool on their own.

Customize your policy with optional coverage

State Farm offers a lot of options for customizing their homeowners policies. Additional coverage can range from protection for jewelry and business property to earthquake and sewer backup coverage. It even offers some rare options, like energy efficiency upgrade coverage. This pays to replace a homeowner's HVAC system or water heater with a more energy-efficient model if the old one gets damaged in a covered loss. There's also dozens more options available only through an agent. Homeowners can view these options on the online quote page, but they must contact their local State Farm office to add them to their policy.

Great customer satisfaction ratings

State Farm received above-average ratings in J.D. Power's most recent Homeowners Insurance Customer Satisfaction survey. This is great news for those who prefer to work with a live person. State Farm has a large network of local agents to help customers with questions or concerns.

What could be improved

Variety of homeowners insurance discounts

State Farm offers homeowners insurance discounts for roofing materials, home security devices, and bundling insurance. But compared to some of its competitors, its list of discounts is small. That doesn't mean all homeowners pay high prices, though. The only way to know what any home insurance company can offer you is to get a quote.

Below-average claims satisfaction

While State Farm's overall customer satisfaction is high, its claims satisfaction falls below the national average in J.D. Power's latest U.S. Property Insurance Claims Satisfaction survey. That doesn't mean all homeowners who file claims experience problems with the insurance company. But it is something to bear in mind when comparing home insurance providers.

When looking for a home insurer with excellent claims handling: Nationwide Insurance fared well in J.D. Power's survey for property insurance claims. It scored well above the national average. It also offers a variety of insurance coverage options. But it doesn't have as many policy endorsements as State Farm.

When looking for a home insurer with more discounts: Allstate home insurance offers a variety of discounts to help homeowners save. These include things like multi-policy, good payment history, and claim-free discounts. There are also rarer options like recent homeowner and loyalty discounts. But it doesn't offer roofing discounts like State Farm.

State Farm's homeowners insurance rates are known to be higher than some of its competitors. But this isn't true for everyone. Homeowners who qualify for discounts could reduce their rate. Raising homeowners insurance deductibles can also make the monthly premiums more affordable.

State Farm doesn't have as many home insurance discounts as some of its competitors. But the discounts that do exist are common, and many customers will likely qualify for them. Current homeowners discounts include:

• Multi-policy discount
• Home security discount
• Roofing material discount

Dwelling

Dwelling coverage pays for damages to the home itself. This includes its walls, roof, flooring, and fixtures.

Personal property

Personal property coverage pays for the homeowners possessions, including furniture, clothing, and electronics. It protects these items even if they’re damaged or stolen while away from the home.

Dwelling extension

Dwelling extension covers structures on the property that aren't connected to the house. This includes detached garages and sheds.

Personal liability

Liability insurance coverage protects the policyholder and their family if they're sued for bodily injury or property damage.

Medical payments

This pays for medical bills for guests injured in an accident on the property. It does not pay for medical costs for the homeowner or other household members.

Energy efficiency upgrade

This rare coverage option pays to replace damaged water heaters, HVAC systems, and other appliances with more energy-efficient models if they’re damaged in a covered claim.

State Farm gives customers a few ways to apply for homeowners insurance. The most popular way is to use its online quote tool. It asks questions about the homeowner and the home to determine the replacement cost of the home. This affects how much coverage the homeowner needs. Once the homeowner has gotten their basic quote, they can customize the State Farm policy as they see fit. Then they can buy it online.

Those who are unsure about how much coverage they need can call or email their local State Farm agent. They can also visit their nearest State Farm office in person. The agent will walk them through the entire process.

State Farm customer service ratings are generally high, though its claims satisfaction ratings lag a bit behind. The company scored well above average in J.D. Power's most recent Homeowners Insurance Customer Satisfaction survey. But it was below average in its Property Claims Satisfaction survey.

State Farm homeowners insurance is best suited for:

• Homeowners interested in building a custom policy with rare protections
• Homeowners who want to quickly buy a policy online
• Homeowners who want to take advantage of roofing material discounts

But homeowners may want to consider Nationwide if customer service is their top priority. Allstate is an option for customers hoping for more homeowners insurance discounts.