The Hanover Homeowners Insurance Review 2023

The Hanover offers more ways to customize your home insurance policy than most companies, but it doesn’t operate in all U.S. states.
Sarah Schlichter
By Sarah Schlichter 
Updated
Edited by Erica Corbin

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Hanover

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Best for homeowners looking for many ways to customize their policy.

Coverage options

More than average

Discounts

Average set of discounts

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected
insurance-product-card-logo

Hanover

4.5

NerdWallet rating 
Best for homeowners looking for many ways to customize their policy.

Coverage options

More than average

Discounts

Average set of discounts

NAIC complaints

Far fewer than expected

The Hanover offers three homeowners insurance packages and more than a dozen ways to customize coverage, which means most homeowners are likely to find a policy that works for them. The company also receives far fewer consumer complaints than expected. However, The Hanover home insurance is available in only 20 states.

Our star ratings are based on consumer complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners; financial strength grades from AM Best; coverage and discounts available; and the overall consumer experience. See our criteria for evaluating home insurance companies.

Our writers and editors follow strict editorial guidelines that ensure fairness and accuracy in order to help you choose the financial products that work best for you. Here is a list of our partners and here’s how we make money.

The Hanover home insurance star rating

4.5

NerdWallet rating 

The Hanover homeowners insurance earned 4.5 out of 5 stars for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The homeowners insurance scoring formula takes into account policy coverage options and discounts, ease of filing a claim, website transparency, the financial strength of the company, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.

Based on these ratings, The Hanover is among NerdWallet’s Best Home Insurance Companies for 2023.

State availability

The Hanover offers homeowners insurance in 20 states.

The Hanover home insurance coverage

You can customize your homeowners policy with numerous add-ons, but below are the types of coverage that generally come standard:

Type of coverage

What it does

Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home.

Covers damage to unattached structures such as a shed or fence.

Pays to repair or replace personal belongings such as furniture or clothing.

Pays for hotel stays, restaurant meals or other expenses if you have to live elsewhere while your home undergoes covered repairs.

Covers legal expenses and damages if you're responsible for injuries to other people or their property.

Medical payments

Covers injuries to guests in your home, regardless of fault.

The Hanover offers these standard types of coverage as part of three packages:

  • Connections, for those who want homeowners insurance only and aren’t interested in bundling it with an auto policy.

  • Platinum, for those who wish to buy both homeowners and car insurance from The Hanover.

  • Prestige, which offers higher-limit coverage designed for those with homes that would cost at least $750,000 to rebuild.

Coverage options vary depending on where you live and which package you choose, but they may include:

Extended dwelling replacement cost. If the amount of insurance on your house isn’t enough to cover the cost of rebuilding, this option helps make up the difference, up to a given limit.

Guaranteed dwelling replacement cost. This coverage goes a step further than extended dwelling replacement, paying whatever is necessary to rebuild your home with similar materials. You may also be able to choose a cash-out option if you don’t wish to rebuild.

Personal property replacement cost. This coverage ensures you’ll receive enough money to buy new replacements for personal belongings that are stolen or destroyed, rather than having your payout reduced for depreciation.

Coverage for refrigerated products. This pays for spoiled food after a power loss.

Lock replacement. This coverage pays to install new locks if your keys are stolen.

Water backup coverage. This pays for damage if your sump pump fails or water backs up through a sewer or drain.

Identity protection. If your identity is stolen, this coverage helps pay for legal fees and other expenses.

Deductible waiver for large loss. This option waives your deductible if a claim is at least $50,000.

Deductible waiver for loss involving multiple policies. If you have a Platinum package and a disaster affects more than one insured property, like your home and car, you’ll need to pay only one of the applicable deductibles.

Scheduled personal property coverage. This offers extra coverage for valuable items such as jewelry, musical instruments or fine art.

Ordinance or law coverage. This pays to bring your home up to the latest building codes while it's being repaired for a covered claim.

Debris removal coverage. This option pays to remove debris after a covered disaster.

Siding and roof restoration. If repairs wouldn’t match your existing roof or siding because the materials aren’t available, this coverage will pay to replace undamaged areas as well.

Fire extinguisher coverage. This option pays to recharge or replace an extinguisher used against a fire in your home.

Service line coverage. This pays to repair or replace damaged power lines, water pipes and other utility lines on your property.

Personal injury coverage. With this endorsement, your liability coverage will extend to expenses associated with slander, libel, false arrest, wrongful eviction, imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Unlimited loss of use coverage. If you can’t live in your home after a covered disaster, this option pays for you to live elsewhere, including assistance with hotel stays or restaurant meals, with no time or money limit.

Loss mitigation expense. After a claim of at least $10,000, this coverage helps pay for actions up to $2,500 to prevent similar damage in the future.

Equipment breakdown. This endorsement pays to fix water heaters, central air conditioning systems, refrigerators and other appliances if they break down.

Home business. This coverage can offer additional insurance if you rent out part of your home or run another type of home-based business.

Discounts

Depending on your state, you may be offered discounts or credits for:

  • Insuring both your home and auto with The Hanover.

  • Insuring a newly built home.

  • Being a nonsmoker.

  • Having safety and/or security devices.

  • Having membership in certain organizations.

Consumer complaints

The Hanover received far fewer than the expected number of home insurance complaints to state regulators relative to its size, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. (NAIC home insurance complaints also cover other home policy types, including mobile home, renters and condo insurance.)

Consumer experience

Website: The Hanover’s website offers some self-service options, including bill pay, claims reporting and access to policy details. However, you can’t get an online quote and have to use the agent search feature to find someone to speak with. The website includes a library of articles on insurance basics.

App: The Hanover’s app is available for iOS and Android. It's designed to let you file and track claims, view policy information, pay bills and get in touch with your agent. However, many users report glitches that make the app difficult or impossible to use.

Claims: You can report a homeowners claim on The Hanover’s website, through the mobile app or by calling 800-628-0250 (representatives are available around the clock). For advice, see how to file a home insurance claim.

Customer service: The Hanover offers phone support at 800-922-8427. You can also reach out to your local agent.

Where The Hanover stands out

Coverage options. The Hanover’s lengthy list of coverage options and packages will meet most homeowners’ needs.

Consumer complaints. Although its mobile app doesn’t earn rave reviews, the company as a whole draws very few consumer complaints to state regulators, suggesting that most Hanover policyholders are satisfied with their policies.

Where The Hanover falls short

Availability. The Hanover sells policies in fewer than half of U.S. states.

Online quotes. You’ll have to chat with an agent to get a quote or buy a policy.

Is The Hanover home insurance right for you?

The Hanover may be a good fit if you live within the company’s service area and want comprehensive coverage for your home. Those with higher-value homes may be interested in the Prestige package, which can include guaranteed replacement cost for the structure of your home, along with other perks.

Other home insurance companies to consider

Not ready to make a decision? You may be interested in these other homeowners insurance companies:

  • Farmers: Offers perks such as diminishing deductibles and claims forgiveness.

  • Liberty Mutual: Big national insurer with lots of discount options.

  • Nationwide: Has many ways to customize your policy.

  • Travelers: Offers coverage and discounts for eco-conscious homeowners.

Frequently asked questions

The Hanover sells auto, condo, renters, motorcycle and umbrella insurance, among other policies. You can learn more in NerdWallet’s Hanover auto insurance review.

No, The Hanover doesn’t cover this type of property. For other options, see our guide to manufactured and mobile home insurance.

Depending on the state you live in, The Hanover may restrict coverage for breeds such as pit bulls, German shepherds, Presa Canarios, Rottweilers and Doberman pinschers.

Methodology

Homeowners insurance ratings methodology

NerdWallet’s homeowners insurance ratings reward companies for customer-first features and practices. Ratings are based on weighted averages of scores in several categories, including financial strength, consumer complaints, coverage, discounts and online experience. These ratings are a guide, but we encourage you to shop around and compare several insurance quotes to find the best rate for you. NerdWallet does not receive compensation for any reviews. Read our full ratings methodology for home insurance.

Insurer complaints methodology

NerdWallet examined complaints received by state insurance regulators and reported to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners in 2019-2021. To assess how insurers compare to one another, the NAIC calculates a complaint index each year for each subsidiary, measuring its share of total complaints relative to its size, or share of total premiums in the industry. To evaluate a company’s complaint history, NerdWallet calculated a similar index for each insurer, weighted by market shares of each subsidiary, over the three-year period. NerdWallet conducts its data analysis and reaches conclusions independently and without the endorsement of the NAIC. Ratios are determined separately for auto, home (including renters and condo) and life insurance.

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