Name: Safeco Home Insurance Review
Item: Safeco
Rating: 4
Author: Policygenius

Overview

Safeco is a nationally renowned company backed by insurance titan Liberty Mutual and is available nationally with an extensive network of agents. Safeco offers excellent personal property coverage and additional coverage options, like accidental breakdown coverage, for larger appliances that wouldn’t be covered under a standard policy. If you’re looking for robust personal property protection at an affordable rate, Safeco has you covered. Learn more about what Safeco Insurance has to offer.

Pros

Excellent financial stability
Extensive suite of personal property coverage options
Sizeable home and auto bundle discounts
24/7 claims filing feature

Cons

You can’t buy policies online
Billing, claims, and customer service could use some work
Very few discounts

Safeco by the numbers

Founded: 1923

Market share: 6.88%

A.M. Best: A

BBB rating: B+

Consumer Reports: 83 (Very good)

J.D. Power: 2 of 5

Which states is Safeco available in?

Safeco homeowners insurance availability by state

State	Availability	State	Availability
Alabama	X	Nebraska	X
Alaska		Nevada	X
Arizona	X	New Hampshire	X
Arkansas		New Jersey
California	X	New Mexico	X
Colorado	X	New York	X
Connecticut	X	North Carolina	X
Delaware		North Dakota	X
Florida		Ohio	X
Georgia	X	Oklahoma	X
Hawaii		Oregon	X
Idaho	X	Pennsylvania	X
Illinois	X	Rhode Island
Indiana	X	South Carolina	X
Iowa	X	South Dakota	X
Kansas	X	Tennessee	X
Kentucky	X	Texas	X
Louisiana	X	Utah	X
Maine		Vermont	X
Maryland	X	Virginia	X
Michigan	X	Washington	X
Minnesota	X	Washington D.C.
Mississippi	X	West Virginia	X
Missouri	X	Wisconsin	X
Montana	X	Wyoming	X

Policy details

Safeco Essential is their cheapest policy offering and is great for new homeowners who don’t have a lot of stuff and are simply looking for your basic coverages.

Safeco New Quality Plus is a step up from the base policy, offering the same base coverages, but offers higher sublimits on rare and expensive valuables. For example, you can be reimbursed up to $3,000 to replace damaged or stolen jewelry, up from the $500 sublimit in the standard policy.

Safeco Optimum has even higher sublimits, offering up to $5,000 in jewelry and other expensive valuables coverage. Optimum plans also offer to remove fallen trees from your property even if they don't hit a structure on your property, and higher coverage limits for your home.

Safeco Ultra offers an entire suite of personal property protection at high limits, including up to $10,000 in jewelry and silver coverage, unlimited coverage limits for rugs, and up to $2,000 in currency replacement if cash you have in your home is irreparably damaged or stolen.

How much does Safeco cost?

The following is a Safeco New Quality Plus sample quote for a 2,300 foot, two-story single family home with 25% extended dwelling coverage, replacement cost personal property coverage, and high sublimits for expensive valuables.

Primary coverages	Policy limits
Dwelling	$360,000
Other structures	$36,000
Personal property	$180,000
Personal liability	$500,000
Medical payments for guests	$5,000
Loss of use	$72,000
Annual Premiums	$1,120

Additional coverages

Safeco offers robust personal property coverages that compete with the best of the best. The coverage that stands out is their equipment breakdown coverage, which you can add as an endorsement to your policy for just $2 a month. That means if your air-conditioning unit breaks down unexpectedly, your equipment breakdown coverage will replace it with an Energy Star® rated AC of similar kind and quality.

Loss assessment (included in policy)
Water backup
Identity recovery
Valuable articles
Equipment breakdown
Personal property replacement cost

Here's how Safeco stacks up with other carriers for five of the most common coverage endorsements.

Homeowners insurance coverage endorsements offered by each insurer

Discounts

Bundling discount - Up to 15% off your monthly premiums if you combine your home & auto policies
New home discount - Save money if your house is less than 10 years old
Higher deductible discount - More out-of-pocket expenses but lower premiums if you pay a higher deductible
Pay premiums in full discount - Lump sum payment discount

Company details

Application process

Applying for homeowners insurance with Safeco is fairly simple, as you plug in your personal and basic information about your home, and contacted shortly thereafter by an agent. However, the lack of an online application leaves a little bit to be desired.

Claims process - 3 out of 5 claims satisfaction rating with J.D. Power

Safeco’s claims process is fairly straightforward. You can file claims through the Safeco website, through their mobile app, or by calling their claims department directly.

Up-to-date claims tracking
24/7 claim assistance hotline
Video review of home and property damage through RealTime Review™

Other types of property insurance offered

Condo insurance - Covers everything that's not covered by your HOA's master policy
Renters insurance - Like home insurance but you don't own the home so you're not responsible for the dwelling part
Landlord insurance - Insurance for when your tenants ruin your perfectly good property
Home warranty - Insurance for appliances
Umbrella insurance - This insurance increases your liability coverage beyond your home and auto liability max, and is a smart add-on if you have a pool or a kid who drives

Contact information

Website: www.safeco.com
Phone: (206) 545-5709
Headquarters: 4333 Brooklyn Ave., NE Safeco Plaza, WA, 98105

Policygenius’ editorial content is not written by an insurance agent. It’s intended for informational purposes and should not be considered legal or financial advice. The review on this page is only for the carrier’s homeowners insurance products. Not all carriers are currently available through Policygenius. Speak to one of our licensed experts for more information on carrier availability.