In This Review: Our Take | Pros and Cons | Cost and Discounts | Coverage | State Availability | Customer Reviews | Conclusion | Comparison | Company Information | FAQ | Methodology

A home insurance policy can protect your home and finances when the unexpected occurs. If your home catches fire, is struck by lightning, or is burglarized or vandalized, your home insurance can help cover the cost of repairing or rebuilding your home’s interior and exterior, as well as replace your damaged or destroyed personal property.

However, selecting the best home insurance company for your needs can be difficult. Not all homeowners insurance companies are of the same quality, and they can vary in terms of coverage, cost, availability, and more. The This Old House Reviews Team created this in-depth Encompass home insurance review to help you determine if it’s the best fit for your needs.

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Our Take

Encompass is a subsidiary of Allstate, one of the largest and best-known home insurance companies in the industry. Encompass was founded more than 120 years ago and benefits from Allstate’s strong financial backing. The home insurance provider offers comprehensive coverage, including a variety of uncommon endorsements like coverage for your coins, trees, and shrubs. We give Encompass Insurance an overall score of 88.50 out of 100 on key metrics like coverage, cost, and customer service.

On Encompass’ Better Business Bureau profile, complaints cite issues contacting claims adjusters. Reviews range from praising efficient customer service to concerns about delays in claims handling.

 


 

Pros and Cons

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of Encompass home insurance.

✔ Affiliation with Allstate
✔ More than 120 years of experience
✔ A+ BBB rating

✘ No online quote tool
✘ Only available in 40 states

 


 

How Much Does Encompass Home Insurance Cost?

The exact amount you pay for Encompass home insurance will depend on many key factors, including your property value, its size, the materials it was constructed with, where you live, the coverage limits you select, the insurance deductible you choose, and more.

We received a quote for a new construction, single-family, roughly 2,000-square-foot home in Oswego, Illinois. The monthly premium came out to $119.75.

Cost

Type of CoverageAmount of Coverage
Dwelling$470,000
Other structures$47,000
Personal property$329,000
Loss of use/additional living expenses$94,000
Personal liability$500,000
Medical payments to others$5,000
Monthly Cost$119.75

Discounts

Encompass offers the following discounts to help lower your monthly premium:

  • Multi-policy discount
  • Central alarm system
  • Sprinkler system

 


 

Coverage

Encompass offers all six forms of industry-standard basic coverages.

Encompass Coverage

TypeDescription
Dwelling + other structuresCovers the cost to repair or rebuild your home in the event of a covered loss, including detached structures like a shed or fence
Personal propertyCovers the cost of damage or destruction of personal items, like furniture, clothing, appliances, and electronics
Personal liabilityCovers the cost of legal fees if you are sued after a guest is injured on your property
Loss of use/additional living expensesCovers the costs associated with temporarily living away from home, including accommodations and meals, due to covered loss
Medical payments to othersCovers the medical costs for injuries that occur to others while on your property

Encompass offers a wide range of endorsements to allow you to customize your coverage:

  • Jewelry and furs
  • Silverware
  • Money and coins
  • Business property
  • Firearms
  • Electronic equipment
  • Trees and shrubs
  • Credit cards and forgery
  • Sewer backup
  • Mold
  • Personal home computers

 


 

State Availability

Encompass offers home insurance in the following 40 states:

Alabama | Arizona | Arkansas | California | Colorado | Connecticut | Delaware | Georgia | Idaho | Illinois | Indiana | Iowa | Kansas | Kentucky | Louisiana | Maine | Maryland | Michigan | Minnesota | Missouri | Nebraska | Nevada | New Hampshire | New Jersey | New Mexico | New York | Ohio | Oklahoma | Oregon | Pennsylvania | Rhode Island | South Carolina | Tennessee | Texas | Utah | Vermont | Virginia | Washington | West Virginia | Wisconsin

 


 

Encompass Insurance Reviews

Encompass is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating from the organization. As is the case with the majority of home insurance companies, reviews are mixed.

Linda R. said:

“I can’t say anything but good things about Encompass Home Insurance. They have taken really good care of my needs pertaining to the abatement, and restoration of my home which was due to major flood damage. They were professional, compassionate and sympathetic to my needs during my time of turmoil. Thank You Encompass!! I really appreciate you!”

Brennan M. said:

“Horrible service if you’re waiting on a claim. It’s been four weeks as of today, and I am still waiting on a reply to get my claim settled. The claim adjusters won’t answer their phones.”

 


 

Our Conclusion

The This Old House Reviews Team believes that Encompass is a solid choice for home insurance, with backing from financially robust Allstate. Its coverage is comprehensive, and it offers unique endorsements like mold and personal home computers. However, Encompass is not available in 10 states and lacks an online quote tool. Overall, we give Encompass a score of 88.50 out of 100.

When searching for a home insurance provider, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from multiple companies so you can find the best option for your home. You can do so by calling 855-948-5219 or entering your zip code in our free quote tool:
Compare Homeowners Insurance Policies
Answer a few simple questions and we'll take care of the rest.

 


 

Encompass vs. the Competition

See how Encompass stacks up against some of its top competitors on key metrics.

Comparison

ProviderEncompassLemonadeAmica
Get a Free QuoteNot available through This Old HouseLemonade.comNot available through This Old House
Our score88.5083.5096.60
State Availability4023*47 (not available in AK, FL, or HI)
BBB RatingA+B+A+
Years in Business1235113
24/7 Claims Service by Phone
Protective Devices/Safety Features Discount
Bundling Discount
Mobile AppX

*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

 


 

Company Information

  • Company name: Encompass Insurance
  • Company type: Public
  • CEO: Pat Macellaro
  • Year founded: 1897
  • Headquarters: 2775 Sanders Rd, Northbrook, IL 60062
  • State availability: 40
  • BBB rating: A+

 


 

Frequently Asked Questions

 


 

Our Methodology

The This Old HouseReviews team is committed to providing comprehensive and unbiased reviews to our readers. This means earning your trust through transparency and having the data to back up our ratings and recommendations.

With that in mind, we created an objective rating system to score each home insurance company. Here’s what that review process looked like:

  • We analyze the information on each company’s website. This allows us to determine what products and services are offered by each home insurance provider.
  • We get a sample quote from the companies by either talking to a sales representative or by using the online quote tool. This tells us what a policy looks like and costs.
  • We test customer service by talking to a company representative, finding out their hours of operation, and determining what technological features are available for customers.
  • We update all of this information on a continuous basis, storing it in a proprietary database that allows us to compare dozens of home insurance companies against each other.

With this data, we created a rating methodology to score each home insurance company. Our rating system is a weighted, 100-point scale based on the following factors:

  • Coverage (30): We rated home insurance companies higher if they offered the six main types of homeowner protection—dwelling, other structures, personal property, loss of use, liability, and medical payments to others coverage.
  • State availability (7.5): Companies scored higher if they covered more states than their competitors.
  • Customer service (15): This factor is based on our communications with the company representatives, as well as the companies’ claims and quotes processes, availability throughout the week, and customer service information found on their websites.
  • Technology (12.5): Technology can increase the efficiency of filing and tracking home insurance claims. Companies scored higher if they had technology options like mobile apps and online chat functions.
  • Reputation (20): We gauged trustworthiness based on years of experience and Better Business Bureau (BBB) ratings.
  • Additional benefits (15): Companies that offered optional features, like discounts and endorsements, scored higher than competitors that didn’t.

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.

To share feedback or ask a question about this article, send a note to our Reviews Team at reviews@thisoldhousereviews.com.