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Welcome to our comprehensive guide on how to choose home insurance policy

We understand that you may not want to spend hours reading literature on types of Insurance Policies and that's why we created this page with one thing in mind - how can we make it as short as possible and easy to navigate?

If you are looking for an answer to a specific question - check out FAQ section of this page where you can find answers to the most commonly asked question related to this topic. Go to FAQ

Enter your email address to immediately receive a full list of coverages for your policy, ready to be forwarded to your insurance agent

Before we begin, please note:

We are not a licensed Insurance Agents, Insurance Brokers or Insurance Producers.

Any advice we give is based solely on our experience working with Insurance Companies on over 500 claims every year. Without any exceptions, if we are talking to any Insurance Company - that means something already happened: someone's basement flooded, house burned down, hail or wind damaged house roof, siding or windows. It is all based on real cases when it was the time for Insurance Company to do their job and pay the claim to someone like you, the Homeowner, and we do not care about how great their advertisement is or how nice their sales agents are.

If you want to email your Insurance Agent or Insurance Broker to request a list of essential coverages, use this provided text as a guide on How to Choose Home Insurance.

Copy and paste it into your email communication for a seamless request.

Home insurance policy should include the following types of coverages:

  • Building Code/ Ordinance and Law coverage: 10%
  • Roof extended coverage: Yes
  • Ensure the policy is a Replacement Cost policy
  • Include: Undamaged portion of the Property coverage
  • Exclude 'Cosmetic Damage Exclusion' provision/ endorsement from the policy
  • Exclude Payment Schedule from the policy
  • Opt for a fixed Deductible amount, rather than a percentage-based one.

What Insurance Company should I buy insurance from?

Unfortunately, answer to this question changes every few years, and this article (written in January 2024) may not be accurate soon enough, so if you'd like to get your policy reviewed and evaluated for free - feel free to fill out the below "Contact Us" form.

Any information you provide will remain strictly confidential and will be not shared with any external parties beyond our organisation. We are not selling your personal information or using it for any marketing purposes. Protecting your privacy and maintaining strict confidentiality are our top priorities. Fore more information, please refer to our Online Privacy Policy and the U.S. Consumer Privacy Policy.

Every Insurance Company offers over a dozen types of Insurance Policies, starting with "Basic Forms Insurance Policy" (The most basic type of Insurance policy usually providing only required by State Law coverages such as fire, smoke, water, vandalism, etc.) and going up to the Premium Deluxe Policy Package (Insurance Policy that usually contains most types of coverages that could be purchased/ if appropriate for the type of house being insured).

More important question is what type of Insurance Policy will be purchased rather than what Insurance Company the policy is purchased from. Read more about how to choose your policy here.

However, one factor must be taken into consideration when choosing Insurance Company (or Insurance Carrier) for your Home Insurance, and that is Claims Department Standard Operating Procedures.

The easiest way to explain it would be on an example.

Take two largest Insurance Companies out there: State Farm and All State. Both companies' standard Home Insurance Policy contains very similar (if not the same) forty+ pages of legal language, most of which is there as it is required by the Illinois Department of Insurance. But each of two companies have totally different Standard Operating Procedures when it comes to processing insurance claims. And if Insurance Company approves a claim (statistically, happens in 13% of all claims field by Homeowners in U.S. and Canada) - no-one complains, but in these other 87% of cases when Insurance Company may under-pay or completely deny Insurance Claim - Standard Operating Procedures make a big difference.

Insurance Policy of both Insurance Companies will allow certain procedures to be performed, which should ensure a fair resolution of insurance claim (claim's appraisal, arbitration, engineer's evaluation, law suite, etc.). However, in real life, that's not always what happens.

All State:

91% of all dispute claims are being approved/ or settled as a result of the above-described resolution procedures . 9% of all dispute claims go to court or being closed by All State (2021-2023)
37% of all dispute claims are being approved/ or settled as a result of the above-described resolution procedures . 63% of all dispute claims go to court or being closed by All State (2018-2020)

State Farm:

32% of all dispute claims are being approved/ or settled as a result of the above-described resolution procedures. 68% of all dispute claims go to court or being closed by State Farm. (2021-2023)
84% of all dispute claims are being approved/ or settled as a result of the above-described resolution procedures. 16% of all dispute claims go to court or being closed by State Farm. (2018-2020)
Statistical information collected by State Restoration Services for years 2018-2023. Based on over 1700 claims processed.

Comparing statistics the ratio of approvals/ denials would be almost completely opposite in relation to both Insurance Companies.

So, "What Insurance Company should I Choose to Buy Homeowners Insurance in 2024?"

Here is a list of Insurance Companies which, in our experience, are the most reasonable and professional in their industry, and those that have the highest rankings of approved Claims compared to other Insurance Companies for any given period of time in years 2017 - 2023.

We also feel obligated to share another list of companies which in our experience are not always acting in a good faith in relation to their own customers - Insured. Some of such wrongdoing are:

  • assigning claim processing to a third-party vendor which almost always results in "full claim denial" or "approval for the amount below deductible"
  • decision on a claim is being made by a computer software often results in claim getting denied as a result of data entry error
  • denying any of the "resolution procedures" listed in Insurance Policy due to Insurance Company' Internal (NOT published) Standard Operating Procedures forcing claim to litigation, which most homeowner do not proceed with due to its duration and high cost
  • State Farm
  • Nationwide Insurance
  • Badger Mutual Insurance
  • AAA Insurance
  • Erie Insurance
  • The Andover Companies
  • Rockford Mutual Insurance
  • Berkshire Hathaway (Guard) Insurance
We only advise and have experience working with home insurances not auto.

Do you need an Insurance agent or an Insurance broker?

If you do not have an Insurance Agent/ Broker you can trust - let us know and we will connect you with our trusted "go to" brokerage.

Related Frequently Asked Questions

Do you offer financing options?

Yes, we offer in - house financing, with 0% interest, no down payment required, financing terms up to 15 years, minimum payments start at 99/month. Senior citizens discount.

How long does the average roofing replacement job take to be completed?

A typical roof takes 1-2 days to complete. However, certain factors can prolong a job, such as weather or unforeseen conditions of the roof deck.

What is a Replacement Cost Value Policy?

Still looking for more information? Take a look at our FAQs page or if you still cannot find what you are looking for, give us a call or fill out the form here and we will answer you as soon as possible.

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State Restoration Services

State Restoration Services has been serving the greater Chicago area for years, earning a reputation as the go-to company for all your residential roofing needs. Whether you need roof repair or a complete roof replacement, our skilled team is dedicated to delivering exceptional, code-compliant workmanship that stands the test of time. We’re confident that we’re the right company for you. In fact, most of our customers have received a brand-new roof at no cost to them, and you can too. Let us help you secure the new roof you deserve!

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