Erie policyholders typically pay less for home insurance than the national average. Its base homeowners policy includes higher limits and more coverage than other insurers. Erie also scores high in claims satisfaction, financial strength, and customer satisfaction — but receives mixed customer reviews.
Here’s what you should know about Erie so you can decide if it’s the right home insurance company for you.
Erie home insurance at a glance
Erie home insurance coverage options
Erie home insurance helps you repair or rebuild your home after a covered event, like a fire or theft. Here’s an overview of the coverage types included in Erie’s base policy:
Dwelling: Dwelling insurance covers your home’s physical structure.
Other structures: Other structures coverage protects detached structures on your property, like garages, toolsheds, and gazebos.
Personal property: Personal property insurance covers your home’s contents, like furniture, appliances, and clothing.
Loss of use: Loss of use insurance covers additional living expenses, like hotels or meals, if your home is uninhabitable after a loss.
Personal liability: Liability insurance covers your legal fees, other people’s bodily injuries, and property damage that you, your family, or your pet causes.
Erie’s base home policy also comes with the following coverages — free of additional charge:
Guaranteed replacement cost: Guaranteed replacement cost covers the full cost of rebuilding your home after a covered loss, even if it exceeds your policy limits.
High-value personal property: High-value coverage offers increased limits for expensive belongings, like jewelry, watches, precious stones, and firearms.
Gift card and gift certificate: This reimburses you for gift cards or certificates from local businesses that have closed.
Loss of belongings: This covers your lost or misplaced belongings.
Cash and precious metals: This coverage offers up to $500 for cash or precious metals.
Hard-to-replace items: For items that would be hard to replace, like accounts, bills, deeds, and passports, this covers their replacement or recovery cost.
Optional Erie home insurance coverage
Erie offers several optional coverages you can add to your policy for an extra cost. Here are a few:
Availability of Erie home insurance
Erie services customers in the Midwest, Northeast, and Southeast regions.
You can buy an Erie home insurance policy in Washington, D.C., and in the following states:
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Maryland
New York
North Carolina
Ohio
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Virginia
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Erie home insurance cost
The average cost of an Erie home insurance policy — $1,656 per year for a $300,000 dwelling policy — is cheaper than the annual national average of $2,584. It’s also significantly more affordable than most of its competitors.
Your policy’s price depends on factors like location, coverage amount, and claims history. Comparing home insurance quotes can help you find the homeowners insurance you need at the best price.
Erie average rates by dwelling coverage amount
Your Erie home insurance policy’s cost depends on the coverage you want. The more coverage you have, the more expensive your policy will be.
See the table below for the average annual cost of Erie home insurance based on various dwelling coverage amounts.
Erie average rates by state
The cost of your Erie policy also depends on your location. Homeowners in areas with increased risks — like natural disasters or crime — tend to have higher insurance rates.
Below is the average annual premium of Erie insurance in different states.
How customers feel about Erie home insurance
Erie’s service gets mixed reviews from customers. Some Reddit users cite decades of good customer and claims experiences with the company. Others complain about policy management, claims handling, and the repair process — particularly regarding roof damage.
Erie received 1.14 out of 5 stars from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and 2.3 out of 5 stars from Trustpilot. But it ranks high for customer and claims satisfaction with J.D. Power and has fewer complaints than average with the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Erie industry ratings
Erie Insurance has received excellent ratings from various third-party groups. AM Best ranks insurance companies on their financial strength and ability to meet long-term financial obligations, like paying claims. The NAIC measures the volume of complaints for a company’s size.
See the table below for Erie customer ratings from third-party agencies.
Erie home insurance discounts
Home insurance discounts can help you save money on your policy without sacrificing coverage. Erie only advertises two discounts on its website:
Protective devices: You can get a discount by having safety and security features in your home, like smoke detectors, a burglar alarm, or an automatic sprinkler system.
Advanced quote: To lower your premiums, get a home insurance quote seven to 60 days before your current policy renews.
You may qualify for more discounts depending on where you live. To learn more about its discounts, speak to an Erie representative near you.
Erie insurance bundling options
Bundling insurance policies can also help you save money. You can get up to 20% off your Erie home insurance policy by combining it with auto, life, or umbrella insurance. You can save even more with a multi-policy discount by bundling more than two Erie policies.
How to file a home insurance claim with Erie
You should file home insurance claims promptly to avoid delays. Following these steps can help you file your claim successfully:
Erie vs. other insurance companies
With so many options, finding the best home insurance can be challenging. To help with your search, start by comparing Erie to a couple of its competitors — American Family and Auto-Owners.
Erie vs. American Family
American Family is the seventh-largest homeowners insurance company in the country.2 It offers auto, home, business, life, pet, umbrella, and other insurance products. It operates in 19 states, while Erie operates in only 12.
AmFam has unique coverage options that Erie may not offer, like home renovation, hidden water damage, and senior living protection. It also advertises more discounts than Erie, including loyalty and generational discounts.
But AmFam is slightly more expensive than Erie. The average monthly cost of an AmFam home policy is $142 for $300,000 in dwelling coverage, while Erie costs $138.
Erie vs. Auto-Owners
Auto-Owners is the 13th-largest homeowners insurance company by market share. It offers home, auto, life, business, umbrella, and other types of insurance. It’s available in 25 states, while Erie services only 12.
Auto-Owners advertises more discount options than Erie, like good payment history and mortgage-free discounts. In contrast, Erie’s base policy is more comprehensive than Auto-Owners’. For example, Erie offers guaranteed replacement cost, which covers more of your home’s value than Auto-Owners.
In addition, Erie is significantly cheaper than Auto-Owners. The average monthly cost of an Auto-Owners policy for a $300,000 dwelling is $208, and Erie Insurance’s average is only $138.
Erie home insurance FAQs
To help you make the most informed decisions about your home insurance policy, we’ve answered some common questions about Erie Insurance. Check them out below.
Is Erie legitimate?
Yes, Erie is a legitimate home insurance company. Various third-party agencies, like AM Best and J.D. Power, rate it highly. It also ranks 12th among the largest homeowners insurance companies by market share in the U.S.
What is the average cost of Erie homeowners insurance?
The average annual cost of Erie homeowners insurance is $1,656 for a $300,000 dwelling policy. Your price will vary based on location, home features, claims history, and other factors.
Is Erie good at paying claims?
Yes, Erie is generally good at paying claims. The company received an A+ (Superior) rating from AM Best. But your experience may vary — customer reviews cite issues with the company’s claims and repair handling.
Is Erie the same as Progressive?
No, Erie isn’t the same as Progressive. Erie is a regional insurer operating in 12 states. It’s also a publicly traded company owned by its policyholders and the Erie Indemnity Company. Progressive is a nationwide company primarily owned by investors such as Vanguard, BlackRock, and JP Morgan.3
What is Erie Insurance’s financial strength rating?
AM Best rates Erie Insurance’s financial strength an A+ (Superior). This rating indicates the company’s ability to meet its ongoing financial obligations, like paying claims.