- Outstanding customer reviews.
- Easy and quick claims process.
- Basic discounts are available.
- Only available in Virginia and Pennsylvania.
- Financial outlook could be better.
Rockingham Insurance, a subsidiary of the Rockingham Insurance Group, roots back over 150 years ago in 1869. First, Rockingham Home Mutual Fire Insurance was founded and grew to acquire West Rockingham Mutual a few years later.
With foundations in Virginia, Rockingham Insurance has provided quality insurance to thousands of Virginia homeowners over the years. In 2000 this insurer has expanded to providing its policies in the state of Pennsylvania.
Still headquartered in The Mother of States, Rockingham is now an all-encompassing insurance business that provides comprehensive coverage for your house, car, business, farm, and more. Their independent agents pave the way for a personable experience matched with industry expertise.
We’re here to put Rockingham’s home insurance qualities in the spotlight. In this review, we’ll take a closer look at all things Rockingham home insurance, from coverages to premiums and discounts and more. Plus, we’ll look at how satisfied their consumers are when it comes to their claims process and overall.
Rockingham Insurance has a long history of providing insurance in the state of Virginia – its first branch was opened in 1869 in Port Republic, VA. The company was established 150+ years ago. Rockingham quickly expanded by offering home insurance and became a staple name by rebranding as West Rockingham Mutual Group in 1872. Rockingham was never bankrupted/and or gone out of business and it was a fully-functional insurance company during the Great Depression. During the mid-20th century, Rockingham went on to become Rockingham Mutual Insurance in the year 1968. Rockingham acquired many Virginia-based insurance companies and went on to become the largest insurer in the state.
Rockingham’s primary focus is the Virginia market, however, at the turn of the 21st century, they expanded to Pennsylvania. Their latest expansion was the formation of Rockingham Specialty in 2012, and the company remains loyal to its deep-rooted traditions of offering diverse insurance to customers.
Rockingham is an all-around insurance company that provides home, auto, and commercial property insurance. Rockingham services high-risk insurance such as mobile homes, farms, and more – the company has a large selection of over 50,000 policies sold through a network of independent agents (and can be obtained directly). Rockingham Insurance is located in Rocky Mount, VA.
Rockingham Insurance is available for the following:
- Homes
- Condominium units
- Mobile homes
- Rental properties
- Farms
- Commercial properties
Rockingham homeowners insurance coverages
Rockingham provides standard HO-3 home insurance for its homeowners. To that extent, you can expect this insurer to have your back in case basic perils cause damage to your home and other property. For example, with a Rockingham home insurance policy, you’ll get:
- Dwelling coverage: Protection for the primary residence safeguards it against unforeseen events like environmental catastrophes, unintentional destruction, break-ins, malicious acts, and several other risks.
- Other structures: All additional structures on the premises, such as separate garages, storage units, animal dwellings, guest houses, and others, are covered for a percentage of the amount listed on your dwelling coverage.
- Personal property: This coverage will handle the costs of the repair or replacement of personal materials, like clothing, furniture, electronics, and other items. There are minimal limitations on claims for most items, however. Expensive possessions that exceed the limits of your policy could be covered by a Rockingham endorsement.
- Personal liability: This coverage takes care of any legal or medical obligations. With this protection, Rockingham reimburses customers for legal costs if they have caused damage to their neighbor’s property. It also pays for all medical expenses if anyone, whether a family member or visitor, gets hurt while on the property.
- Loss of use: Should your home become uninhabitable while it goes through repairs, the company will cover expenses, such as hotel costs, meals, pet kennels, and other costs associated with living away from home.
Optional coverage from Rockingham
Rockingham offers a plethora of optional features that can be included in a home insurance policy. To buckle down on the protection for your home, you can choose from any of the following endorsements:
- Earthquake coverage: In the case of damage resulting from an earthquake, customers have the choice to add this coverage as it is not a part of the standard plan. This coverage will take care of losses to your dwelling, personal property, and other structures.
- Green energy coverage: This involves coverage for those who have solar panels or other green-energy equipment on their property.
- Fraud-scout: This is Rockingham’s identity protection service that safeguards against the theft and misuse of personal information.
- Utility service line coverage: This extends your dwelling coverage to take care of damage to the underground systems in your home, like pipes, valves, or wires.
- Equipment breakdown coverage: Protect your home’s essential equipment with comprehensive coverage that includes all electronics, appliances, security cameras, and AC units. Rockingham offers this affordable add-on for under $50, making it one of the cheapest options for homeowners seeking comprehensive protection.
- Valuables coverage: This endorsement creates a higher personal property limit for items that may exceed the boundaries of your policy. Covered valuables could be jewelry, furs, music equipment, or other high-dollar items.
- Water and sewer backup: If your sewer system or sump pump overflows or backs up, this add-on will cover the costs associated with the damage it caused.
- Replacement cost coverage: This add-on will revamp your existing coverage to take care of replacing and repairing your items based on their value before depreciation.
Rockingham home insurance rates & discounts
Rockingham doesn’t give us the option to retrieve a quote online and start the buying process. Instead, they provide us with an easy way to submit our information in exchange for contact with one of their professional agents.
Luckily, if you’re in the market for home insurance in Rockingham, it means you live in one of the cheapest states for home insurance, based on Forbes’ data. For Virginians, an average of $783 is expected for an annual home insurance policy with $200,000 in dwelling coverage. In Pennsylvania, homeowners are paying a little less, with $615 on average.
Another big indication that this insurer has affordable rates is the fact that customers are raving about how low their premiums are with Rockingham. Many recall how their rates never raised much, if at all. In this market, adjusting for inflation is nearly everywhere. If Rockingham can manage to stay afloat throughout economic downfalls, it may explain their lower rates.
The discounts they apply could be another contributing factor to low insurance rates. Rockingham proudly presents its discounts available for its service areas so its insured homeowners can enjoy a little more incentive. These include:
- Multi-policy discount: You can qualify for discounts when you have more than one type of policy open with Rockingham.
- New mortgage discount: Receive a 5% discount when you’re buying or refinancing a new home through a mortgage.
- Security and safety equipment: You can get a small discount if you have safety systems installed in your home. These include deadbolt locks, security systems, smoke alarms, etc.
- Loss-free discount: You’ll receive discounts on your annual premium if you have been insured for more than 3 years without a loss claim.
- New home discount: Receive a 20% discount on your annual premium when you buy a home that was built less than 15 years ago. This same discount can apply to mobile homeowners for a discount worth 10% off.
Rockingham’s customer satisfaction reviews
Remarkably, the NAIC registered Rockingham homeowners insurance complaints from 2022 at a 0.00. With the average national complaint index being set at 1, this means there were no complaints against this insurer that year. This is an exceptional upgrade from the year prior when Rockingham was responsible for an ugly 4.21 standing on the same index.
Customer reviews online corroborate the positive narration from the NAIC. Testimonies across the internet are overwhelmingly satisfied with Rockingham on several levels.
For one, customers cite prompt and courteous service and knowledge from claims adjusters. Many of these consumers are especially impressed by how kind and responsive each team handles specific issues, like questions, claims, and the sign-on process.
Even as an industry dinosaur, Rockingham has zero customer reviews on the BBB site. This is incredibly good news, but also underwhelming on the side of customer excitement. Nevertheless, only 4 complaints have been listed for this company over the last 3 years – all of which have been resolved.
Rockingham’s claims process
If you need to file a claim with Rockingham, all you need to do is go to their website and submit a claim form. It provides a place to enter the circumstances and any pictures you may have available. If you have an emergency claim that has you in a bad bind, they give you the option to call (800) 662-5246, option 2.
Luckily, if you need to file a claim, you shouldn’t have any issues getting a payment or having repairs done. Not only has Rockingham not received any complaints about their homeowner’s insurance last year, but many customers are leaving reviews online to back this up.
Customers are citing easy and fast claims processes that give them no trouble at all. When it comes to the very few naysayers, Rockingham has a good way of responding quickly with evidential explanations in a professional manner.
Rockingham’s financial stability
Rockingham’s financial outlook is a little unstable, according to Weiss Ratings. They’ve presented Rockingham Casualty with a financial stability rating of “D+”. This is their way of saying that this insurer is in the upper third of companies that demonstrate significant weaknesses which could negatively impact its policyholders.
The same is said for another subsidiary, Rockingham Specialty. As a redeeming quality, Rockingham Insurance Company has a “C+” rating, which bumps their financial security up a bit. This means overall, they are currently stable but will need monitoring to ensure it stays that way through an economic crisis.
Furthermore, Rockingham insurance company has an “A” rating from Demotech, which is their “Unsurpassed” financial stability rating. All Rockingham subsidiary companies have an “A-” rating from AM Best with negative financial outlooks. This declaration was just founded in March of 2023, after having their solid “A” rating downgraded.
Final verdict
If you’re looking for home insurance in the Virginia or Pennsylvania areas, you’re in luck. Rockingham home insurance checks all the boxes for standard coverage and endorsements that won’t break the bank.
If you don’t believe us, ask their customers. Rockingham homeowners have mostly great things to say about their policies, claims processes, and prices. We hope their financial stability tightens up a bit so they can receive a better outlook of success in the industry. Otherwise, we believe Rockingham could be the home insurer for you.
