Wawanesa Insurance review 2023

Wawanesa car insurance

Wawanesa ratings for customer satisfaction are consistently high, especially for its car insurance. In the 2022 J.D. Power Auto Insurance Study, Wawanesa car insurance ranked first in the California region, scoring 879 points out of a possible 1,000. Wawanesa car insurance also earned an A (Excellent) from AM Best, indicating superior financial strength. However, Wawanesa earned a Bankrate Score of 3.1 out of 5.0, as it lacks some of the things that the best car insurance companies tend to have, like a mobile app, local agencies and 24/7 customer support.

Additionally, Wawanesa insurance is only offered in California. In addition to state-required coverage, like bodily injury and property damage liability, drivers could opt to include special vehicle equipment coverage, which insures aftermarket customizations and equipment added to the vehicle, and vehicle manufacturer replacement parts. With this optional coverage, car parts can be replaced with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts after a covered accident instead of standard or aftermarket parts.

Pros and cons of Wawanesa car insurance

When comparing car insurance quotes, it’s important to consider what a carrier offers through its policies as well as through its service. Here are some quick pros and cons of Wawanesa car insurance:

Wawanesa car insurance cost

Drivers with Wawanesa pay an average of $1,612 per year for full coverage and $593 per year for minimum coverage, according to rates from Quadrant Information Services. The cost of a full coverage policy with Wawanesa is lower than the national average cost of car insurance of $2,014 per year. A minimum coverage policy with Wawanesa is also cheaper than the national average of $622 per year. However, because car insurance rates vary by individual and car insurance carrier, your actual rate could be higher or lower depending on rating factors like your driving record, vehicle make and model, and more.

Wawanesa car insurance rates by driving history

Car insurance companies pay close attention to driving records when it comes to determining car insurance rates. Based on Bankrate’s study of car insurance rates sourced from Quadrant Information Services, drivers with one or more driving violations on their record, like a speeding ticket or at-fault accident, can expect to pay higher rates on average compared to drivers with clean driving records. While a DUI is one of the most serious moving violations a driver can receive, these rates have been excluded from the table below, as not every car insurance company accepts drivers with a DUI.

Wawanesa car insurance quotes by age

Drivers that are young and newly licensed face some of the most expensive car insurance rates compared to all age groups. Car insurance for teen drivers is particularly expensive, as car insurance companies view them as riskier drivers and more likely to be involved in accidents. The rates below show the average cost of car insurance for a variety of age groups and how it varies for young drivers depending on whether or not they remain on their parents’ car insurance. All rates provided are based on a clean driving record.

Average cost of car insurance for drivers on their own policy

Wawanesa car insurance discounts

Cheap car insurance can be a priority for many. If you want to save on car insurance, adding discounts can help. A few special car insurance discounts that Wawanesa offers include:

Wawanesa car tools and benefits

Wawanesa doesn’t offer any extra services to its auto insurance customers.

Wawanesa home insurance

Like with its car insurance, Wawanesa home insurance is currently only offered in California. Its home insurance earned a 2.8 out of 5 Bankrate Score, which is less than its auto insurance policies. One factor is that Wawanesa’s standard home insurance policy is relatively basic, and homeowners would need to opt for additional coverage for increased limits. The options are included under its Special Limits Enhancements coverage, and include options for personal property, watercraft and equipment, as well as extended replacement cost.

Wawanesa also has other add-on home insurance coverage available. This includes the option to schedule personal property for any high-value items, like artwork and jewelry, that exceed the personal property maximum for special belongings. Homeowners worried about their personal information could also include identity fraud and home cyber protection coverage in their Wawanesa home insurance policy.

Pros and cons of Wawanesa homeowners insurance

If you’re considering Wawanesa home insurance, it helps to consider how the carrier could meet your home insurance requirements. Below is a quick summary of some of Wawanesa’s strengths and drawbacks:

Wawanesa home insurance cost

While home insurance rates for Wawanesa are not available, the average cost of homeowners insurance throughout the nation is $1,428 per year for $250,000 in dwelling coverage, according to Bankrate’s research. California homeowners pay around $1,225 for the same amount of coverage. However, actual rates may vary depending on the age and construction materials of your home, square footage, claims history and more. If you want to compare cheap home insurance companies and are curious about how much a Wawanesa home insurance policy might cost for you, it can help to reach out to the company for a quote.

Wawanesa home insurance discounts

While rate data on the average cost of homeowners insurance with Wawanesa is unavailable, the carrier does offer discount opportunities. Those who want to find options for the best homeowners insurance company without breaking the bank may be able to take advantage of these savings opportunities to help save on their premium.

Some of Wawanesa’s home insurance discounts include:

Wawanesa home tools and benefits

Wawanesa doesn’t offer any additional services for home insurance customers.

Wawanesa customer satisfaction

To get another view of insurance companies, it can help to look at ratings from third-party agencies like J.D. Power and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) for customer service, which can provide a picture of customer satisfaction. The NAIC Consumer Complaint Index can be used as a tool to see how many reports have been filed with the NAIC against an insurer. An index score of 1.0 represents the average, or baseline, number of complaints for insurers of similar size. A score above 1.0 indicates more complaints than average whereas a score below 1.0 indicates fewer complaints than average.

To get a sense of financial strength, ratings from agencies like AM Best and Standard & Poor’s can be useful.

Wawanesa auto claims

Wawanesa came in number one for customer satisfaction in California in the 2022 J.D. Power U.S. Auto Insurance Study. The region average is 820 out of 1,000 points, but Wawanesa scored far above that with 879 out of 1,000 points. However, based on the NAIC’s Complaint Index, Wawanesa received an overall index reflecting over twice as many complaints as the market baseline, and just a bit over baseline for private passenger insurance.

Wawanesa homeowners claims

Wawanesa did not rank on the 2022 J.D. Power Home Insurance Study, which ranks insurance carriers on a national basis rather than a regional basis like the Auto Insurance Study. Wawanesa’s performance here is likely due to its limited state availability, as it only operates in California.

Wawanesa’s home insurance NAIC complaint score is the same as its private passenger score, coming in at just above average at 1.04.

How to file a claim with Wawanesa

Wawanesa customers can file a home insurance and auto insurance claim online, including glass, but will need their policy number to do so. If this is not available, the company recommends contacting its claims hotline at 1-888-929-2252 instead. Roadside assistance can also be requested online or through its separate phone number at 1-855-929-2869.

Wawanesa availability

Currently, Wawanesa is only available to new customers in California. Although new policies are no longer being written for Oregon residents, this does not affect existing policyholders from the state.

Other Wawanesa perks worth considering

In addition to home and auto insurance, Wawanesa also offers the following insurance products:

• Renters insurance: As a renter, you may want to consider insurance for your own belongings, as your landlord’s policy does not insure this. Liability coverage is also provided through renters insurance.
• Condominium insurance: Condominium unit owners may purchase insurance to cover the interior of their units, which this type of insurance provides.
• Pet insurance: Wawanesa partnered with Embrace to offer pet owners accident and illness coverage to care for their pets.

Wawanesa corporate sustainability

Wawanesa regularly donates to charities supporting causes like health, education and arts and culture, but also encourages employees to take part as well. In September 2021, to celebrate its 125th anniversary, Wawanesa employees were given $125 to donate to a charity of their own choice. In addition, employees were able to nominate another organization to be one of 16 that would receive $12,500 from Wawanesa.

All in, Wawanesa was able to donate $700,000 to community non-profits located in Canada and the United States. This was an additional amount added to the $3.5 million that Wawanesa had given to its partner charities for the year.

Not sure if Wawanesa is right for you?

Wawanesa may meet the needs of many drivers and homeowners, but it can be helpful to compare its home insurance and auto insurance offerings against other companies. Perhaps you’re looking for a carrier that has a bit more flexibility, for example. Comparing with other carriers can also give you an idea of what your preferences are. Below are some comparable insurers that might also offer what you need:

Wawanesa vs. AAA

AAA ranked second in the 2022 J.D. Power’s Auto Insurance Study. The carrier offers home and auto insurance, as well as many other products and travel solutions. Whereas Wawanesa is only available in California, AAA is available nationally through its different insurance groups for tailored coverage options

Learn more: AAA Insurance review

Wawanesa vs. American Family

American Family consistently receives strong customer satisfaction ratings for its home and auto insurance policies. It’s also more widely available than Wawanesa, which could be ideal for those who plan to relocate.

Learn more: American Family Insurance review

Wawanesa vs. Allstate

As a large insurer, Allstate’s home and auto insurance are available in almost every state. Those who want a one-stop shop for their insurance and financial investment needs may appreciate its wide variety of life insurance and finance products.

Learn more: Allstate Insurance review

Is Wawanesa a good insurance company?

At Bankrate, our insurance editorial team combines nearly 50 years of industry experience to help consumers make the best insurance decisions for their needs. As a super-regional carrier, Wawanesa is not going to be an option for most. Additionally, the lack of a mobile app for non-Android users and a robust online portal may be a drawback for those who want a fully digital policy management experience — Wawanesa still primarily operates through local independent agents. However, those that own a home or have a car registered in California may appreciate Wawanesa’s extensive add-on coverage options and vetted customer service.

Methodology

Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze 2023 rates for ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Rates are weighted based on the population density in each geographic region. Quoted rates are based on 40-year-old male and female homeowners with a clean claim history, good credit and the following coverage limits:

Auto

• $100,000 bodily injury liability per person
• $300,000 bodily injury liability per accident
• $50,000 property damage liability per accident
• $100,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per person
• $300,000 uninsured motorist bodily injury per accident
• $500 collision deductible
• $500 comprehensive deductible

To determine minimum coverage limits, Bankrate used minimum coverage that meets each state’s requirements. Our sample drivers own a 2021 Toyota Camry, commute five days a week and drive 12,000 miles annually.

Age: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the ages 16-60 (base: 40 years) applied. Depending on age, drivers may be a renter or homeowner. Age is not a contributing rating factor in Hawaii and Massachusetts.

The rates for drivers ages 16–20 added to their parent's policy reflect the good student and driver's training discounts applied. The rates for drivers aged 16-20 on their own policy do not include the good student and driver's training discounts. Additionally, 25-year-old rates are based on the driver as a renter and 30+ on the driver as a homeowner. 

Incidents: Rates were calculated by evaluating our base profile with the following incidents applied: clean record (base), single speeding ticket and single at-fault accident.

Homeowners

• Coverage A, Dwelling: $150,000, $250,000, $350,000, $450,000, $750,000
• Coverage B, Other Structures: $15,000, $25,000, $35,000, $45,000, $75,000
• Coverage C, Personal Property: $75,000, $125,000, $175,000, $225,000, $375,000
• Coverage D, Loss of Use: $30,000, $50,000, $70,000, $90,000, $150,000
• Coverage E, Liability: $300,000, $300,000, $300,000, $300,000, $500,000
• Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000

The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible and a separate wind and hail deductible (if required).

These are sample rates and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes will differ.

Bankrate Scores

Our 2023 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. 

Like our previous Bankrate Scores, 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. This year, our 2023 scoring model provides a more comprehensive view, indicating when companies excel across several key areas and better highlighting where they fall short.

• Tier 1 (Cost & ratings): To determine how well auto and home insurance companies satisfy these priorities, 2023 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 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 an auto and 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.