Geico home insurance review 2024

About Geico home insurance

Founded in 1936, Geico has grown over the last nine decades to become one of the largest insurers in the country. Geico doesn’t sell its own home insurance, but its Geico Insurance Agency partners with unaffiliated companies to help you secure a homeowners insurance policy.

If you decide to purchase home insurance through Geico Insurance Agency, its online quote tool and agents will help you find a home insurance policy that meets your coverage needs. That said, you will work directly with the issuing company to adjust your coverage settings and file claims.

Geico home insurance coverages

Standard home insurance policies include these six forms of coverage.

• Dwelling coverage: Pays to repair the structure of your house if it’s damaged by a problem covered by your policy, like a fire or bad weather. Dwelling coverage limits vary but should be high enough to cover the cost of completely rebuilding your house, from the ground up, after a total loss.
• Other structures coverage: Covers repairs and rebuilds of any additional structures on your property, such as a freestanding garage or shed, if they are damaged or destroyed by a covered problem.
• Personal property coverage: Provides reimbursement for electronics, clothing, furniture and decor if they are damaged by a covered issue, or stolen. Personal property coverage usually accounts for depreciation, meaning you may receive less than it costs to replace items at the current market price. Homeowners may be able to upgrade to replacement cost coverage (which does not consider depreciation) for an additional expense, depending on the insurance company.
• Additional living expenses: Also known as loss of use, this coverage reimburses extra expenses you incur if your house becomes unlivable due to a covered issue, such as a windstorm. Approved costs may include temporary housing, restaurant meals, pet boarding and laundry service.
• Liability: Pays for another person’s medical expenses or repair bills if you or a member of your family is responsible for their injury or damaged property, like if a neighbor’s child is hurt in your pool. It also covers your legal defense and settlements if you’re taken to court over the matter. Liability coverage typically ranges between $100,000 to $300,000.
• Medical payments to others: Pays medical expenses if a guest is injured, regardless of who was at fault. You can typically get up to $5,000 in coverage — it’s generally used for smaller medical emergencies for others, instead of claiming on your liability coverage.

What does Geico home insurance cover?

A standard home insurance policy pays to repair or rebuild your house’s structure (up to policy limits and after deductibles) against all problems, unless explicitly listed as an exclusion in your policy. Floods and earthquakes are common home insurance exclusions.

For personal property coverage, home insurance will pay to repair your belongings if any are damaged by one of the specifically 16 listed problems in your policy:

• Fire and lightning.
• Windstorm and hail.
• Explosions.
• Riot or civil commotion.
• Damage caused by aircraft (not your own).
• Damage caused by vehicles (not your own).
• Smoke.
• Vandalism or malicious mischief.
• Theft and home break-in.
• Volcanic eruption.
• Falling objects.
• Weight of snow, sleet or ice.
• Accidental discharge or overflow of water or steam.
• Sudden and accidental tearing apart, cracking or burning.
• Freezing.
• Sudden and accidental damage from electrical current.

What doesn’t Geico home insurance cover?

Home insurance doesn’t pay to repair every type of damage, but you may be able to add a rider to your policy or purchase a standalone policy for excluded issues. Some common exclusions include:

• Earthquakes, sinkholes, mudslides and other types of earth movement: If your house is damaged by earth movement such as an earthquake or mudslide, your standard home insurance does not cover repair or replacement. Geico Insurance Agency offers earthquake insurance in California, Oregon and Washington through the Arrowhead General Insurance Agency.
• Flooding: Home insurance does not cover flood damages caused by torrential downpours, dam failures, river overflows or similar issues. Geico Insurance Agency offers flood insurance through Assurant, Wright Flood and other partners.
• Drainage or sewage backups: If your home is damaged due to septic tank, sewer or drain backups, a drainage and sewer backup endorsement can help cover repair costs and mold damage. Geico does not offer this type of endorsement directly.
• Neglect: Insurance companies require homeowners to keep their houses in good condition with regular repairs and maintenance. If a rusted pipe breaks and causes water damage due to negligence, your home insurance will not cover repairs.
• Intentional damage: If you intentionally damage your property through arson, water damage or other means, home insurance will not cover repairs or replacement.

Other insurance offered by Geico

Because Geico works with other companies to sell home insurance, the insurer you go with may offer various additional coverages. However, you may be able to purchase the below coverages or policies through Geico that may be useful to you as a homeowner.

• Jewelry insurance: Home insurance often falls short of covering the full value of expensive jewelry, so Geico provides separate insurance against damage, disappearance, theft and loss that covers the true value.
• Identity protection: This type of insurance protects against identity theft and provides TransUnion credit report monitoring.
• Umbrella insurance: If your net worth is higher than your home insurance policy’s liability coverage, an umbrella insurance policy provides additional coverage against lawsuits and slander.

Geico home insurance discounts

Because Geico works with non-affiliated insurance companies to offer home insurance, discounts will depend on individual quotes.

When requesting quotes, ask about common discounts such as:

• Home security systems discount.
• Smoke detector and fire extinguisher discount.
• Loyalty discount.
• No recent claims discount.

If you insure your vehicle through Geico, you may receive a discount on this policy when you take out home insurance through the Geico Insurance Agency.

Where can I get Geico home insurance?

Geico offers home insurance through its partners in all 50 states but maintains a “limited market” in Florida, according to its website.

Homeowners can obtain a quote by requesting one online or visiting a local Geico agent.

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