Founded in 1922, State Farm is now the largest homeowners insurance company in the U.S. The insurance giant also sells other policies, including renters, car, life and umbrella insurance, online and through a network of more than 19,000 agents nationwide.
| Best for: People who want to work closely with an agent and feel most comfortable buying insurance from a well-established company. |
State Farm home insurance pros and cons
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| User-friendly website. | Lack of discounts compared to other insurers. |
| Agents offer personalized service. | |
| Low customer complaint ratio. |
How State Farm home insurance rates
State Farm homeowners insurance earned 4 stars out of 5 for overall performance. NerdWallet’s ratings are determined by our editorial team. The scoring formula takes into account coverage and discounts, ease of filing a claim, website transparency, financial strength, complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and more.
» MORE: The best homeowners insurance companies
State availability
State Farm sells homeowners insurance to new policyholders in Washington, D.C., and every state except Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
State Farm 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 |
|---|---|
| Dwelling | Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home. |
| Other structures | Covers damage to unattached structures such as a shed or fence. |
| Personal property | Pays to repair or replace personal belongings such as furniture or clothing. |
| Additional living expenses | Pays for hotel stays, restaurant meals or other expenses if you have to live elsewhere while your home undergoes covered repairs. |
| Liability | 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. |
For more details, see Homeowners Insurance: What It Is and What It Covers.
In addition to this standard coverage, State Farm offers a number of add-ons for its homeowners policies.
The “increased dwelling limit” automatically extends your replacement coverage up to 20%, as long as you’ve insured your home at least up to its estimated replacement cost. You won’t pay anything to add this to your policy.
Say State Farm estimates that your home will cost $200,000 to rebuild, so that’s how much dwelling coverage you’ve selected on your policy. If a disaster strikes your area and construction costs go up accordingly, State Farm will automatically pay up to 20% more — or a total of $240,000 — to rebuild your home.
Other add-ons that come with an extra charge include :
- Backup of sewer or drain coverage.
- Identity fraud, cyberattacks and cyber extortion coverage.
- Earthquake coverage.
- Liability coverage for those providing in-home child or adult care, and for those working as nurses.
- Coverage for structures located outside the premises of your home.
- Home rental coverage for homes that are rented out more than 30 nights a year.
- Liability coverage for libel, slander or other personal injury claims.
- Service line coverage for damaged underground utility lines.
- Coverage to replace a damaged water heater, air conditioner or heating unit with a more energy-efficient model.
- Coverage for theft, vandalism or broken glass if your home is left vacant more than 30 days.
- Reimbursement for certain costs related to building codes or zoning laws.
- Various coverage for homes under construction, including theft of building materials and liability in a temporary home.
- Coverage for the breakdown of home systems, such as furnaces and air conditioning units.
- Incidental business coverage for people who work from home.
- Coverage for your portion of a loss that affects all members of a homeowners association.
- Liability coverage for damage to other people’s property due to a waterbed.
Before opting in to any of these coverage options, be sure to read the fine print or ask your agent to talk you through any limitations and exclusions.
» MORE: 10 kinds of damage home insurance won’t cover
State Farm home insurance rates
NerdWallet compared State Farm’s average annual rates for homeowners insurance to those of three major competitors in ZIP codes across the U.S. State Farm was the cheapest option in our mini analysis, with an average annual rate of $1,325 — $260 less than the national average of $1,585 per year.
Our sample rates were calculated for 40-year-old homeowners with a $1,000 deductible, $300,000 in dwelling coverage and $300,000 in liability insurance. Your own rates will be different.
» MORE: The best cheap homeowners insurance
Discounts
State Farm has a limited lineup of homeowners discounts, and they vary by state. Depending on where you live, you might be able to apply these discounts to your policy:
- Multiple line discount for bundling policies from State Farm.
- Protective device discount for installing home monitoring systems, such as burglar or smoke alarms.
- Discount if your roof is made of specific impact-resistant materials, like Class 4 shingles.
Consumer complaints
State Farm had fewer than the expected number of complaints to state regulators relative to its size for home insurance, according to three years’ worth of data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
State Farm home insurance consumer experience
Website: State Farm’s website is intuitive and user-friendly, allowing you to get a quote or file a claim online right from the homepage. You can also track your State Farm homeowners claim online. The company’s “find an agent” tool is equally easy to use if you need to talk through an issue with a live person.
One nice feature is the ability to quickly access certain tasks — including paying your bill, enrolling in autopay and getting your ID cards — without having to log in with a password.
There’s plenty of useful information for homeowners on the State Farm site, though it sometimes takes a little scrolling to find. Keep an eye out for the Simple Insights section of the site for in-depth tips.
App: The State Farm mobile app lets you view policy information, file a claim and make payments in a variety of ways, including with Apple or Android Pay. If you use State Farm’s banking or investing services, you can also access those on the app.
Homeowners insurance buying guide
You can get home insurance quotes online, over the phone or through an agent. But before you start, take the following steps:
- Determine how much coverage you need. Is a standard policy sufficient, or do you want to add extra insurance for situations like identity theft or sewer backups? Check whether each company you’re considering has the options you need.
- Take inventory. To ensure you have sufficient personal property coverage, take stock of your belongings. Include all furniture, electronic devices, clothing, jewelry and household items. How much would it cost you to replace them? This total is the minimum amount of personal property insurance you should have.
- Make a fair comparison. When evaluating rates, make sure each insurer is offering the same limits and deductibles.
- Check consumer complaints. Although it may seem tempting simply to choose the cheapest option, look at how many consumer complaints each insurer has before choosing a policy. Poor customer service could have a significant impact on your experience if you ever need to file a claim.
How to file a homeowners insurance claim
File as soon as it’s safe. The sooner you report a theft or damage to your home, the sooner your insurer can assign an adjuster and start working on paying out your claim. Some companies let you file claims online or through their app, while in other cases you may have to call your agent or insurer instead. Have your policy number handy.
Document the damage. Bolster your claim by taking photos or video of all damage. If something was stolen, report it to the police before you contact your insurance company. Your insurer may ask for a copy of their report.
Prevent further damage. After you’ve taken pictures of everything broken or destroyed, take steps to prevent additional damage. For example, you can put a tarp over a leaky roof or blown-out window. Keep receipts for any supplies you buy, as your insurer may reimburse you later.
For more information, see our guide to streamlining insurance payments on home damage claims.
Frequently asked questions
What other insurance does State Farm offer?
State Farm sells a wide range of coverage options, including car, umbrella, life, renters, boat, business and other insurance. The company also offers checking, savings and CD accounts, traditional and Roth individual retirement accounts, credit cards, home loans, annuities and other financial products.
Read NerdWallet’s State Farm auto insurance review, State Farm renters insurance review and State Farm life insurance review.
Does State Farm insure homes with pit bulls?
State Farm does not have restrictions on which dog breeds it will insure. Instead, it looks at each individual dog’s bite history to determine coverage. Learn more about dog bites and homeowners insurance.
Does State Farm insure mobile homes?
Yes, State Farm offers manufactured home insurance that covers the building structure, your belongings and personal liability. To learn more about your options, see NerdWallet’s guide to mobile home insurance.
Does State Farm home insurance cover mold?
State Farm homeowners policies generally do not cover mold-related damage or losses, except in those states where some limited mold coverage is required.
Other home insurance companies to consider
If State Farm isn’t quite the right fit, look at these similar homeowners insurance companies:
- Allstate.
- Amica.
- Hippo.
- Nationwide.
