USAA Home Insurance Review

A members-only home insurance policy for military members and families

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By
Mila Araujo
Mila Araujo Personal Insurance Expert for the Balance
Full Bio
Mila Araujo is a certified personal lines insurance broker with more than 20 years of experience in the insurance industry. She currently serves as the director of personal insurance for Ogilvy Insurance where she works with some of the world's largest insurers and manages the needs of thousands of clients with the help of her broker team. As an insurance expert, has written about homeowners, auto, health, and life insurance for The Balance. Mila received the Bernard J. Finestone Award in General Insurance from McGill University in 2001. 
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Marisa Figat
Marisa Figat
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March 15, 2021
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Marisa is a Content Integrity & Compliance Manager, with expertise in credit cards, checking and saving accounts, loan products, insurance and more.
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Elisabeth Christopherson
Elisabeth Christopherson
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July 05, 2021
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Elisabeth Christopherson is an accounting professional, fact checker, and researcher who brings years of experience to her fact-checking role at The Balance. During her career, Elisabeth has reviewed and edited many accounting, business, and economic publications, was an Expert Reviewer for Study.com, and served as a Supplier Relations Specialist, ensuring a high level of accuracy in reports and written documents for both internal and external partners.
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on July 05, 2021
USAA

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Our Take

USAA is owned by its more than 13 million members, all of whom are current or former members of the military, or their spouses or children. It’s also the third-largest home insurer in the U.S., with more than $36 billion in revenue. USAA’s home insurance provides solid coverage to members nationwide, and its standard policies include coverages that are usually paid add-ons with other insurers. It even pays dividends during profitable years. Read on for details on USAA homeowners insurance, from the top features and potential drawbacks, to how USAA ranks for customer service.

  • Pros and Cons
  • Specifications
Pros and Cons
Pros

  • Policies and plans designed for active-duty military

  • Highly ranked in consumer surveys

  • Pays distributions to members in some years

  • Standard policies cover home-sharing, wildfire damage, and water backup

  • Higher-than-average limits for jewelry and firearm theft coverage

Cons

  • Only available to members, who must be current or former servicemembers

  • No home business endorsement (but separate policies available)

Specifications
USAA

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table of contents

USAA Standard Home Insurance Policy

USAA’s standard home insurance policy covers the basics:

  • Dwelling coverage
  • Other structures: Up to 25% of dwelling coverage
  • Personal property coverage: Repairs or replaces covered losses at full cost without depreciation, with some items such as jewelry and firearms having a higher limit compared to many other insurers
  • Loss of use
  • Personal liability coverage

USAA offers a few extras that are less common among home insurers. For example, there’s no deductible for covered losses to your military uniforms and equipment while you’re on active or active reserve duty. USAA’s personal property coverage also covers up to $10,000 of war-related losses that occur outside of the United States. 

It also includes the following coverages in standard policies—a significant advantage, since most other insurers charge extra for these endorsements:

  • Home-sharing coverage: Available in all states except Florida, Hawaii, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and South Carolina; homeowners in those states can add coverage through The USAA Agency. 
  • Home Protector: This additional 25% coverage over the existing limit in case of a total loss is included on your policy. It provides coverage for a surge in demand, new building ordinances or laws, or debris removal.
  • Wildfire defense coverage: May protect your property from a nearby active wildfire. Available in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming.
  • Water backup/sump pump overflow coverage: Coverage up to $10,000 is included.
  • Special loss settlement for fire or windstorm: Applies to homes completely destroyed solely by a fire or windstorm.

Coverage varies from state to state, and your eligibility for USAA products may be subject to certain underwriting qualifications. 

Endorsements

USAA includes several common endorsements in its standard policies, depending on your location (see above). However, it also offers a few additional endorsements, depending on your location: 

  • Earthquake insurance: Offered in most states except California, Oregon, and Washington, where USAA offers separate earthquake policies.
  • Personal computer coverage

USAA does not offer a home business endorsement, although you may be able to purchase a separate home business policy through The USAA Insurance Agency.

Valuable personal property insurance is a separate policy available to members, not an endorsement on your homeowners insurance. It covers specific items worth $100 or more from loss and damage. In some states, you must have a USAA homeowners or renters policy to buy Valuable Personal Property coverage, but in others, you don’t. Buying this policy in addition to home insurance qualifies you for a multi-policy discount.

USAA’s Cost for a Standard Policy

You can get a quote for a standard USAA home insurance policy by logging into your member account and submitting information about yourself and your home. The price of USAA homeowner insurance depends on the following factors:

  • Home location and home construction materials
  • Military affiliation
  • USAA loyalty: how many USAA products you have and how long you have been with them

In general, though, home insurance costs can be influenced by a variety of common and more surprising factors, including:

  •  Your credit history, where legally allowed
  • Your location
  • Home security system
  • Your claims history
  • The distance between your house and a fire hydrant
  • Age of home, plumbing, electrical and heating
  • Home rebuilding costs 
  • Your policy’s limits and deductibles
  • Any extras or endorsements you might request
  • Any discounts you qualify for 

Other USAA Property Insurance Policies

USAA offers several types of property insurance, sometimes through one of its partner insurers: 

  • Condo
  • Renters
  • Landlord insurance
  • Flood
  • Farm and ranch insurance
  • Mobile home insurance
  • Overseas insurance 

If you’re in the military and about to be deployed, USAA can help you find the right insurance coverage, and can even help you get coverage in certain locations. The policies will cover your personal property while you’re moving or overseas, or if your belongings are in storage. 

USAA Discounts

Although it offers fewer discounts than most home insurance competitors, USAA focuses on member loyalty. That means you could enjoy lower pricing when you stay insured with USAA or purchase more products. At the end of your quote, you’ll see a summary of discounts, which may include (depending on your location):

  • Insured: Claims-free for five or more years
  • Home: Newer home, newer roof, impact-resistant roof, windstorm mitigation, monitored alarm system
  • Policy: Auto/home bundle, early quote, multi-product, insurance-to-value ratio. (Insurance-to-value ratio refers to the cost to replace or repair your home, and how much of that is covered by your policy limit. USAA’s discount gives you up to 5% off when the policy limit is 81-100% of the dwelling value)

In some years, USAA pays distributions to customers who have auto or property insurance. 

USAA Home Insurance Availability

USAA home insurance is available in all 50 U.S. states, but only to USAA members. To be eligible, you must be a current or former member of the military, or a spouse, former spouse, widow, child or stepchild of a USAA member.

How to Get a USAA Homeowners Insurance Quote

Before you can get a USAA home insurance quote, you’ll need to become a member. To join, you should expect to provide the following information:

  • Your contact information
  • Your date of birth
  • Your Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Your or your family member’s military service details
  • If you are not a U.S. citizen, a permanent resident card or a passport

Once you’re a member, you will be given secure access with an online ID and password, and you’ll complete your quote online. If you prefer, you can contact the USAA call center at 800-531-8722, Monday to Friday from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. CT or Saturday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. 

How to File a Claim with USAA

You can file a claim with USAA using:

  • Your member account on the USAA website
  • The USAA mobile app
  • By phone at 210-531-8722 or 800-531-8722  

USAA Customer Service

Study How USAA Fared
J.D. Power 2020 Property Claims Satisfaction Study Highest score
J.D. Power 2020 Home Insurance Study Highest score
J.D. Power 2020 Insurance Digital Experience Study  Second-highest score for service  Below-average score for shopping

The 2020 J.D. Power Home Insurance Study surveyed homeowners for customer satisfaction based upon price, interactions, policy information and offerings, the billing process, and the claims experience. Based on a 1,000-point scale for which the industry average was 823, USAA received 889 points, the highest of all insurers surveyed.

The 2020 J.D. Power Property Claims Satisfaction Study surveyed homeowners for satisfaction with their property claims experience based on settlement, claim servicing, reporting a loss (first notice of loss), and the estimation and repair processes. USAA scored 904 points out of 1,000—well above the industry average of 881 and also the highest of all insurers surveyed.

Although USAA scored the highest of all insurers included in both studies, due to its membership requirement, it wasn’t officially ranked against competitors in either study. 

USAA’s online digital services received the second-highest score on the J.D. Power 2020 U.S. Insurance Digital Experience Study, which reflects consumer satisfaction in carrying out policy-servicing tasks using the insurer’s digital tools. USAA did not fare as well in the “Shopping” category of the study, with a below-average score for the online shopping experience.

The USAA app provides access to all services and products, including insurance and banking. USAA offers customer service by phone, a virtual agent chat, and your online account. The company also provides an active community forum full of member comments and USAA responses. 

USAA Financial Stability

The company has an AM Best financial strength rating of  A++(Superior), the highest possible rating. A high financial strength rating indicates that USAA has a superior ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations, such as paying out claims.

Other Types of Insurance Provided by USAA

USAA offers other insurance products for members, some of which are underwritten by partner agencies.

  • Vehicle insurance, including for motorcycles, classic cars, and boats 
  • Aviation insurance
  • Business insurance
  • Pet health insurance
  • Mobile device protection

Compare Other Home Insurance Reviews

The best way to save money on home insurance, and to make sure you have the best coverage in a claim, is to shop around with at least three insurance companies to compare your options. If USAA isn’t the best fit for you or you’re not eligible for membership, consider similar policies from these insurance companies that are open to everyone or specialize in insurance for military service members:

Final Verdict
  • USAA only insures members, which means you need to be a current or former member of the military (or a spouse or child of one) to qualify.
  • USAA offers standard home insurance that includes added perks and advantages such as higher coverage limits and coverages that usually cost extra, like home-sharing and water backup coverage. 
  • USAA consistently scores highly on studies of customer satisfaction with home insurance and claims experience.

Methodology

The Balance strives to give consumers unbiased, comprehensive reviews of homeowners insurance providers. To ensure that our content helps you make the right insurance decision for your needs, we review each insurance provider’s coverage options, discounts, customer service and satisfaction, and financial stability.

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Article Sources

The Balance requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy .

  1. AM Best. "USAA Casualty Insurance Company." Accessed July 5, 2021.

  2. USAA. "Key Facts." Accessed July 5, 2021. 

  3. J.D. Power. "Home Insurance Customer Service and Reputation—Not Price—Drive Lifetime Customer Value, J.D. Power Finds." Accessed July 5, 2021. 

  4. J.D. Power. "Homeowners’ Satisfaction with Property Claims Reaches Record High as Insurers Focus on Relationship Management, J.D. Power Finds." Accessed July 5, 2021.

  5. J.D. Power. "Property & Casualty Insurers Raise Digital Games as COVID-19 Elevates Customer Expectations, J.D. Power Finds." Accessed July 5, 2021.

  6. USAA. "Operating Companies." Accessed July 5, 2021.