USAA Homeowners Insurance Review – Money
Best for military service members and veterans
As you shop for homeowners insurance, you may be surprised by how much it costs. But if you are a military servicemember, veteran or are the spouse or child of a USAA member, you may qualify for discounted rates through USAA. With its excellent reputation for customer service and included coverages, USAA is our choice for the best homeowners insurance company for military service members and veterans.
USAA homeowners insurance pros and cons
High third-party ratings for customer satisfaction and financial stabilityHome-sharing coverage available
Replacement cost coverage included
Not available to the general publicFewer discounts than some other companies
Online quotes not available for non-members
Pros explained
High third-party ratings for customer satisfaction and financial stability
Although USAA wasn’t ranked against other homeowners insurance companies in the J.D. Power Home Insurance Study, it was evaluated and received the highest score of all the companies considered. USAA also has an A++ rating from AM Best, the highest rating the credit agency grants.
Home sharing coverage available
Whether you rent out a single bedroom or the entire home on Airbnb or VRBO, you need insurance. Not all companies offer home sharing coverage, but USAA issues short-term rental policies for hosts.
Replacement cost coverage included
Most homeowners insurance policies only give you actual cost coverage, meaning it will pay to replace your items at their current depreciated value. USAA’s policies include replacement cost coverage, replacing your damaged items without taking into account depreciation.
Cons explained
Not available to the general public
To qualify for insurance from USAA, you must be a qualifying member. USAA membership is only available to military service members, veterans and their spouses or children.
Fewer discounts than some other companies
USAA advertises fewer and less-substantial discounts than many other major insurance companies. For example, it has a claims-free discount of only 10% while other companies offer 20%. It also has a bundle discount and protective device discount, but other companies have discounts for responsible payments, policy renewals, new homebuyers, automatic payments and early renewals.
Online quotes not available for non-members
Most insurers allow customers to get preliminary quotes for policies. While USAA does have an online quote tool, you must be a qualifying member — and log into your account — to use it. Otherwise, you don’t have access to the quote tool.
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USAA homeowners insurance
USAA’s homeowners policies include the following coverages:
Dwelling: Dwelling coverage pays for repairing or rebuilding your home after it’s damaged in a qualifying event.
Other structures: Coverage for other structures pays for the repairs or rebuilding of structures separate from your home, such as a shed, detached garage or fence.
Personal belongings: This coverage pays for the cost of repairing or replacing the personal property within your home, such as your furniture or electronics.
Loss of use: If you cannot live in your home after it’s damaged in a covered loss, loss of use protection helps cover your increased living expenses.
Personal liability: If you are legally responsible for someone injured on your property, personal liability protection covers your legal expenses and some medical payments.
Additional coverage
USAA does offer optional riders and coverages:
Home sharing coverage: If you rent out bedrooms or your home for short-term rentals, home sharing coverage is an essential add-on.
Earthquake damage: Earthquake damage protection is available as an optional rider.
Limitations
USAA policies don’t cover floods, so you’ll need to purchase a separate policy from another insurer if you live in an area prone to flooding.
Credentials
USAA is a well-known company with a long-standing reputation in the insurance industry. Founded in 1922, it has serviced millions of military service members, veterans and their families.
Homeowners policies issued through USAA are underwritten by the United Services Automobile Association, USAA Casualty Insurance Company, USAA General Indemnity Company or Garrison Property and Casualty Insurance Company. It issues policies in all 50 states.
Financial stability
Why is financial stability so important when choosing a homeowners insurance company? You need to be sure that the company you choose to insure your home — likely the single most expensive asset you own — will be around for the long-term and be able to afford to pay out any claims.
AM Best is a leading credit agency that evaluates and rates insurance companies. Its financial strength ratings are excellent resources when researching your options.
USAA has an A++ (Superior) rating from AM Best, the best possible rating. Such a high rating indicates that AM Best believes USAA is in a superior financial position and can pay out its insurance obligations regardless of changes to the market.
Third-party ratings
Because USAA is not available to the general public, USAA was not ranked in the 2021 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study that compared 21 leading insurers. However, USAA was evaluated and given a score of 882 out of a possible 1,000 — a higher score than Amica, the top-ranked company.
Regulatory actions
Like many major insurance and financial services companies, USAA is sometimes the target of regulatory actions and class-action lawsuits. Recently, USAA was ordered to pay $140 million to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network for violations of the Bank Secrecy Act.
USAA also recently settled a class-action lawsuit filed by policyholders in Tennessee and Mississippi. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit alleged that USAA wrongfully deducted the depreciation of labor costs when adjusting homeowners’ insurance claims, paying policyholders less than they allegedly were owed.
When reviewing a company for insurance, make sure you carefully read the fine print and terms and conditions so you understand what your policy covers and what exclusions apply.
Cost of USAA homeowners insurance
Although many insurance companies allow consumers to get quotes online, USAA only allows consumers that qualify for memberships (and have an account with the company) to get homeowners insurance quotes. If you aren’t yet a member, you cannot get a quote until your membership application is approved.
While we couldn’t get a quote for USAA’s policies, a good number to keep in mind is the national average for homeowners insurance policies. According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, the average premium for homeowners insurance is $1,396 per year, or $116 per month.
It’s wise to get quotes from multiple homeowners insurance companies since your premiums are dependent on factors such as your location, home age, current value, recent renovations and security devices.
Accessibility
USAA allows its members to purchase homeowners insurance policies online or over the phone. Customer support is available via phone, but it does have an online chat feature with automated responses for basic questions.
Contact information
To contact customer service, call 210-531-8722 or 800-531-8722. The phone lines are open Monday through Friday from 6:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m. CT, and on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m. CT.
User experience
As a USAA member, you can get quotes and manage your policies online through the member portal. You can make payments and file claims through the online portal or the mobile app.
Customer satisfaction
When it comes to customer support, USAA homeowners insurance reviews tend to be mixed.
Customer reviews
On Trustpilot, USAA has a rating of 1.3 out of five, putting it in the “bad” category, based on over 1,300 reviews. USAA is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau, and it has poor customer reviews. Its rating is 1.22 out of 5 based on over 700 reviews.
However, the reviews tend to be a mix of customers complaining about auto insurance and life insurance, which may skew the rating results.
Complaint index
A good resource for comparing companies is the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index. The NAIC issues complaint ratios based on the number of complaints consumers submit about companies compared to those companies’ share of the insurance market. A ratio over 1.0 means the company had more complaints submitted to regulators than is generally expected, while a ratio below 1.0 means it received fewer complaints.
For its homeowners insurance segment, USAA’s complaint ratios were 0.48 and 0.88 for 2021, better than the industry standard.
USAA Homeowners Insurance FAQ
Who is eligible for a USAA homeowners insurance policy?
Only individuals eligible for USAA membership can purchase USAA homeowners insurance.
The following groups are eligible for membership:
Military service members
Veterans
Pre-commissioned officers
Spouses and children of existing USAA members
As a member, you can qualify for USAA products, including insurance policies and banking services, as well as special discounts on car rentals, home security systems and travel accommodations.
USAA — which stands for the United Services Automobile Association — is not a non-profit organization, nor is it affiliated with the U.S. Department of Defense or any government agency. USAA is a separate entity made up of a group of financial services companies to provide banking, insurance and investment products.
Does USAA insure mobile homes or other forms of housing?
USAA does offer specialty policies for mobile homes, condos, farms and ranches.
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How we evaluated USAA homeowners insurance
To evaluate USAA and other homeowners insurance companies, we looked at the following factors:
Availability Coverage options Optional coverage Policy exclusions Cost Third-party ratings Financial stability Customer service
Summary of Money’s USAA homeowners insurance review
For military service members, veterans and their families, USAA could be a good choice for homeowners insurance. Its policies offer replacement cost for damaged personal property, and is highly-ranked by third-party organizations and credit rating agencies.
However, its policies are only available to qualifying members, so individuals without a connection to the military will be ineligible for homeowners insurance or USAA’s other products. If you don’t qualify and are looking for other options, check out our selections for the best homeowners insurance companies of 2022.
