Foremost home insurance review: Ideal for high-risk homes
Foremost offers high-risk home insurance policies for older homes, those with a history of claims, and homeowners with bad credit. Check rates & get quotes today.
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.
Expert reviewedExpert reviewedThis article has been reviewed by a member of ourFinancial Review Council to ensure all sources, statistics, and claims meet the highest standard for accurate and unbiased advice.Learn more about oureditorial review process.
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.
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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).
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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
Foremost home insurance is a great option for homeowners who’ve been denied coverage by traditional insurance companies. It’s 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.
You’ll also find a slew of coverage add-ons, including guaranteed and extended replacement cost coverage for your home, water backup and equipment breakdown protection, and flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program. The tradeoff is that you’ll pay higher rates — the average cost of home insurance with Foremost is 27% higher than the national average.
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
Basic coverages offered
Foremost home insurance policies include these six standard coverages to protect your home, belongings, and personal liability:
Dwelling coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home after a covered loss.
Other structures coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild other structures on your property not connected to your home, including detached garages, storage sheds, and fencing.
Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace your personal belongings after a covered loss, including furniture, clothing, tech gadgets, and other stuff you own.
Loss of use coverage: Pays for hotel stays, restaurant bills, pet boarding fees, and other temporary living expenses after a covered loss if you need to live elsewhere while your home is being rebuilt.
Personal liability coverage: Pays for legal and medical expenses if someone is injured or their belongings are damaged while at your home and you’re found legally responsible.
Medical payments coverage: Pays for small-dollar medical bills if someone is injured while at your home — regardless of who is at fault.
Additional coverages offered
The following coverages are either included or can be added to your Foremost homeowners insurance policy for an additional cost:
Extended replacement cost for your home: Extends your dwelling coverage limit up to 50% in the event rebuild costs exceed your policy limit after a covered loss.
Replacement cost for personal property: Pays to replace your personal belongings with new items, regardless of depreciation or wear and tear.
Water backup: Protects your home and belongings from water damage caused by a sump pump overflowing or clogged sewer.
Equipment breakdown: Offers coverage for your refrigerator, air conditioner, water heater, and other appliances against perils not typically covered by a standard home insurance policy.
Flood insurance: Foremost offers flood insurance coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), a government program run by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Mobile home insurance: Insures your manufactured or mobile home with the standard coverages listed in the above section.
Vacant home insurance: Covers your home that’s vacant for any amount of time against theft, fire, weather damage, and other covered perils.
Second home insurance: Protect your vacation home and personal belongings against fire, theft, hail, windstorms, and other covered perils.
Renters insurance: Includes coverage for the personal belongings in your rental home or apartment against fire, vandalism, theft, windstorms, and water damage, as well as personal liability and loss of use coverage.
Condo insurance: Purchased as a supplement to your condo association’s master policy, condo insurance covers your personal belongings, the interior structure of your condo unit, and personal liability.
Landlord insurance: Covers your rental property against fire, windstorms, and other covered perils. It also includes loss-of-rent coverage if your rental property becomes uninhabitable after a covered loss, as well as liability coverage if a tenant or visitor is hurt on your property and files a lawsuit.
Ratings methodology
Price
3.7/5
Foremost earns a decent score on our price rating scale thanks to its seven home insurance discounts available, though its average annual home insurance rate is 27% higher than the national average.
Customer experience
4.3/5
Foremost wasn’t included in J.D. Power’s 2022 overall customer satisfaction, claims satisfaction, or digital experience surveys. This means its respectable customer experience score is based solely on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index Report. In 2021, Foremost received around 80% fewer complaints than similar insurance companies of its size.
Coverage options
4.3/5
Foremost earns a high score on our coverage options rating scale thanks to the slew of coverages you can add on to your policy, including guaranteed and extended replacement cost coverage for your home, water backup and equipment breakdown protection, and flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program.
Financial strength
3.5/5
Foremost earns a respectable A rating with AM Best, meaning it’s in a good financial position to pay out claims in the wake of a disaster. However, its average A rating with Standard & Poor’s brings its financial strength score down slightly.
How much does Foremost home insurance cost?
The average cost of home insurance with Foremost is $2,484 per year for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage — 27% higher than the national average.
Here’s a look at the average annual cost for Foremost home insurance based on different dwelling coverage limits:
Dwelling coverage limit
Average annual cost
$100,000
$953
$200,000
$1,656
$300,000
$2,484
$400,000
$3,500
$500,000
$4,528
Rates are based on our analysis of 2022 sample home insurance quotes from across the country provided by Quadrant Information Services. Actual rates will vary based on location, policy limits, coverages, claims history, and other factors.
Compare home insurance quotes with Foremost and other top insurers
Claim-free: If you haven’t filed a home insurance claim for a certain number of years.
Age of home: If your home is a newer build.
Home devices: If your home has fire protection, theft protection, or self-monitored thermostats.
Paid-in-full: If you pay your premiums in full at your policy start date.
Affinity: If you’re a member of USAA or Armed Forces Insurance (AFI).
Masonry: If your home is built with at least 90% eligible brick material.
Foremost home insurance state availability
Foremost offers home insurance policies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
What to expect with Foremost home insurance
How to get a quote: You can get a Foremost home insurance quote online through Policygenius or on Foremost’s website, by calling 888-244-8092, or by contacting a local Foremost agent.
Customer service options: You can get in touch with a Foremost customer service rep by calling 800-527-3905 or contacting your Foremost agent — their contact info should be on your policy declarations page. If you’re not working with a local agent, you can call 800-237-2060.
How to file a claim: You can file a Foremost home insurance claim by logging in to your online account or calling 800-527-3907.
How to cancel your policy: You can cancel your Foremost home insurance policy by calling your local Foremost agent or calling 800-532-4221 during normal business hours.
Foremost vs. other home insurance companies
Compare Foremost home insurance to other popular insurers in the industry:
Foremost is a good insurance company for high-risk homes who’ve struggled to find coverage elsewhere. It’s 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.
How can I get a Foremost mobile home insurance quote?
You can get a Foremost mobile home insurance quote online through Policygenius or on Foremost’s website, by calling 888-244-8092, or by reaching out to a local Foremost agent.
What is the Foremost home insurance phone number?
The Foremost home insurance phone number is 800-527-3905.
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.
Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.
