American Modern home insurance review: Specialized coverage for high-risk homes nationwide
American Modern offers home insurance coverage for high-risk homes that may have been turned down by other insurers due to age, location, or claims history.
By
Jessica OlivoJessica OlivoFreelance contributorJessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.
Edited by
Jennifer GimbelJennifer GimbelSenior Managing Editor & Home Insurance ExpertJennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
Expert reviewedExpert reviewedThis article has been reviewed by a member of ourFinancial Review Council to ensure all sources, statistics, and claims meet the highest standard for accurate and unbiased advice.Learn more about oureditorial review process.
Our proprietary ratings methodology takes multiple factors into account, including customer satisfaction, cost, financial strength, and policy offerings. See the “Ratings methodology” section for more details.
4.9
AM Best rating
AM Best is a global credit rating agency that scores the financial strength of insurance companies on a scale from A++ (Superior) to D (Poor).
A+
Cost
Using a mix of internal and external rate data, we grade the cost of each insurance company's premiums on a scale from least expensive ($) to most expensive ($$$$$).
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The bottom line
If you’ve had trouble finding a homeowners insurance policy due to the age of your home, its location, condition, or its claims history, American Modern is a good alternative to consider. It specializes in home insurance for high-risk homes, including coverage for mobile homes, vacant homes, and vacation houses — even if they’re not in pristine condition or lack modern amenities.
With a superior financial strength rating from AM Best and above-average customer service scores when compared to its peers, American Modern is a reliable company for homeowners with a variety of insurance needs.
Pros
Covers high-risk homes that have been rejected by other standard insurers due to age, location, or claims history
Offers a slew of policy add-ons and coverages for different types of homes, including mobile, vacation, and vacant homes
Received 20% fewer customer complaints than other companies of its size
Cons
No online quote tool
Can be more expensive than traditional insurers
Basic coverages offered
American Modern’s standard home insurance policies include these six coverages to protect your home, belongings, and personal liability:
Dwelling coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild the structure of your home after a covered loss.
Other structures coverage: Pays to repair or rebuild other structures on your property not connected to your home, including detached garages, storage sheds, and fencing.
Personal property coverage: Pays to repair or replace your personal belongings after a covered loss, including furniture, clothing, tech gadgets, and other stuff you own.
Loss of use coverage: Pays for hotel stays, restaurant bills, pet boarding fees, and other temporary living expenses after a covered loss if you need to live elsewhere while your home is being rebuilt.
Personal liability coverage: Pays for legal and medical expenses if someone is injured or their belongings are damaged while at your home and you’re found legally responsible.
Medical payments coverage: Pays for small-dollar medical bills if someone is injured while at your home — regardless of who is at fault.
The insurer also offers a special named-peril policy in select states for homeowners who have struggled to qualify for coverage due to their home’s age, condition, location, or claims history.
With American Modern’s named-peril policies, your home and belongings are only covered against causes of damage specifically listed in your policy. Your home and belongings are also only covered for their actual cash value, meaning depreciation will be deducted from your final claim payout.
Additional coverages offered
You can add these additional coverages to your American Modern homeowners insurance policy for even more protection:
Scheduled personal property: Higher coverage limits for high-value items you schedule, including fine art, jewelry, or firearms.
Water backup: Pays for water damage caused by water backing up and overflowing from your drain or sump pump, which is not traditionally covered by your policy.
Home equipment breakdown protection: Pays for repairs to your refrigerator, washing machine, water heater, and other home appliances due to mechanical or electrical breakdown.
Home sharing or occasional rental: Protects your home from damage caused by covered perils as well as liability incidents if it’s rented out on a home-sharing site like Airbnb or Vrbo.
Service line failure: Covers the cost of service line excavation, repairs, and damage costs in the event electrical or plumbing lines running under your property are damaged due to an accident or general wear and tear.
Condo insurance: Purchased as a supplement to your condo association’s master policy, condo insurance covers your personal belongings, the interior structure of your condo unit, and personal liability.
Ratings methodology
Price
4.1/5
Our price rating scale looks at home insurance rates for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, as well as the total number of discounts offered. American Modern's average annual rate of $1,765 is 7% below the national average.
Customer experience
4.9/5
Our customer experience scale uses data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index. American Modern has a score of at .80, which means it receives fewer complaints than expected for a company of its size. (The expected number would be 1.0.)
Coverage options
5.0/5
Our coverage options rating is based on both the number and quality of additional coverage and policy options offered by the company. American Modern earns a perfect score thanks to its slew of additional coverage add-ons and willingness to insure high-risk homes.
Financial strength
5.0/5
Our financial strength rating is a weighted combination of three industry-leading metrics to measure a company’s financial health: AM Best, Standard & Poor’s, and Moody’s. American Modern has an A+ (superior) rating from AM Best, but is not rated by Standard & Poor’s or Moody’s.
How much does American Modern home insurance cost?
The average cost of home insurance with American Modern is $1,765 per year for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. This is about $100 cheaper than the national average.
Here’s the average yearly cost of American Modern home insurance for five different levels of dwelling coverage:
Dwelling coverage limit
Average annual cost
$100,000
$718
$200,000
$1,241
$300,000
$1,765
$400,000
$2,289
$500,000
$2,813
Rates are based on our analysis of 2022 sample home insurance quotes from across the country provided by Quadrant Information Services. Actual rates will vary based on location, policy limits, coverages, claims history, and other factors.
Compare home insurance quotes with top insurers in minutes
What discounts does American Modern offer?
You may be able to save on the cost of American Modern home insurance if you qualify for any of these discounts:
Bundling: Save up to 5% for bundling your home insurance policy with another insurance policy from American Modern.
Low claims: If you haven’t filed a claim in the last three years.
Go paperless: If you sign up for paperless billing and to receive other documents electronically.
Annual billing: If you pay your premiums for the year up front instead of monthly.
Safety features: If you add security systems like fire and burglar alarms to your home, as well as deadbolts to your doors.
Approved association membership: If you have a membership with a qualified association.
American Modern home insurance state availability
American Modern offers home insurance policies in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
What to expect with American Modern home insurance
Customer service options: You can get in touch with an American Modern customer service rep by calling 855-469-2644, using the chat feature on its website, or emailing them at servicecenter@amig.com.
How to file a claim: You can file an American Modern home insurance claim by calling 800-375-2075 or completing an online claim form on the American Modern website.
How to cancel your policy: You can cancel your American Modern home insurance policy by calling your local agent (their contact info should be on your policy declarations page). You can also download a cancellation form on its website and mail it to American Modern Insurance Group, PO Box 5323, Cincinnati, OH 45201, or fax it to 800-217-5150. American Modern doesn’t accept policy cancellations via email.
American Modern vs. other home insurance companies
Compare American Modern home insurance to other insurers in the industry:
Jessica Olivo is a writer living in Connecticut. She specializes in web and blog content in a variety of topics such as parenting, business, and culture, as well as serialized and short fiction.
After working in publishing and book publicity for many years, she transitioned to freelance writing full time.
Jennifer Gimbel is a senior managing editor at Policygenius, where she oversees all of our insurance coverage. Previously, she was the managing editor at Finder.com and a content strategist at Babble.com.
Ian Bloom, CFP®, RLP®, is a certified financial planner and a member of the Financial Review Council at Policygenius. Previously, he was a financial advisor at MetLife and MassMutual.
