Coverage.com, LLC is a licensed insurance producer (NPN: 19966249). Coverage.com services are only available in states where it is licensed. Coverage.com may not offer insurance coverage in all states or scenarios. All insurance products are governed by the terms in the applicable insurance policy, and all related decisions (such as approval for coverage, premiums, commissions and fees) and policy obligations are the sole responsibility of the underwriting insurer. The information on this site does not modify any insurance policy terms in any way.
Heritage insurance review 2024
-
At Bankrate, we strive to help you make smarter financial decisions. To help readers understand how insurance affects their finances, we have licensed insurance professionals on staff who have spent a combined 47 years in the auto, home and life insurance industries. While we adhere to strict , this post may contain references to products from our partners. Here's an explanation of . Our content is backed by Coverage.com, LLC, a licensed entity (NPN: 19966249). For more information, please see our .
At a glance
Bankrate's take
Heritage may be the company of choice for policyholders who live in a high-risk area where finding homeowners insurance is difficult. However, digital tools are very limited compared to many competitors.
Who Heritage may be good for: Where available, Heritage may be a good choice for homeowners living in areas at high risk of wildfires and earthquakes.
Answer a few questions to see personalized rates from top carriers
Heritage home insurance
Bankrate’s insurance editorial team conducted a comprehensive study of Heritage Insurance, and based on our assessment, this Tampa-based property insurance company could be best for those who prefer an in-person agency experience as it only sells its policies through a network of agents. Heritage may also be ideal for those searching for a carrier that has extra experience handling hurricane claims.
Founded in 2012, Heritage Insurance operates under the Heritage Property & Casualty Company umbrella in Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. While the name may not be as recognizable as other homeowners insurance giants, according to Heritage, the company writes over $1.2 billion of gross personal and commercial residential premiums.
Although its availability is limited, Heritage may have more experience handling catastrophic claims — such as those involving wind damage due to hurricanes — because it writes in states that deal with a large amount of weather-related damage. Heritage hires both in-house and field adjusters ready to review a claim on-site within hours. The carrier also offers in-house resources for damage, such as water or mold, and provides a three-year guarantee on all work performed.
Information regarding specific coverage options with Heritage homeowners insurance is limited. However, in addition to the standard homeowners insurance coverage you would expect, you may find opportunities to expand limits for personal property and valuables and other structures.
Pros and cons of Heritage home insurance
-
Offers property insurance in higher-risk states
-
Regional agents may be more familiar with local homeowners insurance markets
-
Demotech financial stability rating of A (Exceptional)
-
Limited digital tools
-
Not available in all states
-
Rates are higher than the national average
Heritage home insurance cost
To keep our fingers on the pulse of insurance premium trends, Bankrate has access to proprietary data from Quadrant Information Services. According to our research, the national average homeowners insurance cost in 2024 is $2,151 per year for $300,000 in dwelling coverage. Your homeowners insurance rate with Heritage may vary depending on your specific rating factors.
Heritage home insurance discounts
Heritage Insurance does not list the available options for discounts with its homeowners policies, but it may be worth asking during the quoting process if they offer any savings options.
Compare Heritage with other insurers
Bankrate’s Heritage Insurance review delves into the different key areas homeowners consider when choosing a company, but you still may wonder if this is the company for you. Or, you may live in a state in which Heritage does not do business. Regardless of the reason, you may want to compare Heritage against one or more of the companies below and request a homeowners quote:
Heritage vs. American Family
American Family generally offers lower-than-average rates, so if you’re looking for cheap homeowners insurance, you may want to consider a quote. This may especially be true if your home is new, recently renovated or eco-friendly — you could save even more through discounts geared towards new, renovated and LEED-certified homes.
Learn more: American Family Insurance review
Heritage vs. State Farm
State Farm sells home and car insurance, which could be a bonus if you want to bundle your coverage for a discount and ease of policy management. Additionally, the company has digital tools available, such as a highly-rated mobile app and a full-service online policy portal.
Learn more: State Farm Insurance review
Heritage vs. Tower Hill
Tower Hill Insurance is another property insurance company that offers coverage in higher-risk areas, specifically within Florida. Shoppers looking for personalized policies might find Tower Hill’s robust endorsement options especially appealing.
Learn more: Tower Hill Insurance review
Is Heritage a good insurance company?
Choosing the right insurance company is not a decision to take lightly. Bankrate’s insurance editorial team has years of combined industry experience and includes licensed insurance agents. We conduct extensive insurance company reviews with the goal of providing you with the information you need to make an informed decision on your insurance coverage and carrier.
With that in mind, whether Heritage Insurance is a good company depends on your needs. If you’re looking to bundle your auto and homeowners coverage or prefer managing your policy digitally, it may not be the right fit. However, if you live in a higher-risk area where insurance options are limited or want a smaller carrier that's familiar with the coverage challenges in your area, Heritage could be worth exploring. In the end, the best way to determine if Heritage Insurance is a good company may be to contact an exclusive agent and request a quote.
Heritage customer satisfaction
For shoppers looking for the best homeowners insurance company, customer service might be just as important as cheap rates. To measure this metric, Bankrate looks to a few different third-party scoring methods. Our editorial staff usually reviews a company’s J.D. Power scores for customer and claims satisfaction. However, J.D. Power did not include Heritage Insurance in any of its 2023 property insurance studies — likely because it is a smaller regional insurer.
We may also be able to infer customer satisfaction by reviewing a company’s financial strength. Although financial strength isn’t a direct indicator of customer service, the historical ability to pay out claims when needed could mean fast and fair claims payouts. AM Best rates a company's financial strength and creditworthiness on a standard letter grade scale from A to D. Heritage lands in the “good” category meaning they have a good chance of honoring their financial obligations.
Heritage Insurance was also granted a financial strength rating of A (Exceptional) by the rating agency Demotech. Regardless of where you live, it’s crucial to ensure that your insurance company is financially sound. However, this can be tricky in states like Florida, where the homeowners market is strained (and where Heritage Insurance is based and writes much of its policies).
Study or Rating Agency | Heritage | Industry average |
---|---|---|
2023 J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Service | Not rated | 702/1,000 |
2023 J.D. Power Digital Experience Study - Shopping | Not rated | 521/1,000 |
AM Best rating | A | N/A |
Heritage customer satisfaction
In concurrence with J.D. Power scores, we also analyze where a company lands on the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Complaint Index. To help you better understand this data, know that the NAIC collects and categorizes each valid complaint it receives about an insurance company and then translates these complaints into an index score. A baseline index score is 1.0 — this means that the company receives the average amount of customer complaints compared to other companies of its size. A score higher than 1.0 indicates more complaints than average, and a score lower than 1.0 means fewer complaints.
Heritage homeowners complaints
Heritage home insurance has had slightly more complaints than average, according to the NAIC Complaint Index, compared to insurance companies of similar size. Complaints have been slowly increasing over the past few years, so you might want to keep tabs on customer reviews.
Other Heritage tools and benefits
In addition to property insurance, Heritage offers a few other perks that may help it stand out from other carriers, including:
- Identity theft insurance: If your identity is stolen, Heritage identity theft insurance can help restore it by working with credit card companies, credit reporting bureaus and financial institutions. If you need to take time off work in order to deal with this problem, Heritage may offer $1,000 in lost wages per week for up to five weeks.
- Artisan contractor insurance: Heritage offers contractor coverage through its commercial general liability (CGL) insurance. This policy can provide specialized financial protection for liability, equipment damage and more for those who work in home improvement.
- Additional property coverage: In addition to homeowners coverage, Heritage offers condo insurance, landlord insurance and commercial residential coverage, such as condominium master policies and homeowners association (HOA) insurance.
Frequently asked questions about Heritage
Bankrate Score methodology
Our Bankrate Score considers variables our insurance editorial team determined impacts policyholders’ experiences with an insurance company. These rating factors include a robust assessment of each company’s product availability, financial strength ratings, online capabilities and customer and claims support accessibility. Each factor was added to a category, and these categories were weighted in a tiered approach to analyze how companies perform in key customer-impacting categories.
Each category was assigned a metric to determine performance, and the weighted sum adds up to a company’s total Bankrate Score — out of 5 points. Our scoring model provides a comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and highlight where they fall short.
- Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, average quoted premiums from Quadrant Information Services (if available), as well as any of the latest third-party agency ratings from J.D. Power, AM Best, Demotech and the NAIC, were analyzed.
- Tier 2 (Coverage & savings): We assessed companies’ coverage options and availability to help policyholders find a provider that balances cost with coverage. Additionally, we evaluated each company’s discount options listed on its website.
- Tier 3 (Support): To encompass the many ways a home insurance company can support policyholders, we analyzed avenues of customer accessibility along with community support. This analysis incorporated additional financial strength ratings from S&P and Moody’s and factored a company’s corporate sustainability efforts.
Tier scores are unweighted to show the company's true score in each category out of a possible five points.