- A wide array of additional coverage options including flood insurance
- Exceptional A rating from Demotech
- Specializes on insuring homes in high-risk areas
- Only available in Florida & 4 other states
- Higher-than-average premiums
- Mixed customer reviews
Homeowners Choice is an insurance company that primarily serves the state of Florida. On top of that, this insurer has products and services in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island, and South Carolina which are underwritten by Homeowners Choice Property & Casualty Insurance Company, Inc.
Homeowners Choice offer homeowners insurance policies and private flood insurance. Their specialty is homes that are located in high-risk coastal areas. They also offer condo, renters, and landlord insurance policies. Homeowners Choice is a group that works with a few other carriers, such as Safeco and Liberty Mutual, to provide coverage.
Choosing a homeowners insurance policy is a very important step to take. You want to make sure your home is protected, and this requires you to take a look at different carriers to compare coverage and rates. If you do this, you will be able to find the best policy that is most suitable for your budget.
Homeowners Choice home insurance coverages
When you get a policy through Homeowners Choice, you will get coverage for your dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, personal liability, and medical payments. These are all of the basic coverages you would expect to receive when shopping for homeowners insurance. The limits can be customized to suit your needs.
There is a range of additional coverage that can be purchased through Homeowners Choice if you are looking for a more comprehensive policy. Otherwise, you are getting the standard level of protection that you would expect from any similar companies.
Additional coverages
If you want to get some additional coverage on your homeowners policy, Homeowners Choice gives you a list of different coverage that can be applied.
- Equipment breakdown: In case your appliances or other household systems are affected by a covered loss, you can get coverage for them to be repaired or replaced when you choose this endorsement. This coverage most often kicks in due to mechanical or electrical failure.
- Screened enclosure: If you have enclosures around your deck, pool, or other outdoor structure, this coverage will kick in to protect the enclosures if they are damaged by a covered peril.
- Extended theft: This endorsement offers higher limits for instances of theft. Most people choose this coverage if they have high-value items, like jewelry or art.
- Flood insurance: This is a separate policy that can be purchased to protect your home from flooding. Homeowners Choice can assist you with getting this policy in place.
- Golf cart coverage: If you rent a golf cart, this endorsement will provide coverage for damage and liability of the vehicle.
If you want to add any of these coverages to your policy, you can ask the agent you speak to as you are putting together a quote. It is unclear if the company offers other coverage, so you can also ask about this during the quoting process.
Discounts available from Homeowners Choice
There are a few ways you can get a discount on your homeowners insurance policy when you choose Homeowners Choice.
- Gated community: the first discount is for those living in a gated community. This provides you with an extra level of security, so the company rewards individuals living in these communities.
- Senior discount: another way to save money is by being a senior or retiree. This discount applies if you are 60+.
Many similar companies offer discounts for obtaining multiple policies, and it is thought that Homeowners Choice could potentially offer the same deal. Bear in mind that this insurer doesn’t offer auto insurance, so you won’t be able to bundle home with auto insurance. They do offer other insurance products, so it is always worth asking if there are different discounts that can be applied to the quote.
Homeowners Choice’s premiums
Knowing how much you can expect to pay for homeowners insurance is important. According to PolicyGenius on average, you can expect to pay around $2,813 a year for Homeowners Choice home insurance policy with a $300,000 dwelling limit. This is actually 39% higher than the national average, but since Florida tends to have much higher premiums than the rest of the country, it is actually reasonable.
It appears that Homeowners Choice is not the most budget-friendly company because of its average premium pricing. From online customer reviews, we found that many homeowners experience premium increases with each renewal and only a few reviews reported affordable rates. They do offer several additional coverages, so this is important to keep in mind if you find them valuable and worth the extra money.
Claims experience
Customers do not seem happy with the way that Homeowners Choice handles its claims process. Many customers report only receiving a partial payment when they file a claim. The rest of the money is either never paid out or significantly delayed. This has been known to cause many problems during a time when circumstances are already difficult.
People have also expressed their frustrations with the company and its communications. Many find it hard to get in touch with the claims adjuster and have noted that Homeowners Choice outsources its employees when dealing with claims. The entire process appears to be confusing and unorganized.
Customer service
The customer reviews regarding customer service are fairly mixed. Some people are happy with the customer service provided by Homeowners Choice. It is noted that these individuals typically have not had to deal with filing a claim or going through any type of loss. It appears the company can remain stable for those without claims.
Others complain that the customer service is not effective and it appears the company does not care about its customers. People are left frustrated when trying to get ahold of Homeowners Choice and trying to service their policies.
As of April 2023, Homeowners Choice has earned a 2.9-star from 174 Google reviews. Customer ratings on other sites are also low.
Financial strength
Taking a look at a company’s financial strength is important because this can provide you with an indication of how likely they are to pay out claims. It is important to keep this in mind before working with a company.
BBB
The company is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, but they have earned a B+ rating. It appears they have several open complaints and do respond to them through the BBB website.
Demotech
Through Demotech, Homeowners Choice earns an A rating. This is seen as an exceptional rating.
The verdict
Homeowners Choice is an average company that provides homeowners insurance in the state of Florida. They do offer extra coverages if you wish to make the policy more comprehensive, and they have a few discounts available to save some money on the premiums.
However, the average price you can expect to pay with Homeowners Choice is higher than the national average. This makes it a less favorable choice when you are shopping for an insurance policy and looking to save money.
There are mixed reviews on Homeowners Choice as a company. Some customers have not had issues, but there is a common pattern followed. Those with the most issues have had to file claims. This leaves customers feeling frustrated because they are unable to receive their entire payments in a timely manner after experiencing losses.
There are some positive reviews on the company, but it appears that Homeowners Choice is not going to be the best company to work with. They are moderately stable as a company, but they have several open complaints through the BBB that are still being worked on. This shows that the company frequently encounters issues with its customers. It is likely best to look elsewhere for homeowners insurance.
