Your home is likely the biggest purchase you will ever make. With that in mind, purchasing a comprehensive home insurance policy from a reputable company with a proven track record is extremely important.
There are many factors to evaluate, from coverage, cost, and customer service to availability. Not all companies are the same, and doing the research can be time-consuming. The This Old House Reviews Team has done some of the legwork for you, creating this in-depth National General home insurance review.
To get home insurance quotes in your area, call 855-948-5219 or enter your zip code in our free quote tool:
Table of Contents
- Our Take
- Pros & Cons
- Coverage
- Availability
- How Much Does National General Insurance Cost?
- Reviews of National General Insurance
- Our Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Company Information
- Our Methodology
Our Take
National General Insurance, previously known as GMAC Insurance Group, is a solid homeowners insurance company. Homeowners nationwide can purchase policies with all basic coverage and customize their protection through a series of endorsements. However, National General’s prices are higher than average.
On National General’s Better Business Bureau profile, common complaints cite difficulty reaching adjusters and issues with getting reimbursements. Positive reviews note impressive customer service, and negative reviews often discuss initial estimates not matching the checks customers later received.
Pros & Cons
Compare the advantages and disadvantages of National General homeowners insurance:
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Available nationwide | More costly than competitors |
| 24/7 claims service | |
| Bundling options |
Coverage
National General offers all of the industry-standard insurance coverage options, from dwelling to medical payments to others, along with additional endorsements.
| Coverage Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Dwelling | Pays for the cost to repair or rebuild your home after any covered damages, including detached structures like a shed or garage |
| Personal property | Pays for the replacement or repair of your possessions if they are stolen or damaged |
| Loss of use/additional living expenses | Pays for living expenses if your home is temporarily uninhabitable due to a covered loss |
| Personal liability | Pays for legal fees, including attorneys fees and damages, if a guest is injured on your property |
| Medical payments to others | Pays for any medical costs for injuries that occur to guests while on your property |
There are a range of add-on endorsements to help you create flexible coverage.
Endorsements
| Coverage Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Green upgrades | Pays for upgrades to energy-efficient units when repairing or rebuilding your home |
| Guaranteed and extended home replacement | Covers the full of value of the house in an event of total loss |
| Identity theft protection | Covers up to $15,000 in legal fees associated with identity theft and fraud |
| Ordinance and laws protection | Pays for additional costs required to comply with new codes during the rebuild of your home |
| Water backup | Pays for damage from water backup from drains and sewers, and sump pump failure |
| Possessions | Provides additional coverage for your personal property, plus increased coverage limits for valuable items |
Availability
National General offers home insurance coverage in all 50 states.
How Much Does National General Insurance Cost?
The exact cost of National General home insurance depends on a variety of factors, including your property value, size, and the materials it was constructed with, its location, the coverage limits you select, the insurance deductible you choose, and more.
Discounts
National General’s higher prices are offset in part by discounts.
| Discount | Description |
|---|---|
| Multi-policy | Discount for bundling your home insurance policy with another National General insurance policy |
| Homebuyer | Discount for recently purchased homes |
| Age of home | DIscount for more recently built homes |
| Claim-free | Discount for customers who have not made a claim within a stipulated period of time |
| Protective devices | Discount for installed devices like smoke alarms and security alarms |
| Gated community | DIscount for homes located in gated communities, due to decreased risk of theft |
| College education | Discount for college-educated homeowners |
| Homeowners association | Discount for HOA members |
| Superior construction | Discount for homes constructed with materials National General determines to be high-quality |
National General Home Insurance Reviews
National General is accredited by the Better Business Bureau and holds an A+ rating from the organization. Customers give it 3.5 out of 5 stars, which is fairly high for an insurance company.
Here’s a sample of National General home insurance reviews left on the BBB:
Willene M. said:
“One of the most outstanding businesses when it comes to professionalism and customer service.”
Catrina L. said:
“The fact that I cannot see my documents online is baffling. I literally have to get on a chat with someone in order to get my documents. Good luck getting a timely response from anyone either. I was on the chat for well over an hour to get one document . . one! The website is useless and so is their customer support.”
Our Conclusion
National General offers all of the basic home insurance protections in addition to some valuable endorsements like extended replacement cost, and more rare ones like green upgrade, to customers nationwide. The company’s considerable number of discounts is important, as National General’s costs tend to run a little higher than the competition’s. Because of this, National General might not be the best choice for budget-conscious customers.
For free home insurance quotes from providers near you, call 855-948-5219 or enter you zip code in the tool below:
Frequently Asked Questions
Company Information
- Company name: National General Insurance
- Company type: Public
- CEO: Barry Karfunkel
- Year founded: 1920
- Headquarters: 5630 University Pkwy, Winston-Salem, NC 27105
- 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.