State Auto Home Insurance Review: Is it the right choice for you?

Jacklyn Walters
Written byJacklyn Walters
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Jacklyn WaltersInsurance Writer

Jacklyn Walters is a personal finance writer. She has a bachelor's degree from SUNY-Buffalo and specializes in home insurance, striving to help customers make informed decisions about their insurance policies.

John Leach
Edited byJohn Leach
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John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
  • Licensed property and casualty insurance agent

  • 8+ years editing experience

John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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Updated June 11, 2021

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State Auto Homeowners Insurance

You may know AAA for their iconic roadside assistance program. But did you know they also offer homeowners insurance policies for around the country? Let Insurify help you decide if AAA homeowners insurance is the right choice for you.

State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company started in 1921 when Robert Pein was sick of overpaying for underwhelming insurance coverage. After 100 years in business, State Auto operates as an insurance pool, providing a range of insurance products to individuals, businesses, ranch owners, and farm owners.

State Auto underwrites homeowners policies in 33 states through a network of independent agents. It has its headquarters in Ohio and offices in Indiana, Iowa, Maryland, Minnesota, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. Before you buy a State Auto home insurance policy, let’s take a look at the company’s coverage options, insurance rates, and some State Auto home insurance reviews to see if current customers are satisfied with State Auto’s insurance services.

Then, use Insurify’s comparison tools to be confident that you’re getting the best home insurance policy and price. Whether you’re looking for home insurance, life insurance, or car insurance, you can compare insurance quotes and companies with Insurify to find your perfect policy in just a few minutes.

State Auto Home Insurance Coverages

State Auto offers three tiers of property insurance coverage —standard, protection plus, and premier—for homeowners, renters, and condo dwellers.

While State Auto ’s website doesn’t explicitly list what each tier’s coverage includes, standard policies provide “basic home protection,” with dwelling coverage, other structures coverage, and personal property protection. The protection plus and premier tiers each come with more comprehensive coverage, but it seems the most beneficial aspects of higher-tier protection are State Auto ’s higher-tier additional coverage options.

With a standard policy, homeowners have the option to add any number of additional coverage options, such as identity theft coverage and replacement cost coverage, each at an additional charge. But with a protection plus policy, you can also add State Auto ’s HomeXtended endorsement, which includes coverage for lost or damaged cell phones, digital personal records personal records, increased identity theft protection, personal property business use, and more—all with no deductible. The HomeXtended endorsement is included in premier policies.

Other optional coverages for your State Auto home insurance policy include:

  • Flood insurance

  • Homeshare coverage

  • Personal injury

  • Water backup

  • Blanket personal property

  • Earthquake insurance

  • Home systems protection

  • Ordinance or law

  • Schedule personal property (open perils coverage)

  • Service line

  • Dwelling fire for renters

Available Discounts

State Auto offers a variety of discounts for its auto and home insurance policyholders. The discounts don’t have a set rate and instead are dependent on certain factors, like the age of your home or the type of policy you have.

State Auto home insurance policyholders are eligible for the following discounts:

Multi-Policy

Bundling your home, umbrella, dwelling fire, or auto insurance policies with State Auto can help lower your premiums by up to 14 percent.

Protective Devices

Installing a State Auto –approved home security system, smoke detectors, or fire alarm system can help you save, too.

Fortified Home

Homes built to withstand severe weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes are eligible for lower premiums. Only one- and two-family homes are eligible.

New Construction

Homeowner and dwelling fire policyholders may qualify for a discount, depending on the year their home was built.

Roof Construction

Roof construction discounts are granted based on the type of material and age of your home’s roof.

Prior Carrier

If you were a longstanding policyholder with your last insurer, that could help you save on your State Auto home insurance premiums.

Advance Quote

Getting a State Auto home insurance quote more than eight days before you need the policy to go into effect can earn you a discount.

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State Auto Home Insurance Reviews: Customer Satisfaction

  • A.M. Best Rating: A-

  • Better Business Bureau Rating: A+

  • NAIC Complaint Index: 0.86

A.M. Best reduced State Auto ’s rating from A to A- in 2015 after one of State Auto ’s wholly owned subsidiaries, Risk Evaluation and Design LLC (RED), went into runoff (or stopped underwriting policies) in 2014. Moody’s also withdrew A3 financial strength ratings from five State Auto insurance company subsidiaries in December 2015.

Still, State Auto ’s 100 years in the industry have proven its ability to financially recover after periods of stress. While recovering from RED’s closure, State Auto reported a negative $18.5 million net income in 2017. But by 2018, three years after the subsidiary went into runoff, State Auto was back to reporting positive net incomes.

When it comes to customer reviews, State Auto has earned itself a good NAIC complaint index (any value less than one indicates fewer complaints than average), but current, past, and prospective customers have left complaints on review platforms like Yelp, Google, the Better Business Bureau, and the NAIC. The most frequent complaints were regarding customer service and issues in the claims process.

Since State Auto issues policies through independent insurance agents, claims and customer service issues are typically handled between policyholders and their local agents. This can leave some customers completely satisfied while others are left in the cold with their claims and complaints.

Still, many customer reviews share the same concern: State Auto customer service representatives are largely unresponsive.

Other reviewers noted experiences when State Auto unexpectedly raised their monthly premiums by hundreds of dollars. One customer said State Auto charged them $165 for insurance coverage the first month and raised their premium to $515 the next month.

Jesse, another unhappy policyholder, noticed their premiums increased slightly each year, but 2020 brought the most significant price change yet.

Multiple unsatisfied customers even referred to State Auto as “unethical” after the company failed to reimburse what they felt should have been covered losses.

Possibly the most surprising reviews came from people who had canceled their State Auto policies or who never had a policy with the company at all. Past policyholders noted ongoing communication and billing issues with State Auto after cancellation. And others reported State Auto issued insurance policies without their knowledge after asking for a quote from the company.

Across review platforms, State Auto ’s response to complaints remains the same:

While most State Auto complaints seem to come from car insurance customers, the overwhelming volume of policyholders who reported negative experiences with the company in the last three years depicts State Auto as unreliable at best and unethical at worst. If you’re considering purchasing a State Auto home insurance policy, be sure to talk to your local agent and read through your potential policy’s fine print before you sign.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Does State Auto’s HomeXtended coverage cost money?

    State Auto protection plus policyholders have the option to pay for HomeXtended coverage, but the endorsement is included in premier policies. Standard policyholders cannot purchase HomeXtended coverage.

  • Are State Auto home insurance policies eligible for the Safety 360 discount?

    No, the State Auto Safety 360 discount offers lower premiums for safe drivers, so it is only available for car insurance policyholders. If you need home and auto insurance, you can apply for the Safety 360 discount for your car insurance policy and bundle your home and auto policies for additional savings.

  • Does State Auto offer online quotes?

    No, the only way to get a quote for State Auto insurance policies is to contact a local State Auto insurance agent.

The Best Way to Save on Home Insurance

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State Auto Insurance Overview

State Auto offers just about any insurance policy an individual, business, or ranch owner could need. But the company seems to leave its customers wanting more when it comes to premium prices, customer care, and filing claims. Before you buy a State Auto policy, compare your rates with more reliable insurers using Insurify’s comparison tools to make sure you’re getting affordable coverage with a great home insurance company.

State Auto Home Insurance Contact Information

DepartmentContact Information
Customer service phone number1 (833) 724-3577
Claims service phone number1 (877) 722-5246
Websitewww.stateauto.com
Corporate headquarters:518 E Broad St.
Columbus, Ohio, 43215

Compare Home Insurance Quotes Instantly

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Based on 3,806+ reviews
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Jacklyn Walters
Jacklyn WaltersInsurance Writer

Jacklyn Walters is a personal finance writer. She has a bachelor's degree from SUNY-Buffalo and specializes in home insurance, striving to help customers make informed decisions about their insurance policies.

John Leach
Edited byJohn LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
Photo of an Insurify author
John LeachSenior Insurance Copy Editor
  • Licensed property and casualty insurance agent

  • 8+ years editing experience

John leads Insurify’s copy desk, helping ensure the accuracy and readability of Insurify’s content. He’s a licensed agent specializing in home and car insurance topics.

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