Homeowners insurance in Vermont
The cost of homeowners insurance in Vermont is $879 a year for the average amount of coverage. Vermont residents can compare rates from multiple companies with Policygenius.
Published September 1, 2020|6 min read
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Editorial disclosure
Homeowners insurance is essential financial protection for the 71% of Vermont residents who own a house, covering Green Mountain State homes from severe winter weather conditions and other hazards.
The statewide average cost of homeowners insurance in Vermont is $879 per year, but the cost of your own policy will be determined by various factors related to your home and the details of your policy. Your home’s build, location, your policy deductible, and your credit history will all play a factor when companies set your rates. Vermont insurers may also price policies differently for the same amount of coverage, which is why it’s so important to compare insurance options from multiple insurers before you settle on a policy. That’s where we come in.
To help simplify your shopping experience, Policygenius reviewed the five best homeowners insurance companies in Vermont offered through our website and calculated the state’s cheapest and most expensive cities for home insurance based on hundreds of submitted quotes.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The most affordable insurance company in Vermont is MetLife, according to Policygenius quote data
The average cost of homeowners insurance in Vermont is $879 for $100,000–500,000 in coverage
When deciding on policy coverage, Vermont residents should consider the state’s severe winter weather
The 5 best homeowners insurance companies in Vermont
A great homeowners insurance company has affordable coverage, dependable customer service, flexible policy options, high-quality discounts, and is financially stable.
Using those benchmarks, we determined the following five companies were the best homeowners insurance companies in Vermont. Read about our methodology here.
Best company for a cheap quote: MetLife
MetLife provides the cheapest Vermont home insurance quote of any Policygenius partnering insurer. The average quote with MetLife is $629 per year, more than $200 cheaper than the average annual premium in Vermont of $879. Due to the location and topography of Vermont, natural disasters and severe weather are pretty rare, so if you're a Vermont resident looking for a standard policy on the cheap, MetLife is the company for you.
Best company for high-value homes: AIG
Vermont residents with high-value homes should consider a homeowners insurance policy with AIG. This luxury insurance company provides guaranteed replacement cost dwelling coverage, replacement cost coverage on all personal property, and additional services like appraisals and risk protection consultations. Keep in mind that AIG only covers homes with an insured value of more than $750k and doesn’t provide monoline home insurance coverage, meaning you’d need to insure your car or boat with AIG as well in order to get a policy.
Read our full review of AIG here
Best company for policy discounts: Nationwide
In terms of discounts, Nationwide beats most Vermont insurers. The insurance giant offers a generous multi-policy discount if you bundle your home insurance policy with their auto insurance or another type of property insurance. Nationwide also offers discounts for securing and strengthening your home and roof from break-ins and bad weather. You can also land a discount if you haven’t filed a claim in three years or if you recently purchased your home.
Read our full review of Nationwide here
Best company for superior coverage: Encompass
Encompass, a subsidiary of Allstate, offers the most comprehensive coverage options of any carrier in Vermont offered through Policygenius. Encompass provides a base policy with all of the standard coverage provisions, and two additional tiers of coverage with guaranteed replacement cost coverage, water backup coverage, additional living expenses coverage that lasts up to two years compared to the standard one year limit, and high limits for jewelry and other expensive valuables.
Best financial ratings: Travelers
One important indicator of an insurance company’s ability to pay out claims in an effective and timely manner is their financial stability, and Travelers is among the highest-rated insurers in that area. With an A++ rating from A.M. Best, Travelers has the highest score a company can receive with the insurance company credit rating agency. Travelers also has high marks with Standard & Poors, which measures long-term financial stability, as well as Moody’s, which measures a company’s expected losses if they were to go into default.
Read our full review of Travelers here
Average cost of homeowners insurance in Vermont by company
When comparing insurance companies, Vermont residents may find that rates differ greatly from company to company for the same level of coverage. Certain companies may offer more coverage add-ons in a basic plan than competitors, or some may simply have higher rates in certain areas than others.
After reviewing hundreds of quotes submitted with Policygenius, we found that MetLife is the cheapest insurance company in Vermont with a $934 average annual premium for $100,000–500,000 in coverage. Stillwater is the most expensive with a $1,170 average annual premium for that same amount of coverage.
| Company | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| ASI | $ 877 |
| MetLife | $ 629 |
| Nationwide | $ 1,123 |
| Safeco | $ 797 |
| Stillwater | $ 1,170 |
| Travelers | $ 702 |
Average cost of home insurance in Vermont by coverage amount
The average cost of homeowners insurance in Vermont will also differ considerably based on the amount of insurance you have for your home. The amount of insurance you want on your home should be based on how much it would cost to rebuild your home from the ground up, not its market value.
Below is the average homeowners insurance quote for five different levels of coverage.
| Coverage Amount | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| $100,000-$200,000 | $ 744 |
| $200,000-$300,000 | $ 824 |
| $300,000-$400,000 | $ 1,126 |
| $400,000-$500,000 | $ 796 |
| Greater than $500,000 | $ 1,430 |
Average cost of home insurance in Vermont by city
Insurance companies will also price policies differently based on where in Vermont you live. We found that the city of Bennington has the highest rates in the state with a $1,505 average annual premium for $100,000-500,000 in coverage. South Burlington is the cheapest city for home insurance, on average, with a $470 average annual premium.
| City | Average Cost |
|---|---|
| Bennington | $ 1,505 |
| Brookline | $ 941 |
| Burlington | $ 659 |
| Colchester | $ 601 |
| Dummerston | $ 1,475 |
| Essex | $ 962 |
| Hyde Park | $ 1,023 |
| Middlebury | $ 789 |
| Montpelier | $ 1,123 |
| Norwich | $ 1,402 |
| Plymouth | $ 693 |
| Saint Albans City | $ 947 |
| South Burlington | $ 470 |
| South Strafford | $ 1,011 |
| Stowe | $ 727 |
We selected the 15 largest cities in Vermont by population where customers have submitted quotes with Policygenius. Quotes are based on a coverage amount between $100,000 and 500,000.
The cheapest cities for homeowners insurance in Vermont
The most expensive cities for homeowners insurance in Vermont
Guide to homeowners insurance in Vermont
Common causes of home insurance loss in Vermont
Although Vermont has relatively mild weather for much of the year, the state has long, cold winters along with the occasional nor’easter. The freezing rain and heavy snowfall from nor’easters can be both a time consuming chore to remove from your roof as well as an expensive hazard. Homeowners insurance covers roof damage and frozen pipes due to winter conditions, but Vermont residents should make sure their home is covered by a trustworthy company with a reliable claims reputation.
Does homeowners insurance cover flooding in Vermont?
No, homeowners insurance does not cover flood damage in Vermont or any of the other 49 states. Vermont residents can supplement that gap in coverage by purchasing a flood insurance policy. Flood insurance can typically be provided through the same insurance company that insures your home.
Most flood policies are sold by private companies but administered by the federal government’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). An NFIP flood policy can cover up to $250,00 for the structure of your home and up to $100,000 for personal belongings.
Vermont is vulnerable to floods, including flash floods during severe storms. If you live in an area of Vermont that experiences frequent flash floods, you should get a flood insurance policy.
Vermont Department of Financial Regulation
The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation is a great resource both for Vermont homeowners purchasing coverage for the first time or those who are already insured. The department website provides educational information, customer tips, a guide to state insurance laws, customer complaint forms, and more.
What if I can’t get homeowners insurance?
Homeowners insurance companies can cancel your insurance for a number of reasons — maybe you filed too many claims in a short period of time, maybe the insurance company no longer offers coverage where you live, or maybe they determined your home was too risky to insure after a recent inspection.
If you’re unable to get homeowners insurance with a standard carrier, look into coverage with a surplus or excess lines insurer. Surplus carriers specialize in risks that are typically rejected by traditional insurance companies. The downsides to getting coverage through a surplus carrier are that it’s typically expensive and the companies aren’t admitted with the state, meaning they aren’t subject to the same rules and regulations as traditional insurance companies. But surplus lines coverage is still a solid option if you’re a Vermont resident looking for last-minute coverage.
Not where you live? We've got you covered, check out our guide to homeowners insurance in your state
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