Using an internal scoring system, MoneyGeek gave American Family, which underwrites Costco homeowners insurance policies, an overall rating of 86 out of 100. It’s worth noting that the company provides quality service, meets its financial obligations and receives fewer complaints than the average insurance provider.
Costco Home Insurance Review: Service, Cost, & More (2024)
Costco offers homeowners insurance through CONNECT, a subsidiary of American Family. Its high scores for customer satisfaction, financial stability and affordability earned it an overall MoneyGeek rating of 86 out of 100.
Mark Fitzpatrick
Head of Insurance, MoneyGeek
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/cant-keep-up-with-insurance-premiums-heres-what-to-do.html), [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/flooded-cars-are-problem-their-owners-future-car-buyers-n1278493) and [Mashable](https://mashable.com/article/tesla-insurance-rates). Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.
Kathryn Schroeder
Content Editor
Kathryn has always loved a good book, but from a very young age, she was constantly distracted by their oh-so-common typos. Enter her commitment to publishing error-free and engaging content, whether related to healthcare, personal finance, SaaS, the arts, travel, or the latest world news. She’s covered those verticals and more in her 15+ year career as an editor and writer for a variety of major publications and companies. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies with a concentration in theory, and a minor in Women’s Studies, from the University of California, Irvine. She spent nearly a decade traveling the world, writing and editing along the way. With her passport on hiatus, you can find her obsessing over dinosaurs at museums, rewatching the best science fiction movies, or reading maps and geeking out on geography and off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Mark Fitzpatrick
Head of Insurance, MoneyGeek
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including [CNBC](https://www.cnbc.com/2020/04/15/cant-keep-up-with-insurance-premiums-heres-what-to-do.html), [NBC News](https://www.nbcnews.com/business/autos/flooded-cars-are-problem-their-owners-future-car-buyers-n1278493) and [Mashable](https://mashable.com/article/tesla-insurance-rates). Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.
Kathryn Schroeder
Content Editor
Kathryn has always loved a good book, but from a very young age, she was constantly distracted by their oh-so-common typos. Enter her commitment to publishing error-free and engaging content, whether related to healthcare, personal finance, SaaS, the arts, travel, or the latest world news. She’s covered those verticals and more in her 15+ year career as an editor and writer for a variety of major publications and companies. Kathryn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Film and Media Studies with a concentration in theory, and a minor in Women’s Studies, from the University of California, Irvine. She spent nearly a decade traveling the world, writing and editing along the way. With her passport on hiatus, you can find her obsessing over dinosaurs at museums, rewatching the best science fiction movies, or reading maps and geeking out on geography and off-the-beaten-path destinations.
Updated: August 20, 2024
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
4/5
satisfaction
5/5
affordability
4/5
stability
pros
cons
Verdict
Costco offers homeowners insurance policies through American Family CONNECT. American Family earned a MoneyGeek score of 86 out of 100 based on its customer service, financial stability and strength. Moreover, the company receives fewer customer complaints than the average insurer, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Costco provides several discount opportunities to its policyholders through CONNECT and multiple add-on coverage options. If you’re looking for more ways to protect your assets, Costco homeowners insurance is a great choice.
Does Costco Have Good Customer Service?
Customer Satisfaction Rating
When buying Costco homeowners insurance or making a claim, note that you will interact with American Family instead. American Family received a score of 4.10 out of 5 from MoneyGeek for its customer satisfaction, indicating that it provides great customer service to its Costco member policyholders. Furthermore, J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Home Insurance Study placed American Family sixth in its overall customer satisfaction index ranking.
Customer Complaint Index
Another way to measure a company’s customer service is through its complaint index from NAIC. American Family receives consumer complaints about Costco homeowners insurance policies. It has a complaint index of 0.38, which means American Family gets fewer complaints than the average insurer.
Financial Stability Rating
Costo, under American Family CONNECT, received an A or “Excellent” rating from AM Best, an organization that assigns insurance providers a financial strength rating. That means you can rest easy knowing American Family will fulfill its financial obligations.
What To Expect From Costco Homeowners Insurance
Buying homeowners insurance or managing a policy is an easier process if you have detailed information about the company. Below, MoneyGeek outlined important things about purchasing, managing and canceling a Costco homeowners insurance policy.
Getting a quote
You can get a Costco homeowners insurance quote by visiting American Family CONNECT’s website. Another option is to browse the quotes collected by MoneyGeek in the next section.
Customer support
If you have any questions or concerns, you can speak to a customer service representative by calling 1-888-404-5365. Customer service is available Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Filing a claim
You can file a claim 24/7 with Costco through American Family CONNECT’s online portal, via email at csc@connectbyamfam.com or through the claims hotline at 1-888-404-5365.
Canceling your policy
To cancel a Costco homeowners insurance policy, you need to get in touch with your insurance agent or customer service.
Filing a homeowners insurance claim with Costco can be done in several ways. You can log in to American Family CONNECT’s online portal, call the CONNECT claims number at 1-888-404-5365 or email csc@connectbyamfam.com. The claims hotline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Costco sells homeowners insurance through American Family in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Nevada, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
How Much Does Costco Homeowners Insurance Cost?
The average cost of homeowners insurance with $250,000 in dwelling coverage is $1,979 per year. However, this may change depending on your insurance provider.
For example, Costco, through American Family CONNECT, offers the same policy at approximately $802 per year, which is roughly $1,177 cheaper than the national average. Plus, as a Costco member, you can purchase Costco homeowners insurance at a discounted price.
Dwelling Coverage | Annual Premium |
---|---|
$250,000 | $802 |
$500,000 | $738 |
$750,000 | $1,787 |
$1,000,000 | $805 |
How much you pay for homeowners insurance depends on several factors, including your location, dwelling coverage, personal liability coverage and deductible.
While $250,000 is a good starting point for dwelling coverage, it’s still best to determine how much homeowners insurance coverage you need by assessing your home’s value. In addition, you need to choose limits for other coverages, which can affect your monthly premium.
You can use MoneyGeek’s home insurance calculator to estimate your insurance costs depending on your chosen coverage limits.
Home Insurance
Calculator
MoneyGeek’s home insurance calculator will give you a ballpark estimate of your cost — it’s free, no personal information required, no spam.
Rates updated:
Oct 14, 2024
Although MoneyGeek partners with some of the companies we recommend, our content is written and reviewed by an independent team of writers, editors and licensed agents. Learn more about our editorial policies and expert editorial team.
It’s often expensive to rebuild a home. By choosing a lower coverage limit and a higher deductible, you can save on homeowners insurance. However, doing that may cost you more out of pocket in the long run.
What Discounts Does Costco Offer?
To save on Costco homeowners insurance, you can take advantage of available discounts — one of which is a relatively rare discount opportunity reserved for Costco members.
Discount | Description |
---|---|
Affinity | If you’re a Costco member, you can get a discount when you purchase a Costco homeowners insurance policy just by presenting your Costco membership number. |
Age of Home | You are eligible for this discount if your home is newly built or bought. |
Claims-Free | Depending on your state, you may receive a discount if you haven’t reported a claim in the last five years. |
Protective Devices | You can save if you have protective devices installed in your home. These include smoke alarms, deadbolt locks, security alarms, monitored fire and/or security system, sprinkler system and fire extinguishers. |
Tenure | You may save on your premium each year for continuously being insured with the company. |
Multi-Product | You can get a discount if you bundle multiple policies with American Family CONNECT. |
Depending on your state, you may get a discount if you have removed and replaced your roof, heating and cooling system or electrical system within the last nine years and your plumbing system within the last seven years. | |
Renovation |
Bundling policies with the same provider is a great way to lower your insurance costs. If you purchase Costco homeowners insurance along with other insurance policies from American Family CONNECT, you can qualify for a multi-policy discount.
Which Coverage Types Does Costco Offer?
When you purchase a Costco homeowners insurance policy, it includes the standard dwelling, personal property and personal liability coverages. Costco, through American Family CONNECT, also offers nine add-on endorsements and coverages, higher than the industry average of five.
One of its relatively uncommon coverages is lock replacement. It covers the cost of lock replacement if your home is broken into or you were a victim of theft
Your coverage limits determination depends on the home information you submit to your insurance provider. As such, insurers seldom provide a list of coverage levels to choose from in a homeowners insurance policy. However, MoneyGeek obtained some of the available homeowners insurance coverage limits with Costco:
- $250,000
- $500,000
- $750,000
- $1,000,000
If you require a different limit, speak to an agent to see if they can accommodate it.
Through CONNECT, Costco offers add-on endorsements for homeowners insurance policies. The table below presents the company’s endorsements and optional coverages so you can understand how they may help you.
Cyber Event/ID Theft
This covers up to $5,000 in costs related to recovering from identity theft.
Lock Replacement
If you experience a break-in or theft, this can help cover the cost of lock replacement for your home.
Scheduled Personal Property
This covers the special, high-value and nonstandard items in your home. These include jewelry, cameras, computers, fine art, musical instruments and equipment, firearms and silverware.
Home Media Equipment
Since a homeowners insurance policy only offers limited coverage for electronics, this helps protect your computers, home theaters, cameras, cell phones and related equipment.
Adventure Equipment
This endorsement provides coverage for golf clubs, skis, bikes and fishing equipment.
Water Backup and Sump Overflow
If you have water and sump overflow in your basement due to a sump pump failure or sewer backup, this endorsement covers repairs.
Personal Injury
This covers you against damages resulting from personal injury offenses against others. These may include false arrest, imprisonment, malicious prosecution and more.
Earthquake Insurance
You get coverage for your home, detached structures and personal property when damaged by an earthquake.
Mine Subsidence Insurance
For homes built on a former mine, this coverage protects you from damage because of land shifts.
When shopping for home insurance, you want to make sure you get the standard coverages. These include personal property, personal liability, dwelling, other structures, medical payments and loss of use.
If you need flood, earthquake or insect damage coverage, it’s best to check the fine print before purchasing a policy. Usually, you can get this coverage as an endorsement or a separate policy. For example, homeowners insurance through Costco can include earthquake insurance but not flood or insect coverage.
Keep in mind that homeowners insurance coverage depends on your particular needs and situation. A Costco homeowners insurance policy has the following standard coverages.
This covers the cost of rebuilding or repairing your home’s structure after a covered event occurs.
This pays for damaged or lost items in your home, including furniture, clothes, sporting goods, appliances and electronics.
This helps offset the costs of going to court and hiring an attorney if you are legally responsible for the bodily injury of a third-party individual or property damage.
It covers any structures on your property but not necessarily attached to your home in the event of a covered loss.
This covers medical expenses in the event a guest is accidentally injured on your property or you accidentally injure someone.
It covers the costs of living elsewhere while your home is being repaired.
What Online Homeowners Insurance Tools Does Costco Offer?
Having various online tools and innovative features on an insurer’s website can help improve customer experience. MoneyGeek uncovered the tools provided by Costco via American Family CONNECT to make managing your Costco homeowners insurance policy easier.
You can get an estimate of how much you’ll pay for a Costco homeowners insurance policy through American Family CONNECT’s website.
By logging in to American Family CONNECT’s online portal, you can manage your payments and view additional policy information.
To file a claim with Costco, you can log in to American Family CONNECT’s online portal. Make sure to prepare the necessary information to complete the process quickly.
Other Costco Insurance Products
Costco offers homeowners insurance through CONNECT, under American Family. Aside from that, it also provides auto insurance and umbrella insurance. It’s worth noting that bundling multiple policies with CONNECT can save you on your premium.
Type of Product | Description |
---|---|
Auto Insurance | Costco auto insurance offers several add-on coverages, including rental car and gap insurance. |
Umbrella Insurance | This provides coverage beyond your auto or home insurance, protecting you financially from claims that exceed your policy's liability limits. |
ATV Insurance | ATV insurance offers coverage for your all-terrain vehicle in the event of an accident. |
Boat Insurance | CONNECT’s watercraft insurance helps protect your sailboat, pontoon, motorboat, fishing boat or personal watercraft. |
Collector Car Insurance | Ensure protection for your classic, antique or collector car with CONNECT’s collector car insurance. |
Motorcycle Insurance | This covers your motorcycle in the event of an accident, storm or natural disaster. |
RV Insurance | RV insurance ensures coverage for your camper or motorhome in case of an accident. |
Rental Property Insurance | You can protect any rental property you own by purchasing a rental property insurance policy. |
Methodology
To evaluate Costco as a homeowners insurance company, MoneyGeek analyzed the Costco and American Family CONNECT websites, manually collected quotes and consulted consumer intelligence organizations such as J.D. Power, the NAIC and AM Best.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.
sources
- J.D. Power. "Home Insurers Struggle with Customer Loyalty as Boomers Flock to Rental Market, J.D. Power Finds." Accessed April 29, 2022.
- Costco. "Costco Members Could Save on Auto and Home Insurance." Accessed April 29, 2022.
- American Family CONNECT. "Homeowners Insurance." Accessed April 29, 2022.
- American Family CONNECT. "How to Report an Insurance Claim Online with CONNECT." Accessed April 29, 2022.