Farmers homeowners insurance review 2025

With more than 48,000 independent agents across 41 states, Farmers Insurance is a great choice for homeowners insurance if you prioritize in-person interactions, financial health and customizable policies.

We like that Farmers has plenty of discounts to help lower its higher-than-average premiums, including 10% or more off for bundling your auto and home policies.  

Pros

• Lots of riders for customization
• Local agents available
• Claims forgiveness after five years claim-free.
• No list of banned dogs

Cons

• Higher-than-average rates
• Lower customer satisfaction scores
• Not available in every state

Farmers issues homeowners insurance policies in 41 states and Washington, DC.  In 2023, Farmers announced it was limiting new homeowners insurance policies in California and Florida because of high costs and the risk of natural disasters.

Basic coverage

A standard Farmers policy includes four types of coverage:

• Dwelling coverage: Pays for rebuilding or repairing your home, including the physical structure and any permanent fixtures, appliances or attached structures.
• Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace items inside your house. Farmers offers policies that cover the actual cash value or replacement cost value of your belongings.
• Liability coverage: Financial protection if you’re at fault for an injury or damage to someone’s property that occurs in your home.
• Additional living expenses: Pays for food, housing and other costs if you have to relocate while your home is being repaired.

Riders and endorsements

Farmers offers plenty of endorsements to let you customize your coverage.

• Extended replacement cost: Pays up to 25% above your policy’s limit to rebuild your home after a covered loss.
• Guaranteed replacement cost: Covers the full cost of home repairs for covered losses, even if it exceeds policy limits.
• Building ordinance or law: Pays for upgrades to comply with building codes.
• Home-sharing coverage: Coverage if you’re renting out a part or all of your home.
• Identity shield: Provides coverage and support services if your identity is stolen.
• FORTIFIED Roof upgrade: Covers rebuilding your roof to help it withstand severe storms.
• Scheduled personal articles: Additional coverage for valuable personal items, including jewelry or art.
• Sewer and drain water damage: Covers damage from water backing up through sumps and drains.
• Emergency mortgage assistance: Provide three months of mortgage payments (up to $10,000) if you’re rebuilding your home after a covered loss has left it uninhabitable.

You can also get separate Farmers policies for flood insurance, earthquake insurance and umbrella insurance.  

Farmers' rate for $300,000 in dwelling coverage averages $2,510 per year, according to Bankrate, considerably higher than the national average of $2,153. Individual quotes may vary based on your location, insurance score and claims history, as well as the size and age of the property and other factors.

Farmers has a lot of ways to save money on your premiums —‚ in fact, it's one of our top picks for bundling. You may qualify for discounts specific to your state but not all discounts are available everywhere and some may not be combined.

• Affinity: Membership or employment in certain businesses or associations may qualify you for a discount
• Bundling: Get 10% or more off for combining a Farmers home policy with auto, life, umbrella or other insurance.
• Claim-free: Earn a discount for not filing a claim for three years
• Connected home: Save for having remote monitoring and control.
• ePolicy: Go paperless and save.
• Good payer: Get rewarded for paying your bill on time.
• Green certification: If your home or appliances are certified by LEED, Energy Star or the EPA, you could get a discount.
• Home safety: Save when you install automatic gas or water shutoffs or fortify windows, walls or the foundation.
• New house: Save on premiums if your home is under 14 years old.
• Nonsmoker: Get a discount if all members of a household haven't smoked in the past two years
• Preferred payment: Pay in full or set up automatic payments online.
• Protective devices: Install a security system, fire alarm or internal sprinklers.
• Rent to own: If you have a Farmers renters policy you can save if you buy a house and switch to Farmers homeowners insurance.
• UL-approved roof: A discount if your roof is built with asphalt or fiberglass shingles approved by Underwriters Laboratories

Farmers has lower-than-average customer satisfaction rankings, coming in 16 out of 21 insurers in J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Home Insurance Study. The annual survey examined customer opinions on policy offerings, price, interactions and the billing process. It did score significantly better in a survey on the claims process, coming in fourth out of 19.  According to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), Farmers received a third of the number of complaints of other home insurance companies of its size.

The Better Business Bureau gave Farmers an F rating, citing outstanding complaints.

Farmers received a financial strength rating of A from A.M. Best, its second-highest grade and a good indicator of the insurer's ability to pay out claims.

As one of the largest insurance companies in the U.S. by market share, Farmers Insurance provides many types of coverage, including:

• Condo insurance 
• Renters insurance
• Auto insurance
• Life insurance
• RV insurance
• Business insurance
• Boat insurance through Foremost
• Pet insurance through Pets Best

Bundling your Farmers home policy with auto insurance can save you more than 10%.  

Here’s how Farmers Insurance stacks up against two major players in the home insurance space.

Nationwide comes out on top on price, with a rate for $300,000 in dwelling coverage that’s about 50% less expensive than Farmers. If you’re eligible for some of Farmers' 14 discounts, though, your estimate could drop considerably.

Neither company has been a standout with customer service, though Farmers scored highly for claims satisfaction and has had far fewer complaints, according to the NAIC Complaint Index.

Farmers vs. State Farm

Farmers is nearly 40% more expensive than State Farm, but it has more than three times the discounts — including for having a newer home and for being claims-free for at least three years — so your premiums could come down a lot further than with State Farm.

Customer service is a bit of a draw for these two: State Farm scored better overall, but Farmers took the lead when it came to opinions about filing claims. Farmers also fared much better on the NAIC Complaint Index, receiving a third of the average number of complaints. State Farm, meanwhile, received 75% more than other carriers its size. 

You can get a rate quote on the Farmers website or use it to locate an agent in your area who can provide a quote. Either way, you’ll need to provide information about yourself, your claims history and your home — including the location, age, purchase date, distance to the nearest fire station and details about the roof, electrical and plumbing.

You'll need to work with an agent to buy the policy, but they can help you adjust your coverage to match your needs and let you know about any discounts. Farmers customer service is available by phone at 888-327-6335, Monday to Friday 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. CT and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. CT.

To file a claim, go online or call 800-435-7764. Have your policy number handy, as well as pictures of the damage and contact info for any witnesses. You can also file claims, pay bills and find policy documents on the Farmers app and website, where you can also find out about requirements in your state and ask questions using the chatbot or live chat feature.

A policy with Farmers may be the right call if you like working with a local agent who knows the community. It has a robust number of discounts and more than the typical number of riders to customize your policy.

Farmers’ rates are higher than average, though, and it has received less-than-stellar customer satisfaction scores. In addition, the company is limiting new policies in Florida and California. 

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