Best Homeowners Insurance in Wisconsin (2023)
As a northern state in the Midwest, Wisconsin is known for heavy snowfall, but it’s also prone to other natural disasters throughout the year, such as tornadoes, wildfires, and severe thunderstorms. Purchasing a home insurance policy is the best way to keep your property protected and ensure you’ll be able to rebuild, repair, or replace your home after one of these unexpected catastrophes.
The This Old House Reviews team researched dozens of providers to determine the best home insurance companies in Wisconsin, detailing what sets each apart and how they stack up against key factors such as coverage, cost, and customer service. We also included sample quotes for homes in a few different cities across the state to give you an idea of home insurance pricing for each provider.
Since exact prices can vary depending on a variety of factors, such as your personal information and house details, we recommend calling 855-948-5219 or entering your ZIP code into the tool below to get started on an insurance quote:
3 Best Home Insurance Providers in Wisconsin
Here are the top providers of homeowners insurance in Wisconsin.
Lemonade: Easiest Sign-Up
- J.D. Power Rating: N/A
- AM Best Rating: NR
Getting a quote and signing up for a home insurance policy can be stressful, especially if the company requires you to speak to an agent before finalizing the details. Lemonade created a seamless, hassle-free home insurance experience using AI technology that assists customers with quotes, policy management, and filing a claim. This is a great provider for Wisconsin homeowners who want to avoid any headaches from waiting on customer service representatives or insurance agents.
Scoring an 83.5 out of 100, Lemonade primarily lost points for its low Better Business Bureau (BBB) rating, which was due to a high number of customer complaints. However, it offers comprehensive coverage and unique features, such as a user-friendly mobile app and swimming pool liability add-on.
Lemonade also features the following benefits:
- Offers a low deductible option of $500 to Wisconsin homeowners
- Doesn’t have a separate wind and hail deductible, saving you money during a claim on those damages
- Offers a 10% discount on Lemonade pet insurance plans to home insurance policyholders
Lemonade Sample Pricing
| City (ZIP code) | Milwaukee (53222) | Green Bay (54311) | Madison (53718) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
House square footage |
1,400 |
2,200 |
1,900 |
|
Year built |
1952 |
1992 |
2004 |
|
Dwelling limit |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
$350,000 |
|
Personal property coverage |
60% of dwelling |
70% of dwelling |
70% of dwelling |
|
Liability coverage |
$100,000 |
$200,000 |
$100,000 |
|
All-peril deductible |
$1,000 |
$1,000 |
$1,000 |
|
Monthly premium |
$112.25 |
$97.34 |
$109.25 |
Visit Lemonade’s website to get a free quote with its optimal online quote tool.
Learn More: Lemonade Home Insurance Review
*AM Best ratings accurate as of August 2023
Allstate: Best Overall
Scoring a 98.1 out of 100, Allstate earned the superlative of ‘Best Overall’ for its combination of impressive 24/7 customer service, coverage options, unique benefits and add-ons, and outstanding reputation in the industry. It also offers educational resources on its website to help customers understand their coverage options and estimate their home’s value.
Allstate also stands out for the following reasons:
- Features a live chat during the online quote process, allowing potential customers to speak with representatives
- Provides unique discounts in Wisconsin for homeowners who have window and door sensors, water and moisture sensors, and water shutoff equipment in their homes
- Offers a water backup coverage add-on with customizable deductibles between $500 and $5,000
Allstate Sample Pricing
| City (ZIP code) | Milwaukee (53222) | Green Bay (54311) | Madison (53718) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
House square footage |
1,400 |
2,200 |
1,900 |
|
Year built |
1952 |
1992 |
2004 |
|
Dwelling limit |
$300,000 |
$350,000 |
$350,000 |
|
Personal property coverage |
60% of dwelling |
60% of dwelling |
75% of dwelling |
|
Liability coverage |
$100,000 |
$100,000 |
$300,000 |
|
All-peril deductible |
$2,500 |
$2,500 |
$2,500 |
|
Wind/hail deductible |
$2,500 |
$2,500 |
$2,500 |
|
Monthly premium |
$124.00 |
$248.00 |
$111.00 |
Get a free quote from Allstate by entering your ZIP code into this online form.
Learn More: Allstate Home Insurance Review
Farmers: Most Customizable Coverage
Scoring a 94.4 out of 100, Farmers made our list for its customizable coverage. Choosing coverage limits from a wide selection of options is extremely valuable for creating flexible premiums that let you only pay for the coverage you need. For instance, Farmers allows you to purchase personal property coverage for up to 200% of your dwelling limit, which is 125% more than the industry standard of 75%. This is ideal for homeowners with expensive, high-value items or larger homes with more furniture and personal items.
Learn how you can customize your homeowners insurance coverage by getting a quote on the Farmers website.
Farmers also offers these benefits:
- Provides a discount for military service members, teachers, pilots, doctors, and police officers
- Features the Declining Deductible benefit with each policy, which credits $50 towards deductibles each year you don’t file a claim
- Includes claim forgiveness after five years of claims-free coverage, which prevents your premium from increasing after you file a claim
Farmers Sample Pricing
| City (ZIP code) | Milwaukee (53222) | Green Bay (54311) | Madison (53718) |
|---|---|---|---|
|
House square footage |
1,400 |
2,200 |
1,900 |
|
Year built |
1952 |
1992 |
2004 |
|
Dwelling limit |
$300,000 |
$300,000 |
$350,000 |
|
Personal property coverage |
55% of dwelling |
75% of dwelling |
55% of dwelling |
|
Liability coverage |
$100,000 |
$300,000 |
$100,000 |
|
All-peril deductible |
$1,500 |
$1,500 |
$1,500 |
|
Wind/hail deductible |
$2,500 |
$2,500 |
$2,500 |
|
Monthly premium |
$162.39 |
$164.76 |
$193.88 |
Customize your homeowners insurance coverage by getting a quote on the Farmers website.
Learn More: Farmers Home Insurance Review
Our Conclusion
To keep your Wisconsin home safe, purchase a home insurance policy from one of the providers listed in this review. Whether you’re looking for impressive overall coverage and useful add-ons from Allstate, customizable coverage options to maximize your policy from Farmers, or unique technological features and a hassle-free sign-up from Lemonade, these companies’ policies can help protect your home.
Our top recommendation is to get quotes from at least three providers and compare pricing based on your location, personal information, and house’s size, age, construction material, and more. Call 855-948-5219 or enter your ZIP code below to get started with providers near you:
Compare Homeowners Insurance Companies in Wisconsin
| Provider | Allstate | Farmers | Lemonade |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Get a free quote |
Allstate.com |
Farmers.com |
Lemonade.com |
|
Our score |
98.1 |
94.4 |
83.5 |
|
Personal property coverage limits |
60% of dwelling |
40%–200% of dwelling |
40%–83% of dwelling |
|
Liability coverage limits |
$100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $500,000 |
$100,000, $300,000, $500,000, $1 million, $2 million |
$100,000, $200,000, $300,000, $400,000, $500,000, $1 million |
|
Sample premium* |
$124.00 |
$162.39 |
$112.25 |
|
Discounts available |
7 |
4 |
5 |
|
Unique add-ons |
Roof surfaces extended coverage, water backup protection, green improvements |
Building ordinance coverage, marring to metal materials coverage, replacement cost coverage |
Coverage for musical instruments, significant other coverage, swimming pool liability protection |
|
Customer service |
24/7 |
24/7 for claims, limited hours for customer service |
Online chat on website and mobile app |
|
BBB rating** |
A+ |
A- |
C |
*Based on sample quotes we received for a 1,400-square-foot single-family house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
**Figures pulled from the companies’ BBB profiles as of May 20, 2021
Wisconsin Homeowners Insurance Coverage
A home insurance policy typically includes six key coverage types to protect your home. Here are more details about the types of coverage included in your policy:
- Dwelling coverage—This is the primary coverage category in your policy. It pays to rebuild, repair, or replace the structure of your house after a damaging peril. The limit for this coverage should be equal to or greater than your home’s estimated value. Hiring a professional appraiser to evaluate your home is the best way to ensure you purchase the right amount of dwelling coverage. If you purchase a policy with a lower dwelling coverage amount, you could be on the hook for high out-of-pocket expenses when you run out of coverage. The companies listed in this review also have home value estimation tools on their quote forms to help you determine how much coverage you need.
- Other structures coverage—This coverage protects the buildings or structures on your property that aren’t considered part of your home, such as a detached garage or storage shed in your backyard. The coverage limit for other structures is typically customizable, but it starts at around 5%–10% of your dwelling limit.
- Loss of use coverage—Also known as additional living expenses coverage, loss of use coverage can pay for hotel fees, extra gas, and meals after a covered peril leaves you temporarily displaced from your home. The coverage limit for this category is usually around 20% of your dwelling amount.
- Personal property coverage—This coverage type usually pays up to 60%–75% of your dwelling limit for your personal belongings when they’re lost, stolen, ruined, damaged, or vandalized. For an additional cost to your monthly premium, you can get replacement cost coverage, which pays for new replacements of your items, regardless of their depreciation.
- Personal liability coverage—With coverage limits typically falling between $100,000 and $300,000, personal liability coverage covers legal fees or medical costs associated with an accident or injury to someone else on your property that you’re responsible for.
- Medical payments to others coverage—Home insurance also covers medical payments when someone gets injured on your property and the accident wasn’t your fault. For example, your provider will pay up to a certain amount (typically between $1,000 and $5,000) in emergency room costs if your guest cuts themself while chopping vegetables in your kitchen.
Factors To Consider Before Buying Homeowners Insurance
Here are a few factors that could impact your homeowners insurance policy:
- Deductibles—Your policy’s deductible is the amount you pay during a claim before your provider makes any payments. For instance, if your deductible is $2,500 and it costs $200,000 to rebuild your home after a covered peril, your provider pays $197,500 on the claim after you pay the $2,500. Increasing your deductible can significantly lower your monthly premium, but it could result in excessive out-of-pocket spending during a claim before your provider covers what’s left.
- Discounts—Nearly every home insurance provider on the market offers discounts for home safety features, such as fire alarms or home security systems. Many home insurers—including Farmers and Allstate—also provide substantial savings opportunities to customers who already have a car insurance policy with the provider. Additionally, Lemonade can lower your premium if you live in a gated community and Allstate offers additional savings to homeowners who have backup generators.
- Endorsements—Choosing endorsements, also known as riders, floaters, or add-ons, for additional coverage is a great way to add value to your home insurance policy and ensure the most comprehensive coverage during an unexpected event. For example, if you have a swimming pool, you might be interested in Lemonade’s swimming pool liability coverage, which typically costs around $20 extra per month and covers liability fees if an accident occurs in or around your pool. Additionally, Allstate’s Claim RateGuard endorsement ensures your premium doesn’t increase after you file a claim.
FAQs About Homeowners Insurance in Wisconsin
What are the most common natural disasters in Wisconsin?
Wisconsin is home to a range of damaging natural disasters due to its location. The most common ones include snowstorms, ice storms, severe thunderstorms, tornadoes, and wildfires. Fortunately, you can protect your home from these events with a homeowners insurance policy.
Floods are also a common peril in the state, but, unfortunately, your home insurance policy won’t cover flood damage. You can purchase a separate flood insurance policy through FEMA’s National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), which sells policies through a number of insurance providers.
Does home insurance cover damage from tornadoes?
Yes, most home insurance providers consider tornadoes a covered peril under standard policies. However, keep in mind that you may owe a separate deductible for wind or hail damage, which would apply after a tornado, whereas your all-peril deductible applies to any other events that result in a claim on your policy.
How much does homeowners insurance cost in Wisconsin?
Homeowners insurance rates in Wisconsin averaged $814 per year or $67.83 per month in 2018, which was $435 less than the national average of $1,249 per year, according to the Insurance Information Institute (III). Based on the sample quotes we received in various cities across the state, these average rates have increased over the years. Premiums on standard homes around $300,000 in value typically fall between $100 and $200 per month.
Since pricing for homeowners insurance is specific based on your property details and personal information, getting a custom quote from a few different providers is the best way to accurately compare prices.
Useful Resources for Residents in Wisconsin
- Best Home Warranties in Wisconsin
- Best Moving Companies in Wisconsin
- Best Solar Companies in Wisconsin
Our Rating Methodology
The This Old House Reviews 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 ratings.
- Additional benefits (15): Companies that offered optional features, like discounts and endorsements, scored higher than competitors that didn’t.
The This Old House 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.
