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There are a variety of factors to consider when evaluating home insurance companies. Not all homeowners insurance providers offer the same quality of coverage or customer service at the same price. To help you with your decision, the This Old House Reviews Team has created this in-depth Farmers home insurance review to help you determine if this well-known company is the best fit for your needs.
Table of Contents
- Our Take
- Pros & Cons
- Coverage
- Availability
- How Much Does Farmers Home Insurance Cost?
- Discounts
- Reviews of Farmers Insurance
- Farmers vs The Competition
- Our Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Company Information
- Our Methodology
Our Take
Farmers is one of the best-known home insurance names in the country. The insurer offers comprehensive home insurance coverage, including all of the industry standards, alongside some perks. Farmers practices declining deductibles, where you can earn $50 toward your deductible every year your policy is in force, covers cosmetic damage, and practices claim forgiveness.
However, Farmers has fewer endorsements than some of its competitors, like service line coverage. In addition, it is significantly more expensive than some of its competitors. Overall, we give Farmers home insurance a score of 94.40 out of 100. On Farmers’ Better Business Bureau profile, common complaints cite increasing rates and renewal issues. Reviews range from praising competence and efficiency to concerns about a lack of professionalism.
Pros & Cons
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Farmers homeowners insurance.
Farmers Home Insurance Pros & Cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Pros | Cons |
| Available nationwide | Fewer endorsements than competitors |
| Declining deductible | Website not highly detailed |
| Claim forgiveness | Expensive compared to competitors |
Coverage
Farmers offers all standard coverages in its basic policy, alongside cosmetic damage coverage. The insurance provider offers three tiers of coverage. Each one builds on the one before it. The exact details will depend on your precise quotes.
- Standard: Created with new homeowners in mind, focuses on core features
- Enhanced: Accommodates higher policy limits and adds extra features
- Premier: Provides highest limits and coverage on personal property and may include Guaranteed Replacement Cost Coverage if your home meets certain requirements
Farmers Home Insurance Coverage
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Description |
| Dwelling + other structures | Covers the cost to rebuild or repair your dwelling and detached structures (like a garage or shed) in the event of a covered loss |
| Personal property | Covers the cost of replacing personal property in case of a covered loss, including furniture, electronics, appliances, and clothes |
| Liability | Covers the cost of legal fees in the event you are sued by a guest for injury or personal property damage |
| Loss of use/additional living expenses | Covers the cost of living outside your home (including accommodations) when it is temporarily uninhabitable due to a covered loss |
| Medical payments to others | Covers the cost of medical expenses associated with a guest getting injured on your property |
| Cosmetic damage | Covers the cost of fixing associated cosmetic damage when you file a claim |
Farmers offers some endorsements, but the list is less extensive than some of its competitors, lacking features like equipment breakdown coverage and service line coverage.
Farmers Home Insurance Endorsements
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Description |
| Eco-rebuild | Provides extra coverage to rebuild your home with green, energy-efficient materials after a covered loss |
| Personal articles floater | Provides additional coverage for valuables like art, collectibles, or jewelry |
| Identity Shield | Provides coverage if your identity is stolen, up to your policy limit |
| Contents replacement cost | Provides the full replacement cost of stolen or damaged property (not less depreciation) |
Availability
Farmers home insurance is available in all 50 states.
How Much Does Farmers Home Insurance Cost?
The exact amount you pay for Farmers homeowners insurance depends on a variety of factors, including your property value, size, the materials it was constructed with, where you live, the coverage limits you select, the insurance deductible you choose, and more.
We requested a quote for a single-family, 2,200-square foot home in Pittsburgh, Pa. We found that the monthly cost of $290 is significantly higher than the national monthly average, which is $101, according to the Insurance Information Institute.
Farmers Home Insurance Cost
| Type of Coverage | Amount of Coverage |
|---|---|
| Type of Coverage | Amount of Coverage |
| Dwelling | $489,000 |
| Other structures | $48,900 |
| Personal property | $268,950 |
| Loss of use | $97,800 |
| Liability | $300,000 |
| Medical payments to others | $1,000 per person |
| Replacement cost | Yes |
| Deductible | $1,000 for all other perils, 1% of dwelling for hurricane/wind/hail |
| Monthly Cost | $290.50 |
To receive a custom quote from Farmers, use the tool below.
Discounts
Farmers offers several discounts to help you lower the amount you pay for home insurance.
Farmers Home Insurance Discounts
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Type | Description |
| Claims-free | Discount if you’re claims-free with Farmers (or previous insurer) for three consecutive years |
| Non-smoking | Discount if you are not a smoker |
| Multi-policy | Discount for bundling different Farmers insurance policies |
| Protective devices | Discount for installed protective devices like fire alarms, sprinklers, and burglar alarms |
| New home | Discount for a home less than one year old |
| Roofing materials | Discount if your roof is made of impact-resistant materials, as determined by Farmers |
Reviews of Farmers Insurance
Farmers is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating from the organization. See what some real customers had to say in this sampling of Farmers home insurance reviews.
Kaleb H. said, via BBB:
“Great service, best rates around. I have shopped it around. No one can beat them. My agent goes above and beyond. I love that they call me every year to make sure that nothing has changed and check in, they also send birthday cards. So sweet, really a personal touch!”
Cassara C. said, via BBB:
“Price gouging at its finest with this company. I didn’t realize for three years that I was being price-gouged with my homeowners insurance. My escrow account kept going into the negative and my mortgage payment kept creeping up every year for some reason. Finally decided to figure out why for myself and found that Farmers Insurance was charging me an outrageous premium that crept up substantially every year...Called around to a few other places and they all gave quotes of 40% or below what I was paying through farmers!”
Farmers vs The Competition
See how Farmers stacks up against some of its top competitors on key metrics.
Comparison
| Provider | Farmers | Lemonade | Amica® |
|---|---|---|---|
| Provider | Farmers | Lemonade | Amica® |
| Get a free quote | Not available through This Old House | Lemonade.com | Not available through This Old House |
| Our score | 94.40 | 83.50 | 96.60 |
| State Availability | 50 | 23* | 48 (not available in AK and HI) |
| BBB Rating | A+ | B+ | A+ |
| Years in Business | 92 | 5 | 113 |
| 24/7 Claims Service | X | ✓ | ✓ |
| Protective Devices/Safety Features Discount | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Bundling Discount | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile App | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
*Lemonade home insurance is available in AZ, CA, CO, CT, GA, IL, IN, IA, MD, MA, MI, MO, NV, NJ, NY, OH, OK, OR, PA, TN, TX, VA, WI
Our Conclusion
We give Farmers a score of 94.40 out of 100. While the company lacks some basic endorsements, overall it offers robust home insurance coverage nationwide. Unfortunately, it offers fewer endorsements than many of its competitors and comes at a high price. The inclusion of declining deductible, claim forgiveness, and cosmetic damage coverage make it stand out from the competition.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Farmers a good home insurance company?
We believe Farmers is a solid home insurance company, giving it a score of 94.40. The insurer offers robust coverage, including perks like claim forgiveness, declining deductibles, and cosmetic damage coverage.
What does Farmers home insurance cover?
Farmers home insurance covers all six basic forms of home insurance coverage—dwelling, other structures, personal property, personal liability, medical payments to others, and loss of use/additional living expenses, across three tiers of coverage.
Are home insurance and homeowners insurance the same thing?
Yes, home insurance and homeowners insurance are synonymous. They refer to policies you can purchase to protect your home’s exterior and interior as well as its contents from certain covered perils. It can also protect you from legal and medical liability in the event someone is injured on your property.
Do I need both hazard insurance and homeowners insurance?
Most lenders will require you to have a certain amount of hazard insurance and homeowners insurance in order to get a mortgage. Also, the two types of insurance cover different events, so it can be a good idea to have both.
Company Information
- Company name: Farmers
- Company type: Public
- CEO: Jeff Dailey
- Year founded: 1928
- Headquarters: 6301 Owensmouth Ave, Woodland Hills, CA 91367
- State availability: 50
- BBB rating: A+
Our Methodology
The This Old House Reviews Team values accuracy, transparency, and trust. With that in mind, we created a thorough, objective rating system to score each home insurance company based on the following six factors:
- Coverage (30)
- State availability (7.5)
- Customer service (15)
- Technology (12.5)
- Reputation (20)
- Additional benefits (15)
Our Reviews Team has a full-time researcher who collects and regularly updates data points from every company to help us compare them on key factors such as coverage, service, and dependability. Read more on our methodology here.
To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.