- Variety of coverage options
- Many ways to obtain discounts
- Reasonable premiums
- Excellent financial stability
- Low complaints index reported by NAIC
- Only available in 15 states
- No online quoting option
- Mixed reviews for customer satisfaction
Frankenmuth is one of the oldest insurance companies in the U.S., it was founded 160 years ago by a community of German immigrants who arrived in Michigan in 1868. The group was looking for protection on commercial establishments and farms. So they banded together in order to create an insurance company. Frankenmuth was named after the town of Frankenmuth, MI where the company is still located to this day.
When Detroit became the #1 automobile manufacturing location in the U.S., Frankenmuth became one of the largest auto insurance companies as all manufacturing was insured there. Frankenmuth was rebranded the Frankenmuth Mutual Auto Insurance Company. In the 1940s it changed the name to “Frankenmuth Mutual Fire Insurance Company” and later they merged with a simplified name – Frankenmuth Insurance.
Frankenmuth is an insurance carrier that operates in 15 states: Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Wisconsin, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Through Frankenmuth, you can obtain a standard homeowners insurance policy. They also offer policies for renters, condos, dwellings under construction, manufactured homes, and rental properties.
Getting a homeowners insurance policy is essential, but it is important to look into each carrier before you make your decision. This is going to show you all of the company’s strong points and give you an idea of what they are best at.
Types of Frankenmuth home insurance coverages
Frankenmuth boasts a large catalog of products that are offered. This ensures you are able to select the right options to protect your home. They have two types of policies you can choose from, the Home Protector and the Ultra Home Guardian.
Home Protector
Home Protector is an equivalent of a standard HO-3 homeowners policy that is designed to protect any home of any value. It provides the customer with the basics, such as dwelling coverage, other structures, personal belongings, liability, and loss of use. Home Protector also includes coverage for high-value items such as gold, designer clothes, artwork, or even guns for no additional fees. You can select from a list of optional coverages if this is not enough for you to feel that your home is protected. We will take a look at those below, but first lets discuss their premium policy called Ultra Home Guardian.
Ultra Home Guardian
This is the more comprehensive of the two policies. It is designed to protect high-value homes with dwelling limits of $300,000 or more. It also comes equipped with a long list of other coverages:
- Debris removal. If the property is heavily damaged and/or collapsed, the company will hire contractors to clean up the property. This can also be used if trees fall on the property.
- Landscaping damages. If the client has a valuable garden with rare trees or a high-value landscape, they can insure it for all damages under the Ultra Home Guardian plan.
- Property removal. If the client’s property has collapsed completely and needs to be removed to be rebuilt (or any other side structure requires the same) they will be covered under this policy.
- Mortgage extra expenses. If the client has to refinance or their mortgage premium is increased after an accident, this insurance policy will cover the difference between their existing premium and the new premium (adjusted for inflation).
- Evacuation expenses. If the clients have to be evacuated along with their personal belongings, and this incurs charges, the company will cover them for all their evacuation/moving expenses.
- Identity fraud. If the client’s identity is stolen and used for malicious purposes, the company will restore their identity and clear out their credit history.
- Fire department service charges. If the fire department invoices clients for any assistance or equipment required, the insurance company will pay the expenses.
- Ceiling or drywall damage. If the ceiling is damaged as a result of rainfall or snow heaviness, the company covers all repair costs.
- Lock replacement. If the client’s locks are damaged during a home invasion, the company reimburses clients for the cost of a new lock.
- Relocation expenses
- Sewer/drain back-up
- Replacement cost on personal items
- Scheduled jewelry and fine arts
- A deductible waiver on losses over $50,000
- Volunteer wrongful acts
- Social Security check reimbursement
- Credit/debit card forgery
- Cell phone replacement
- Service line repair/replacement
- Personal luggage deductible waiver
- Loss assessment
Additional coverages
Frankenmuth is a company that offers an impressive array of products. If you are looking for additional coverage for your home, you are sure to find it through this company. They have many endorsements that can be added to any policy, as well as separate policies you can purchase.
You can add the following coverages to the basic Home Protector plan:
- Replacement cost coverage for personal belongings
- Guaranteed replacement cost on your home
- Ordinance or law coverage
- Secondary/seasonal residence liability: If the client wishes to add another property such as their vacation home, they can add that property to their main HO-3 policy.
- Watercraft coverage: If the client wants to insure watercrafts such as water scooters, pedal boats, boats, or any other watercraft they can be added to the HO-3 policy.
- Recreational vehicles: coverage for RV’s and trailers.
- Sewer backup coverage: Clients can receive additional coverage against all water damage/leaks.
These add-ons are great for those without high-value homes who are simply interested in getting more comprehensive coverage.
Another coverage they offer that was not yet mentioned is equipment breakdown coverage. This protects the appliances in your home in case they are in need of repairs or replacements. It is useful to have this coverage because there are many systems that lend a hand in keeping your home functional. Your appliances, electrical equipment, and mechanical equipment will all be protected.
Frankenmuth home insurance discounts
Frankenmuth makes it simple for customers to save money, as they list the available discounts they have on their website. These are all the ways you can lower your premiums while shopping for a policy with the carrier.
- Multi-policy auto: when you purchase an auto policy through Frankenmuth, you can qualify for a discount on your homeowners insurance.
- Multi-policy life: Similar to the above discount, you can get a discount on your homeowners insurance when you purchase a life insurance policy through Frankenmuth.
- Advance quote: getting a quote before you sign up for a policy will qualify you for a discount. You can do this by contacting a local agent.
- Payment plan: there are some payment plans that offer customers discounts. It is best to ask an agent about this to see which ones you can qualify for.
- Loss history: Having a clean loss history will earn you a discount through Frankenmuth. This is the amount of time you have spent without needing to file claims.
- Protective device: devices such as smoke alarms and burglar alarms are considered protective devices. You can earn a discount on your homeowners insurance by having these present in your home.
Frankenmuth homeowners insurance premiums
While there is no way to get a quote online, according to online reviews Frankenmuth’s premiums are quite competitive and are typically on par with the cheapest quotes from other insurance companies.
Customers who have Frankenmuth typically agree that the pricing is fair. Many people find the premiums reasonable, but there are a few who have stated they raise the pricing after some time. This can make the insurance less affordable the longer you stay with the company.
If you want to find out how much a policy with Frankenmuth will cost you for your home, the easiest way to do this is by contacting a local agent for a quote. Since there are many ways to get discounts on insurance and optional coverages that can be added, pricing is likely to fluctuate.
Frankenmuth’s claims process
Most customers have positive experiences to report regarding filing claims with Frankenmuth. There are many customers who have had to go through the process and did not have any issues with the filing or getting paid for the damages. They are happy with their payouts and how quickly claims were processed. These reviews make up most of the experiences.
However, as with most insurers, there are some negative reviews that discuss having claims denied through the carrier. Many people have shared this experience when needing to file claims for roof damage due to storms. Some people were not allowed coverage or were only paid for a portion of the damage, leaving them with expenses that had to be paid out-of-pocket.
Since these experiences are repeated more than once, it can be concerning when choosing an insurance company. People do not enjoy having to guess if the insurer is going to approve a claim when they are paying for an insurance policy. However, these types of complaints are typical to most insurance providers.
