Nationwide offers a range of policies including basic home insurance which covers dwelling, personal property, personal liability, loss of use, and even credit card coverage. For those who want an added level of protection, Nationwide customers can pay for extra coverage including flood or earthquake insurance, identity theft or water backup. Customers can also get roof replacement coverage which will pay to replace or repair your roof if it’s damaged.
Nationwide homeowners insurance is a great option for homeowners who want a policy with extensive coverage over their home and belongings. While it isn’t always the cheapest, the level of coverage you get makes it worth the cost. This Nationwide homeowners insurance review will cover everything you need to know about coverage, price, customer satisfaction, and more.
For more options to protect your home, check our list of best homeowners insurance companies.
Nationwide Home Insurance Overview
- In business since: 1925
- J.D. Power Score: 808
- AM Best Financial Strength Rating: A+
- States Served: All except Hawaii, Louisiana and New Hampshire
Nationwide is one of the most popular insurance providers in the U.S. With a long history dating back to 1925, Nationwide’s scores for customer experience are mixed. While highly rated on J.D. Power’s Property Claims Satisfaction study, the company scores low on J.D. Power’s Home Insurance study, and Better Business Bureau‘s customer ratings.
| Pros | Cons |
| Variety of coverage options – Nationwide offers a range of coverage options including dwelling, personal property, personal liability, medical payment coverage, and more. Multiple ways to save – Nationwide offers plenty of discounts to reduce the cost of insurance including multi-policy, gated community, fire/burglar alarm discounts. Seamless claim process – Nationwide scores highly for handling customer claims according to J.D. Power’s property claims satisfaction study. | Low customer satisfaction rating on J.D. Power – While Nationwide does well when processing claims, its overall customer experience score is lower than average. Relatively expensive compared to other providers – Higher pricing could be attributed to the value of the coverage you’re getting. |
Nationwide Highlights
Pricing
Nationwide’s homeowners insurance premiums are considered to be on the higher end when compared to other providers. However, the price of premiums will be different for everyone since it’s based on a range of different factors, such as the state you live in, the size of your home, building materials and whether you have safety features installed. Your credit score and income will also play a part. Nationwide is recognized for offering a wide array of discount options, which can also help lower your insurance cost.
Coverage
All of Nationwide’s homeowners insurance policies include:
- Dwelling
- Personal liability
- Medical payments
- Ordinance
- Detached structures
- Credit card coverage
Ordinance insurance pays to rebuild your home to current building codes after a loss, and credit card coverage pays for a portion of any unauthorized card transactions.
For an added cost, customers can choose to purchase extra coverage for:
- New belongings
- Roof replacement
- Identity theft
- Valuables insurance
- Water backup
- Earthquake
- Flood insurance.
To decide if you need these additional coverages, make sure you have a home inventory with the original cost of each item to determine the estimated value of your assets.
Customer Experience
Nationwide home insurance reviews are inconsistent when it comes to customer experience. According to J.D. Power’s 2020 Property Claims Satisfaction Study, Nationwide had a rating of 881/1,000 points for overall satisfaction, repairs, and settlement, which is above average. However, in J.D. Power’s Home Insurance Study’s customer satisfaction index, Nationwide is rated below average with 808 points.
The most common reasons for complaints are related to unsatisfactory offers, delays in the settlement process, and denial of claims, based on data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Purchasing insurance from Nationwide is simple and convenient. The online application tool is easy to use, and you can get a quote in a few minutes. If you prefer to meet with a live agent, Nationwide has representatives in almost every state. Customers can use the Nationwide mobile app to pay their bill, get an ID card, file a claim, and manage their coverage.
Deals, discounts and add-ons
Nationwide offers a few different opportunities to save money on your homeowners insurance premiums. There’s a good chance you are eligible for at least one.
Customers can save money by:
- Bundling their policies
- Installing fire alarms
- Anti-theft systems
- Remaining claims-free
- Renovating the electrical or plumbing system
- Replacing the roof
- Being a new homeowner
- Living in a gated community
Customers can also lower their annual premium by raising their deductible, or the amount of money you’re required to pay out of pocket before the insurance company pays out. Another way to reduce your premium is to work on improving your credit score to secure a better rate.
Methodology
We evaluated the company based on its customer rating and experience, financial stability and coverage. To compare home insurance companies across the board, we then calculated a Reviews.com score based on the following:
- Customer Ratings – Customer ratings are an indication of satisfaction with the process of filing a claim. We measured this using JD Power Homeowners Satisfaction ratings.
- Coverage – As there isn’t one company to fit everyone’s needs, we evaluated companies by the amount of coverage options available and add-ons available.
- Confidence – It is extremely important for insurance companies to fulfill customers’ claims. Companies with sound financial strength will not have issues paying out claims, regardless of the amount. However, companies with weak financial strength might not be able to pay out claims. We measured this using AM Best.
- Customer Experience – The amount of complaints a company receives is an indicator of the overall customer experience as it expresses dissatisfaction. We have based this measure on the NAIC National Complaint Index.
The Competition
| Company | Reviews.com Score (Editor will add this information) | AM Best Financial Strength Rating | J.D. Power 2020 Score(On a 1,000-point scale) | NAIC Customer Complaints |
| Nationwide | 3.75 | A+ | 808 | More complaints than average |
| State Farm | 3.75 | A++ | 829 | Fewer complaints than average |
| Allstate | 4 | A+ | 829 | Fewer complaints than average |
| Farmers | 3 | A | 814 | More complaints than average |
| Geico | 2.75 | A++ | N/A | More complaints than average |
Nationwide vs. State Farm
Both Nationwide and State Farm are very popular insurance companies in the U.S. They have similarly high financial stability ratings from AM Best. But when it comes to customer satisfaction, it seems that State Farm has the edge over Nationwide, but not by much.
Where Nationwide stands out among the competition is with its extensive coverage options, even on the basic insurance policies. With Nationwide’s long list of available discounts, you can also reduce your premium, which is something that State Farm falls behind on.
Nationwide vs. Allstate
Nationwide and Allstate have plenty of similarities such as financial strength ratings and a wide range of policy features. However, Allstate scores higher with J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction score. The NAIC has also listed Allstate’s customer complaints as fewer than average. In comparison, Nationwide has been experiencing more customer complaints than the current industry average.
While Allstate’s standard policy covers the dwelling, personal property, liability and guest medical protection, Nationwide offers a lot more coverage as a standard. This means you may be able to get better value for money with Nationwide. Both companies offer a range of optional add-ons such as flood insurance and water backup to ensure your home is fully protected.
The Bottom Line
Is Nationwide home insurance good? Overall, Nationwide is a popular choice for homeowners insurance and is ideal for those who want a great level of coverage. While Nationwide offers a range of add-ons, the features included in the standard policy will be extensive enough for many customers.
However, this coverage all comes at a price. Nationwide isn’t known for being the most affordable home insurance company on the market but the level of coverage makes it a great value. Nationwide is also great for people who want some personal coverage for things such as identity theft, credit card, and new belongings.
For those worried about the cost, Nationwide offers a number of discounts to help customers save money.
Nationwide Home Insurance FAQs
About the Authors
Elizabeth Rivelli is an insurance writer for Reviews.com. Over the last year, she has covered insurance providers, best policies, industry trends and more. Elizabeth has been featured in The Simple Dollar, Bankrate and Coverage.com, among others. She holds a bachelor's degree in Communication Studies from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. The Best Term Life Insurance Companies is Elizabeth’s favorite review on Reviews.com.
