Allstate home insurance review: Extensive coverage & discounts
With industry-best coverage options, high financial strength and customer satisfaction ratings, and affordable rates in many states, Allstate is one of the best home insurance options on the market.
By
Pat HowardPat 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.
Our proprietary ratings methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the “Ratings methodology” section for more details.
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 ($$$$$).
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The bottom line
Allstate is one of the top-rated home insurance companies in the nation thanks to its relatively affordable rates, a wide range of discount options, exceptional customer service ratings, and several additional coverage options.
Available in all 50 states and Washington DC, Allstate home insurance stands out for its flexible policy offerings. In other words, whether you’re looking for basic home insurance on the cheap or a more comprehensive policy package with additional coverages and features like short-term rental coverage and deductible rewards, you’ll likely be able to find it with Allstate.
Numerous discounts and features that help you save
Below-average customer complaints
Cons
Below-average digital experience rating with J.D. Power
Basic coverages offered
Allstate home insurance policies include these six basic coverages to protect your home, belongings, and liability:
Dwelling: Pays to rebuild or repair the structure of your home, such as the roof, floors, walls, built-in appliances, and any structures attached to the home.
Other structures: Pays to rebuild or repair additional structures on your property that aren’t attached to your home, like a detached garage or gardening shed.
Personal property: Covers the costs of repairing or replacing your personal belongings, such as furniture, clothes, electronics, and other possessions you own.
Loss of use: Helps cover the cost of hotel stays, restaurant meals, pet boarding costs, and other temporary living expenses while your house is being rebuilt or repaired after a covered loss.
Personal liability: Covers medical and legal expenses in the event you’re legally responsible for an accidental injury or property damage.
Medical payments: Pays for guests’ medical expenses if they’re injured in your home, regardless of who is at fault.
Additional coverages offered
You also have the option to add a slew of additional coverages to your Allstate homeowners insurance policy — but keep in mind you’ll pay for the added protection:
Scheduled personal property: Increases coverage limits on expensive valuables that are often subject to per-item limits on a standard policy, such as jewelry, watches, electronics, or antiques.
Water backup: Covers the cost of repairs if your house is damaged due to water backing up and overflowing from your drain or a sewer line.
Business property: Increases coverage limits on business property in your home, such as a laptop, furniture in your home office, or inventory.
Identity theft restoration: If your identity is stolen, this covers the cost of legal fees, lost wages, and other costs you incur during the recovery process.
Short-term rental: If you rent out your property through a short-term rental service like Airbnb and a guest destroys or steals your property, Allstate’s HostAdvantage will cover the cost of replacing or repairing your property.
Electronic data recovery: Covers the cost of recovering lost personal data from a computer or hard drive, including photos, videos, and other files.
Green improvement reimbursement: In the event your home is damaged, this covers the additional cost of repairing or replacing the property with more energy-efficient materials.
Yard and garden: Increases coverage limits for trees, plants, shrubs, and other landscaping around your home with relatively low sublimits on a standard policy.
Musical instruments: Increases coverage limits on music instruments — such as guitars, pianos, or violins — that are usually covered up to a capped amount (like $2,500) on a standard policy.
Umbrella insurance: If you have a liability claim that exceeds your liability coverage limit, umbrella insurance will kick in to cover the rest of the costs. If the total value of your assets are greater than $500,000 (the maximum liability coverage limit on most home insurance policies) you’ll want to consider a personal umbrella policy.
Flood insurance: Allstate offers separate flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the main provider of flood insurance in the U.S.
In addition to these coverages that you can add to your policy ala carte, you can also opt for the Allstate Enhanced Package, which comes with three unique features that can help you save money on premiums and your out-of-pocket deductible:
Claim RateGuard: Your insurance rates won’t go up if you file one claim within a five-year period.
Claim-Free Rewards: If you switch to Allstate from a different insurer and you don’t have any recent claims, Allstate will apply a discount to your first policy term. Additionally, Allstate will give you 5% of your annual premium back each year you go without filing a claim.
Deductible Rewards: In addition to the $100 off your deductible when you sign up for the Enhanced Package, Allstate will take an additional $100 off your deductible each year you go without filing a claim — up to $500.
Ratings methodology
Price
4.4/5
Allstate is about middle of the pack among large insurance providers on our price rating scale. Where this company really stands out among its peers is savings potential thanks to its expansive list of discounts and features that can both lower your premiums and out-of-pocket costs on claims.
Customer experience
3.8/5
Of the companies that were included in J.D. Power’s 2022 customer and claims satisfaction surveys, Allstate had average scores for both. And in J.D. Power’s 2022 digital experience study, which looks at customer satisfaction with a company’s digital offerings, received one of the lowest scores of any major insurance provider. Where Allstate made up ground on our customer experience rating scale was the below-average number of customer complaints from 2019 to 2021, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) National Complaint Index Report.
Coverage options
3.9/5
Allstate does well on our coverage options rating scale thanks to its complete standard policy package and nine available coverage endorsements, including valuable add-ons like water backup, business property, and short-term rental coverage. Allstate also offers umbrella insurance and flood insurance separately, helping potential customers fill two important coverage gaps, but it does not appear to offer extended dwelling protection.
Financial strength
4.2/5
Allstate has some of the best financial strength ratings in the game, scoring an A+ rating with AM Best, AA- with S&P, and Aa3 with Moody’s. This means Allstate is in a comfortable position financially to pay out its customers’ claims in the event of a disaster.
How much does Allstate home insurance cost?
The national average cost of home insurance with Allstate is $1,650 per year for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. This makes Allstate about 13% cheaper than the national average.
However, your own rates will depend on your home’s location and how much coverage you need. Here’s the average yearly cost of Allstate for five different levels of dwelling coverage:
Dwelling coverage limit
Average annual cost
$100,000
$809
$200,000
$1,177
$300,000
$1,650
$400,000
$2,035
$500,000
$2,509
What discounts does Allstate offer?
Allstate home insurance comes with a slew of potential discounts to lower your rates even more:
Welcome & loyalty: If you switch from another company to Allstate, it will take 10% off your insurance premium along with another 10% each year you’re an Allstate customer.
Multi-policy: If you have an auto insurance policy in addition to your home insurance, you can save up to 25% on premiums, according to Allstate.
Responsible payment: If you remember to pay your bills on time and opt for an insurer-friendly payment plan, such as paying your premiums for the year in full or through an escrow account.
Claim free: If you switch to Allstate and have no recent home insurance claims on your record.
Early signing: If you sign up for an Allstate policy at least seven days before your current one expires.
Easy pay: If you set up automatic payments.
New homebuyer: If you’re insuring a newly constructed or recently purchased home.
Protective devices: If you have burglar alarms, fire alarms, fire sprinklers, or other safety or security devices installed in your home.
Compare home insurance quotes from Allstate and other top insurers
Allstate homeowners insurance is available in all 50 states and Washington DC.
What to expect with Allstate home insurance
How to get a quote: Allstate homeowners insurance quotes are available online through Policygenius or the Allstate website.
Customer service options: Allstate’s website features an entire help center that can assist you with everything from account recovery to online registration to claims and general policy inquiries. While you should be able to find what you need through its contact page, you can also call Allstate’s general customer service number at 1-800-255-7828.
How to file a claim: If you need to file a claim, Allstate recommends doing so through its online account portal. If you don’t have internet access or you’re not comfortable filing a claim online, you can also contact your Allstate agent or call 800-699-2214.
How to cancel your policy: To cancel your Allstate policy, call your insurance agent, whose number should be listed on your policy declarations page.
Allstate home insurance in the news
In January 2023, Allstate ranked No. 2 on a new survey of the most-considered insurers for Americans switching home insurance companies in 2023. (YouGov)
Allstate vs. other home insurance companies
Compare Allstate to similar homeowners insurance companies using the table below.
What is Allstate’s homeowners insurance phone number?
To get in contact with Allstate’s homeowners insurance customer service team, call 1-800-255-7828.
Is Allstate good at paying claims?
Allstate received an average score in J.D. Power’s 2022 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study, meaning it’s middle of the pack among major insurance providers when it comes to paying out claims and the entirety of the claims process. However, it receives a lower number of customer complaints than expected for a company of its size, according to the NAIC Customer Complaint Index Report.
Which is better: Allstate or State Farm?
Both Allstate and State Farm received high marks with Policygenius, earning overall scores of 4.5 out of 5 and 4.8 out of 5, respectively. As for which one is better, this will likely depend on which one offers the best coverage and rates where you live — as policy offerings and costs often vary depending on your home’s location and risk. For example, the national average home insurance rate for Allstate is cheaper than that of State Farm’s, but this may not necessarily be the case for a specific state or ZIP code.
What other type of insurance does Allstate offer?
Allstate offers several different types of financial protection, including auto insurance, condo insurance, life insurance, business insurance, phone protection, and more.
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.
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.
