Encompass Homeowners Insurance Review

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Encompass

OVERALL

8.3

THE GOOD

Wide variety of customizable policy options

Solid discount selection

Several unique, standout features

Accepts all dog breeds

THE BAD

Pricey premiums

Not available in all states

No instant quote tool

THE BOTTOM LINE

Encompass is an independent subsidiary of Allstate, the second-largest home insurance provider in America. Whereas its parent company offers affordable policies for first-time buyers, Encompass provides more personalized, customizable options at a higher cost. For that extra money, you can get an extensive amount of coverage features spread across three tiers, like unlimited additional living expenses coverage, property protection that grants 200 percent of the replacement value of your home, and only a single deductible for all claims. If you can swing the annual premium by taking advantage of their several discount options, we recommend Encompass for your homeowners protection.

Cost

7.3

Confidence

9.5

Customer Ratings

8.5

Policy Options

10.0

Customer Experience

6.3

ENCOMPASS COMPANY SPOTLIGHT

N/A

J.D. Power Rating

A trusted customer satisfaction and product quality research agency

A+

BBB Rating

A nonprofit organization focusing on marketplace trust and product quality

A+

A.M. Best Rating

100-year-old U.S. credit rating agency focused on the insurance industry

The Bottom Line

If you live in one of the 39 states where Encompass is available, and you’re okay paying higher premiums, we recommend this carrier for their comprehensive, customizable, and unique policy features. If you’re worried about the price, there are a number of discounts available, so it is possible to balance out the cost in the end. Another strength lies in Encompass’s’s customer service reputation, with minimal complaints tracked by the Better Business Bureau and National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

The Details

The Good

Wide variety of customizable policy options. Encompass offers three tiers of custom-made policy packages. Each tier comes with the usual coverage you’d expect, while the Deluxe and Elite products pack an extra bang for the extra buck.

Solid discount selection. To help save money, Encompass has several useful discounts you can take advantage of, like a smoke alarm and other safety device discount and a renovation discount if you’ve had new plumbing or roofing installed.

Several unique features. There are several standout features included with the Deluxe and Elite packages, including a single deductible for both home and auto claims, a protection limit that combines all coverage limits under one number, and unlimited living expenses if your home is damaged and you need to live somewhere else while it’s being repaired or rebuilt.

Accepts all dog breeds. Many insurance companies exclude certain dog breeds from coverage, such as pit bulls, rottweilers, huskies, and any other dog breeds insurance companies deem "dangerous" — not Encompass though. If you have any of the aforementioned dog breeds, or any other type of pooch that insurers perceive as dangerous, consider home insurance with Encompass.

The Bad

Pricey premiums. For all these excellent features, Encompass charges a high annual premium — higher than the industry average. However, you can save by bundling home and auto policies together and take advantage of several other nifty discounts.

Not available in all states. Unfortunately, Encompass is not available nationwide, and some individual policy options may not be attainable in certain states.

No instant quote tool. There aren’t many online tools available for learning about the cost of Encompass home insurance, so you’ll have to pick up the phone and dial a customer service agent to get a quote.

The Breakdown

Cost

7.3

Homeowners insurance rates depend on several factors, including the construction type of your home, your home's age, your state and ZIP code, any risks related to the home, and the purchased amount of coverage. Your home's replacement cost can also affect your rates.

According to Policygenius data, you can expect to pay around $2,420 annually for around $300,000 of coverage with Encompass. That's about 34 percent higher than the industry average quoted policy. Translated, that means this particular carrier is aiming its services towards mid- to high-income customers. And that means Encompass will be expensive for most people.

Discounts

To help lower your insurance premium, you can take advantage of available discounts. With Encompass, you can save money by updating your plumbing, living in a home two decades old or newer, or by simply having smoke alarms installed in your home.

There’s also a multi-policy bundle called EncompassOne, which lets you save on both home and auto. It can also cover jewelry and other possessions. Its most notable aspect? You can pay a single deductible, so if both your car and roof sustain damage during the same storm, only the highest deductible will be applied. This bundle discount is not available in Florida, Massachusetts, North Carolina, or Texas.

Here are the discounts Encompass offers:

• Alarm systems and safety devices discount. Lowers your rates if your home has an automatic sprinkler system, burglar alarm system, smoke alarms, or other safety devices installed

• Claim-free discount. Lowers your premiums if you have not made a claim on your home for the last five years

• Dwelling age discount. Save money if your home is 20 years old or newer

• Renovation discount. Save on rates if you've updated cooling, heating, plumbing, roof, or made other renovations in the last 10 years

• Homebuyer discount. Get a discount if you bought a home that is less than 49 years old in the last five years

• Multi-policy discount. The EncompassOne policy, which bundles your home insurance with an auto insurance policy to save on premiums

Confidence

9.5

When shopping for homeowners insurance, you want to make sure your company of choice can pay out any claims (should it come to that). To determine the financial stability of carriers, we turn to the independent industry watchers who rate the credit worthiness of companies.

Encompass, which was officially founded as a subsidiary of Allstate back in 1999, enjoys a superior rating for the top credit rating agency A.M. Best. Currently, that's the only score available and it’s the one we’ve based our ratings on.

Here’s the breakdown:

• Year founded: 1999

• A.M. Best: A+

• Moody’s: N/A

• Standard & Poor’s: N/A

Credit rating firm A.M. Best, which specifically focuses on the insurance industry, gives Encompass an A+. That “superior” rating, the best one on the firm’s ratings scale, means Encompass is capable of meeting customer needs.

Financial analysis firms Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s, have not scored Encompass.

Customer Ratings

8.5

Similarly, there aren’t many avenues to see what customers think of Encompass. Currently, the carrier only has a couple ratings available from customer sentiment sites. They were not included in J.D. Power’s homeowners satisfaction survey, nor are there any reviews available on Consumers Advocate, Consumer Affairs, or Trustpilot.

• BBB: A+

• Consumers Advocate: N/A

• Consumer Affairs: N/A

• J.D. Power: N/A

• Trustpilot: N/A

• NAIC complaint index: 0

The Better Business Bureau grades companies based on customer complaints and truth in advertising and. Encompass receives an A+ from the BBB. There’s a 1-and-a-half-star customer review rating based on a low number of reviews with few complaints as well.

Consumers Advocate, a third-party review site that focuses on company reputation, coverage options, customer service, and stability, does not yet have a review available for Encompass.

Consumer Affairs is a site where customers can directory rate companies and write reviews. They don’t have a page available for Encompass.

J.D. Power, which ranks insurance companies based on their clarity of billing, policy information, and pricing, did not include Encompass in their homeowners insurance study.

Customer review site Trustpilot does not have a page for Encompass Insurance.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) tracks complaints submitted to state insurance departments. Based on their complaint index, Encompass homeowners insurance has a rating of zero. A score of 1 represents the baseline average, and a zero means there weren’t enough customer complaints to count.

Policy Options

10.0

Encompass insurance coverage options are split across three separate packages: Special, Deluxe, and Elite. No matter the package you choose, every Encompass customer receives the usual HO-3 features, including:

• Dwelling coverage. Covers the cost of rebuilding or repairing the structure of your home

• Other structures coverage. Covers other structures on your property such as tool sheds

• Personal belongings. Covers anything of yours that’s damaged or stolen

• Additional living expenses. If you can’t live in your home due to damage or repairs, this covers your cost of living up to a year

• Personal liability. Covers any legal costs if you or other covered persons suffer personal injury or property damage

• Medical expenses. This covers medical bills for anyone injured on your property

And here’s how each separate Encompass policy package breaks down:

Special

• Jewelry and fur. Covers jewelry, fur, and other valuables in case of damage or theft up to $1,500

• Homeowners Association fees. After a disaster, Encompass will cover $1,000 of your HOA’s assessment of property

• Landscape and land restoration. This covers the replacement of any damaged trees, shrubs, or other lawn elements. It also covers land restoration in case your foundation needs stabilizing after an event.

• Theft. In case you’re burglarized, Encompass covers reward money (10 percent, up to $1,000) for information or assistance about the theft

You can also choose these optional add-ons for extra protection:

• Covered losses for structure and contents. Covers several types of losses for your home and personal property

• Increased building costs. Covers any increased reconstruction costs due to building code changes

• Replacement cost coverage. Covers the cost to rebuild if it’s more than the original insured amount

Deluxe

The Deluxe package has everything in the Special coverage package, including the optional add-ins, plus:

• 200 percent property location limit. This means you can receive up to 200 percent of the replacement value of your home, and you can allocate it to your home, property, or other structures as you like. This coverage is not available in all states

• Guaranteed replacement cost. Covers you if the cost to rebuild goes over the original insured amount

• Mortgage rate protection. Covers for a new higher-rate mortgage up to $20,000, including closing costs and acquisition fees

• Walk-away coverage. Encompass will pay the estimated value of your home if it’s damaged in a covered total loss

• Water backup protection. Drain, sewer, water, sump pump overflow protection

• Additional living expense coverage. Same as above, but up to two years of protection

• Additional jewelry and fur coverage. Same as above, but up to $5,000 of coverage

• Additional Homeowners Association fees. Same as above, but up to $5,000 of coverage

Elite

The Elite package includes everything in the Special and Deluxe policies, as well as:

• Fine art protection. Covers glass replacement, broken porcelain, and other fragile artwork

• Identity theft coverage. Receive $20,000 to cover attorney fees and lost wages. Also includes on-demand access to a fraud specialist

• Lock replacement. Get your keys replaced if they’re lost or stolen, with no deductible

• Additional living expense coverage. Same as above, but with no time or money limits

• Additional jewelry and fur coverage. Same as above, but up to $10,000 of coverage

• Additional Homeowners Association fees. Same as above, but up to $50,000 of coverage

• Additional medical expense protection. Receive $10,000 in coverage for medical costs if you have an accident on or away from your insured location

Like all insurance companies, these policy options will vary based on where your location and other factors. For your own customized look at your coverage options, speak to a Policygenius home insurance agent.

And for more information about what homeowners insurance can cover, refer to our comprehensive homeowners insurance explainer.

Customer Experience

6.3

As an Allstate subsidiary, you can expect excellent customer service and a seamless application process. It’s easy to manage your policy as well, thanks to a mobile app called MyEncompass which lets policyholders access agent contact information, view policy information, pay premiums, and sign up for an automated monthly payment plan. This app is not available in Massachusetts.

State availability

Encompass does not provide its insurance products in Alaska, Florida, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, South Dakota, or Wyoming.

Digital tools

• Online and mobile bill pay and policy management

• Online and mobile claims filing

The application

To apply or receive an estimation you have to contact a Policygenius agent. You can also call Encompass customer service or use their agent locator.

Ease of claims

To file a claim, you need to call an Encompass agent.

Payment methods

• Check

• Online

Policygenius offers insurance policies from many of the nation's top insurers, who pay us a commission for our services. However, all editorial choices are made independently.