Best high-risk homeowners insurance companies (2024)

The best high-risk home insurance companies in 2024 are State Farm, Allstate, AIG, Stillwater, and Foremost. Find the best high-risk homeowners insurance for your needs today.

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By

Pat HowardManaging Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertPat Howard is a managing editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where he specializes in homeowners insurance. His work and expertise has been featured in MarketWatch, Real Simple, Fox Business, VentureBeat, This Old House, Investopedia, Fatherly, Lifehacker, Better Homes & Garden, Property Casualty 360, and elsewhere.

Edited by

Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor and home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our homeowners insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.

Updated|3 min read

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If your house faces a heightened risk of damage or loss, insurance companies may consider your home to be higher risk and either charge you more expensive rates or deny you coverage altogether. But some companies are more flexible than others in terms of what they'll cover, so it's important to explore the best high-risk homeowners insurance companies for your specific situation.

Based on our analysis, State Farm is the best overall high-risk home insurance company, followed by Allstate, thanks to their nationwide availability and willingness to cover a variety of risk exposures.

State Farm Logo

State Farm

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Allstate Logo

Allstate

★ ★ ★ ★ ½

Policygenius looked at some of the most popular home insurers in the U.S. by market share to find out which ones offered the best homeowners insurance for high-risk homes in 2024. We analyzed each company’s policy cost, availability, and acceptance of certain high-risk features, including homes with older roofs or a history of prior claims

Compare rates and shop high-risk home insurance today

We don't sell your information to third parties.

Best high-risk home insurance companies 

Here are our picks for the best high-risk home insurance in 2024.

To come up with our top picks, our team of licensed home insurance experts compared costs from several companies for a sample property with various features that make it high risk. In addition to cost, we also analyzed internal company data to see what risks each company was willing to cover, as well as state availability and other factors.

Best overall: State Farm

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2024 Policygenius award winner

State Farm

State Farm logo

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starHalf orange star

4.8

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A++

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

Bundle home & auto

Offers extended replacement cost

All 50 states

Wind/hail deductible

Offers wildfire insurance

Mobile app

Offers flood insurance

Smart home discounts

Why we chose itchevron icon

At a time when several major insurance companies are no longer insuring homes in areas prone to wildfires or hurricanes, State Farm continues to offer its relatively affordable and highly rated home insurance to homeowners in every corner of the country.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Save up to $1,127 per year when you bundle your home and auto insurance

  • Excellent line-up of policy add-ons, including extended replacement cost coverage

Cons

  • No longer sells home insurance policies in California

  • 20% more complaints filed with the NAIC than other companies of its size

More detailschevron icon

How much does State Farm home insurance cost?

The national average cost of home insurance with State Farm is $1,887 per year, according to sample quotes provided to Policygenius from Quadrant Information Services. This is higher than the national average of $1,754 per year.

State availability

State Farm offers home insurance policies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Runner up: Allstate

award icon

2024 Policygenius award winner

Allstate

Allstate logo

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starHalf orange star

4.4

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A+

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

Bundle home & auto

Smart home discounts

All 50 states

Insures older homes

Mobile app

Offers wildfire insurance

Wind/hail deductible

Offers extended replacement cost

Offers flood insurance

Why we chose itchevron icon

Allstate stands out for its willingness to cover a variety of high-risk features, including dangerous dog breeds, homes over 100 years old, and more, making it our runner-up pick for best high-risk homeowners insurance company of 2023.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • High-quality and flexible policy options

  • Numerous discounts and features that help you save

  • Below-average customer complaints

Cons

  • No longer sells home insurance policies in California

  • Below-average digital experience rating with J.D. Power

More detailschevron icon

How much does Allstate home insurance cost?

The national average cost of home insurance with Allstate $1,650 per year, according to sample quotes provided to Policygenius from Quadrant Information Services. This makes Allstate about 13% cheaper than the national average.

State availability

Allstate offers home insurance policies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Best for high-value homes: AIG

AIG

AIG home insurance logo

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starEmpty gray star

4.2

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

Wind/hail deductible

Offers wildfire insurance

Smart home discounts

Offers extended replacement cost

Offers earthquake insurance

Mobile app

Offers flood insurance

Insures older homes

Bundle home & auto

Why we chose itchevron icon

AIG offers high-dollar policy limits, exclusive coverage add-ons, and complimentary wildfire and hurricane protection services — best for affluent homeowners looking to purchase multiple insurance policies with one luxury carrier.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Offers higher coverage limits for high-value homes

  • Guaranteed & extended replacement cost coverage available

  • Complimentary wildfire and hurricane mitigation services

Cons

  • Can’t purchase a stand-alone home insurance policy

  • Only insures homes valued at $750,000+

  • Can’t file claims online

More detailschevron icon

How much does AIG home insurance cost?

Because AIG is designed exclusively for homes valued at $750,000 or more, rates vary widely based on where your home is located, its rebuild value, custom features and fixtures, and the wealth of unique artwork, jewelry, and other priceless possessions you have to insure. 

State availability

AIG offers home insurance policies in all states except Hawaii and Alaska.

Best for lapses in coverage: Stillwater

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2024 Policygenius award winner

Stillwater

Stillwater Insurance logo

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starHalf orange star

4.5

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A-

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

New homebuyer discount

Offers extended replacement cost

Offers earthquake insurance

Bundle home & auto

Mobile app

Why we chose itchevron icon

Stillwater's willingness to insure homes that have gone without home insurance for any period of time makes it our top pick for homeowners who've had a lapse in coverage.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Insures homes that had a lapse in insurance coverage

  • Rates lower than the national average, plus 15 discounts to save even more

  • Offers a slew of coverage add-ons

Cons

  • Doesn’t have as strong financial strength rating as other insurers

  • Wasn’t included in J.D. Power’s 2022 customer satisfaction surveys

  • Not available in Louisiana

More detailschevron icon

How much does Stillwater home insurance cost?

The national average cost of home insurance with Stillwater is $1,589 per year, according to sample quotes provided to Policygenius from Quadrant Information Services. This makes Stillwater about 18% cheaper than the national average.

State availability

Stillwater homeowners insurance is available in all states except Louisiana.

Best for complex coverage needs: Foremost

award icon

2024 Policygenius award winner

Foremost

Policygenius rating 

Our proprietary rating methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the "methodology" section for more details.

Full orange starFull orange starFull orange starFull orange starEmpty gray star

4.2

AM Best rating 

AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).

A

Cost 

Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).

$

$

$

$

$

All 50 states

Wind/hail deductible

Offers flood insurance

Offers earthquake insurance

Offers wildfire insurance

Why we chose itchevron icon

Foremost is willing to insure high-risk homes that are older, showing obvious signs of wear and tear, or have an extensive claims history. And it’s not afraid to work with homeowners who have bad credit.

Pros and conschevron icon

Pros

  • Insures high-risk homes that are older, showing signs of wear and tear, or have a history of claims

  • Works with homeowners with bad credit

  • Offers guaranteed and extended replacement cost coverage for your home

Cons

  • Rates are 27% higher than the national average

More detailschevron icon

How much does Foremost home insurance cost?

The national average cost of home insurance with Foremost is $2,484 per year, according to sample quotes provided to Policygenius from Quadrant Information Services. This makes Foremost about 27% more expensive than the national average. 

State availability

Foremost homeowners insurance is available in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Compare rates and shop high-risk home insurance today

We don't sell your information to third parties.

Comparing high-risk homeowners insurance rates

Looking at the 25 largest home insurance companies in the U.S. by market share, we analyzed each company’s average home insurance rate for different high-risk features — including a house with 3+ claims or a policyholder with poor credit — for a 40-year-old female homeowner with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, $300,000 in personal liability coverage, and a $1,000 policy deductible. 

As you can see in the table below, certain home insurance companies offer more affordable rates than others when it comes to insuring high-risk properties. National General, for example, has the cheapest average home insurance premiums for a house with multiple past claims, while State Auto offers the most affordable coverage for a home with an in-ground pool. 

Company

Multiple claims

Older roof

Agressive dog breed

Poor credit

In-ground pool

Older home

AAA

$4,798

$1,807

$1,818

$4,143

$1,870

$2,068

AIG

$1,959

$1,256

$1,107

$1,866

$1,116

$1,312

Allstate

$2,904

$1,762

$1,596

$2,705

$1,597

$1,695

American Family

$2,899

$1,794

$1,568

$2,184

$1,493

$1,857

Amica

$4,632

$2,473

$3,882

$5,474

$3,882

$2,539

ASI Progressive

$2,665

$1,860

$2,644

$3,487

$2,630

$1,840

Auto-Owners Insurance

$1,735

$1,506

$1,283

$5,729

$1,307

$1,512

Chubb

$2,942

$1,964

$1,922

$3,888

$1,922

$1,785

Country Financial

$4,204

$2,531

$2,730

$3,721

$2,730

$2,634

Erie

$2,440

$1,465

$1,346

$3,575

$1,515

$1,591

Farmers

$3,852

$1,971

$1,918

$3,789

$1,902

$1,912

Mercury

$3,878

$1,915

$1,910

$4,944

$1,994

$1,837

Narragansett Bay

$1,971

$1,408

$1,561

$1,855

$1,558

$1,459

National General

$1,309

$998

$1,007

$1,300

$1,057

$1,054

Nationwide

$3,627

$2,077

$1,955

$2,655

$1,955

$2,092

Pure Insurance

$3,112

$2,079

$2,281

$2,166

$2,281

$2,118

State Auto

$2,696

$1,473

$1,008

$2,908

$1,008

$1,522

State Farm

$2,132

$1,935

$2,039

$3,966

$2,039

$1,940

The Hanover

$3,958

$2,946

$2,829

$5,864

$2,876

$3,327

The Hartford

$7,036

$2,494

$2,536

N/A

$2,794

$2,556

Travelers

$7,406

$5,843

$3,638

$9,903

$3,911

$6,063

Universal Property

$1,957

$1,659

$1,667

$1,667

$1,667

$1,704

UPC

$2,762

$1,732

$1,266

$3,404

$1,266

$1,752

USAA

$2,174

$1,527

$1,432

$2,264

$1,432

$1,530

Collapse table

What is high-risk homeowners insurance & when do you need it?

After getting high-risk homeowners insurance quotes, the insurance company will look at multiple factors to determine your rates or whether you’re worth insuring. Factors including the age of your house, its location, and personal factors like your credit score or loss history make up your overall risk profile. If your risk profile points to a high probability of future losses or claims, you’ll likely be considered high risk. 

If any of the following factors apply to you or your home, insurance companies will likely consider you to be high risk.

Factors that make you high risk

  • Multiple claims

  • Poor credit

  • Aggressive pets

  • Home-based businesses

  • Criminal record

Factors that make your home high risk

  • Age of home

  • Structural issues

  • Location

  • Age of roof

  • Home is vacant or unoccupied

I’m a high-risk homeowner — how do I get home insurance?

If you suspect you or your home’s risk is making it harder to get homeowners insurance, you’ll first want to find out why. The reason might be something small like trimming tree branches or clearing your property of dry brush (something that’s important in wildfire states); or something big like replacing your roof or improving your credit score. Once you narrow down why you’re considered high risk, it will make it easier for you to solve the problem and get the coverage you need. 

To find high-risk homeowners insurance, consider taking the following steps:

  • Talk to your neighbors. If you live in a high-risk area, like a hurricane-prone coastal community, there’s a good chance one of your neighbors had a similar experience. Consider talking to neighbors or a local insurance agent in the area to find out what companies offer coverage.

  • Look into excess & surplus insurance. Surplus carriers specialize in coverage for high-risk homes that are rejected by standard homeowners insurance companies. Just keep in mind these policies are typically more expensive. 

  • Contact your state’s insurance department. They might offer last-resort home insurance advice or options that you may qualify for, like a FAIR Plan.

FAIR Plans: What high-risk homeowners need to know

A FAIR Plan is last-resort home insurance for homeowners struggling to qualify for coverage through a regular insurance company. To qualify for a FAIR Plan, most states expect you to exhaust all other options, and may evenrequire proof that you’ve been denied homeowners insurance at least three times.

However, FAIR Plans don’t offer as much coverage and they generally cost more than standard homeowners insurance. But if you’re a high-risk homeowner in need of a policy, a FAIR Plan is a solid temporary option.

→ Learn more about FAIR Plans

What states do insurers consider high risk for homeowners insurance?

Insurance companies consider states along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts the most high risk due to the high probability of hurricane and windstorm damage. In fact, some insurers may only offer policies with wind and hail exclusions due to the outsized risk in certain areas. 

If you live in any of the following states, you may need to purchase separate windstorm insurance (sold as Beach and Windstorm Plans) via your state’s FAIR Plan. 

7 Atlantic and Gulf Coast states with special Beach and Windstorm Plans

  • Alabama 

  • Florida

  • Mississippi

  • New York

  • North Carolina

  • South Carolina

  • Texas

→ Learn more about coastal home insurance

Insurance companies may also deny you coverage if your home is in an area prone to wildfires, particularly in hazardous areas of California. Like most states, California has a FAIR Plan of its own that can fill in any coverage gaps you may have.

Compare rates and shop high-risk home insurance today

We don't sell your information to third parties.

Frequently asked questions

What does high risk mean in insurance?

In homeowners insurance, high risk means there’s factors related to you or your home that increase the likelihood of property loss or claims. If you have a history of frequent claims or your roof is showing signs of wear and tear, your insurance company will likely consider you to be high risk.

What happens when you can't get home insurance?

If you can’t get homeowners insurance, you’ll want to consider getting high-risk homeowners insurance via an excess and surplus lines company or through your state’s FAIR Plan.

What are 3 types of risks that homeowners insurance covers?

Homeowners insurance covers your home and personal belongings in the event your property is damaged or burglarized by a covered peril in your policy. It also helps cover the cost of medical and legal bills if you’re found liable for a guest’s injury on your property.

Methodology

To find the best high-risk homeowners insurance of 2024, we compared coverage and rates for over 20 home insurance companies. To do this, we analyzed the following:

  • Internal Policygenius carrier data to find out which companies accepted the following risk features, as well as how many states it offered coverage for those risks

  • Rates provided by Quadrant Information Services for ZIP codes in all 50 states plus Washington, D.C. for a sample 40-year-old female homeowner with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, $300,000 in liability coverage, a $1,000 deductible, and various high-risk features

  • Number of states where each company writes homeowners insurance policies

After researching companies in each of these areas, our team of insurance experts determined the best high-risk home insurance companies for a variety of coverage needs and scenarios.

Author

Pat Howard is a managing editor and licensed home insurance expert at Policygenius, where he specializes in homeowners insurance. His work and expertise has been featured in MarketWatch, Real Simple, Fox Business, VentureBeat, This Old House, Investopedia, Fatherly, Lifehacker, Better Homes & Garden, Property Casualty 360, and elsewhere.

Editor

Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor and home insurance expert at Policygenius, where she oversees our homeowners insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.

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