National General home insurance review: Top-rated coverage
National General home insurance is the ideal mix of low prices, reliable customer service, and plenty of coverage options to suit all types of homeowners.
By
Jessica OlivoJessica OlivoFreelance contributorJessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.
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.
5.0
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
Earning a perfect 5-star rating in our analysis, National General home insurance is an excellent pick for homeowners requiring protection of all shapes and sizes. It offers three levels of coverage with varying degrees of protection, along with a slew of policy add-ons, including extended replacement cost coverage for your home and belongings, private and NFIP flood insurance, water backup and equipment breakdown coverage, and more.
On top of their many policy options, National General has lower-than-average rates and three different pricing levels to meet your needs. And as an affiliate of Allstate, it has strong financial ratings with AM Best and good customer service, receiving 70% fewer complaints than other companies of its size.
With independent agents available nationwide, National General is a solid pick for many types of homeowners.
Affordable rates nearly 50% cheaper than the national average
Offers both private flood insurance and coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program
Received 70% fewer complaints than other insurers of its size in 2021
Cons
Doesn’t offer coverage for mobile or manufactured homes
Basic coverages offered
National General 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
You can add these additional coverages to your National General homeowners insurance policy for even more protection:
Extended replacement cost for your personal property: Pays even more than the replacement cost of your personal belongings so you replace them with new items and still have extra money in the bank.
Flood insurance: Offers both private flood insurance and coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).
Scheduled personal property: Increases coverage for specific high-value items you schedule, such as jewelry, fine art, or sporting equipment.
Open perils coverage for your belongings: Increases protection for your personal belongings against all causes of loss except the specific peril exclusions listed in your policy.
Water backup: Covers water damage specifically from a sewer backup or sump pump overflow.
Home systems: Pays for repairs to your heating, hot water, and other appliances and home systems after mechanical or electrical breakdown.
Green upgrade: Pays the added cost to rebuild your home with eco-friendly materials after a covered loss.
Matching of roofing and siding: If a damaged part of your roof or siding can not be matched to the undamaged portion, this coverage pays to replace the entire section.
Home-sharing: Protects your home from damage caused by covered perils as well as liability incidents if it’s rented out on a home-sharing site like Airbnb or Vrbo.
Identity theft: Helps cover the cost of putting your life back together when it’s been disrupted by identity fraud.
Electronic data recovery: Pays for the cost of recovering electronic files such as photos or videos that are destroyed in a covered loss.
Personal injury liability: Pays for legal bills incurred as a result of liability lawsuits for slander or libel.
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.
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.
Our price rating scale looks at home insurance rates for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, as well as the total number of discounts offered. National General’s average annual rate of $1,007 is 47% below the national average.
Customer experience
4.9/5
Our customer experience scale uses data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index. National General has a score of 0.3, which means it receives 70% fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size. (The expected number would be 1.0.)
Coverage options
5.0/5
Our coverage options rating is based on both the number and quality of additional coverage and policy options offered by the company. National General earns a perfect score thanks to the slew of coverage add-ons available, including both private and NFIP flood insurance, extended replacement cost coverage for your home and belongings, water damage protection, and more.
Financial strength
5.0/5
Our financial strength rating is a weighted combination of three industry-leading metrics to measure a company’s financial health: AM Best, Standard & Poor’s, and Moody’s. National General has an A+ rating from AM Best, but is not rated by Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s.
How much does National General home insurance cost?
The average cost of home insurance with National General is $1,007 per year for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. This is more than $700 cheaper than the national average of $1,754 per year.
Here’s the average yearly cost of National General home insurance for five different levels of dwelling coverage:
Dwelling coverage limit
Average annual cost
$100,000
$559
$200,000
$771
$300,000
$1,007
$400,000
$1,288
$500,000
$1,600
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 top insurers in minutes
You can save on the cost of National General home insurance if you qualify for any of these discounts:
Multi-policy: If you bundle your home and auto insurance with National General.
Homebuyer: If you recently purchased your home or own a new construction build.
Paperless: If you sign up to receive your policy documents electronically.
Protective devices: If you install security systems like fire and burglar alarms in your home.
Claim-free: If you go five years without filing a claim.
College education: If you have a college degree.
Gated community: If you live in a gated community.
Homeowners association: If you live in a community with a homeowners association.
Superior construction: If your home was built with qualifying construction materials.
National General home insurance state availability
National General offers home insurance policies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
What to expect with National General home insurance
How to get a quote: You can get a National General home insurance quote online, by calling 800-462-2123, or by contacting a National General agent.
Customer service options: You can get in touch with a National General customer service rep by calling 888-325-1190, emailing service@ngic.com, or using the chat feature on its website.
How to file a claim: You can file a National General home insurance claim by calling 800-468-3466, emailing claims@ngic.com, using the chat feature on its website, through its mobile app, or by calling your agent directly.
How to cancel your policy: You can cancel your National General home insurance policy by calling your National General agent (their contact info should be on your policy declarations page), by visiting your local agent in person, or by calling National General directly at 888-325-1190.
National General vs. other home insurance companies
Compare National General home insurance to other insurers in the industry:
National General was acquired by Allstate in 2021.
Is National General good insurance?
Yes, National General is a highly rated insurance company according to our analysis of insurance companies across the country. It receives high financial stability ratings and few customer complaints, while offering comprehensive coverage at affordable rates.
How long does it take National General to settle a claim?
National General attempts to process claims within 24 hours, but the website indicates the more information you have available, the faster the claim will be paid.
Is National General home insurance expensive?
No, National General is a cheap option for homeowners insurance with average rates of $1,007 per year — nearly 50% below the national average.
Jessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.
After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.
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.
