Compare homeowners insurance quotes: the best quote services in 2026 and how to use them

Your options at a glance

There are three ways to get homeowners insurance quotes: through a quote service that hands your details to a licensed agent, directly from each insurer, or through an independent agent you find yourself. The two services on this page work the same basic way and cost you nothing. The table puts them next to the other two routes.

The figures for the two services are what each company states on its own site. We have not verified them independently, and the quotes you get depend on your home, your claims history and your state. Read our partner standards for how companies get on this list and what removes them.

Residence Policy review

What it is. Residence Policy describes itself as a free home insurance comparison service. It is not an insurer. You fill in a short form about your home and coverage needs, and the company says its agents show you side-by-side quotes from top providers for free. Details in this section come from the company's own website, residencepolicy.com.

How it works. The company lays out three steps: fill out a secure form (it says 3 to 5 minutes, and to have your driver's license handy), connect with an agent who presents the quotes, and pick a plan. The form starts by asking what kind of home you have, from single family to condo to mobile home. A phone number is shown throughout if you would rather call an expert than type.

• Fees: none to the homeowner. The company says the service is completely free.
• Carriers: the form page lists several national carriers whose policies the agents can quote. It does not publish a full list.
• Who quotes: a licensed agent, not an instant on-screen number. Expect a call after you submit.
• Obligation: none. Requesting quotes does not commit you to buying, and your current policy stays in force until you cancel it.

Best for: homeowners who want someone to do the comparison and explain it, and who are comfortable with a phone call.

What to watch. Any service that connects you with an agent means your phone will ring. Ask the agent which carriers they are quoting and why, and request the quotes in writing so you can compare coverage, not just premiums. A cheaper premium with a higher deductible or lower dwelling coverage is not a saving.

Compare quotes with Residence Policy

Viva Policy review

What it is. Viva Policy is a free home insurance quote service built on the same model: a short form, then a licensed agent who shows quotes side by side. The company's pitch is to "let insurance companies compete for you," and it says it goes over the plans, pros and cons and ratings for about 30 companies. Details here come from the company's own website, vivapolicy.com.

How it works. Same three steps: a secure form that the company says takes 3 to 5 minutes (driver's license handy), a connection with an agent who presents side-by-side quotes, and a plan you choose or decline. The form opens with your property type and offers a free call option.

• Fees: none to the homeowner.
• Carriers: the company says it compares about 30 companies and names several national carriers on its form page.
• Who quotes: a licensed agent after you submit the form.
• Obligation: none.

Best for: homeowners who want the widest field compared before they talk to anyone, especially if a recent renewal jumped and they want to know whether the market has moved.

What to watch. "30 companies" is the company's own figure; the number quoted for your home will be smaller, because not every carrier writes every type of home in most states. Ask how many the agent actually ran for you.

Compare quotes with Viva Policy

The other routes: direct and through an independent agent

Direct from insurers. Most large carriers quote online in 10 to 20 minutes. It is the right route when you already know the two or three companies you want to compare, and it keeps your phone quiet. The cost is your time: each quote means re-entering the same details, and you have to line up the coverage yourself so the comparison is fair.

An independent agent. Independent agents are appointed with several carriers and are paid by the insurer, not by you. They are the best route for homes the big quote engines handle badly: older homes, unusual construction, coastal and wildfire areas, homes with prior claims, or a cancellation or non-renewal in your history. Your state insurance department's website lists licensed agents, and a local one will know which carriers are still writing in your area.

How home insurance quote services work

A quote service is a matching business. It collects your details, passes them to licensed agents or agencies it works with, and is paid by those partners, or by referral partners such as this site, which is why it costs you nothing. The agent who calls is the one who actually runs the quotes and can bind a policy.

Two things follow from that. First, the service's job ends when it hands you to an agent, so judge the agent as you would any other: ask which carriers they represent, get every quote in writing, and compare like with like. Second, your contact details are being shared, so expect calls and texts, and say clearly when you have decided so they stop.

For what actually drives the number, start with our main guide on how much homeowners insurance costs.

What to have ready before you start

Quotes are only as good as the information behind them. Ten minutes of preparation gets you numbers you can trust and compare:

• Your current declarations page. It lists your dwelling coverage, deductibles and endorsements. Quote the same coverage from everyone, or you are comparing different products.
• Home facts. Year built, square footage, roof age and material, heating type, and any updates to wiring, plumbing or roof. Roof age in particular moves premiums.
• Claims history. Insurers see your claims through industry databases, so give the same answer the database will.
• Safety features. Monitored alarm, smoke and water sensors, a newer roof, and distance to a hydrant or fire station can all earn discounts.
• Your renewal date. Shopping 30 to 45 days before renewal gives you time to switch without a gap, and some carriers price early shoppers better.

How to compare the quotes you get

Then look at the insurer, not just the price: its financial strength rating, its complaint ratio on your state insurance department's site, and how it handled claims after the last big storm in your region.

Red flags with any quote service or agent

• Any fee to get a quote. Legitimate services and agents are paid by insurers, never by you up front.
• Pressure to cancel your current policy on the call. Bind the new one first, confirm the effective date in writing, then cancel the old one. A gap can trigger a cancellation flag that follows you.
• A quote without a declarations page. Verbal numbers are not quotes.
• Coverage quietly lowered to hit a price. Compare dwelling limits and deductibles line by line.
• Someone asking for your current policy number or payment details before you have agreed to anything.

The National Association of Insurance Commissioners' homeowners insurance guide explains coverage types in plain language, and your state insurance department can confirm whether an agent is licensed before you share anything.

How we're paid: HomeownerPedia publishes free guides for homeowners. The next step on this page takes you to our comparison of your options. Companies on that page, including our partner, Residence Policy, a free service that connects homeowners with licensed agents who compare quotes from several insurers, pay us for referrals. If you continue to a partner's website from there, what you enter goes directly to it, not to us. You decide whether to move forward. HomeownerPedia is not an insurance company or agent and does not sell insurance. Rates and coverage depend on the insurer and your situation.

Questions homeowners ask

How we picked these services

We don't take a fee to be listed, and placement is not for sale. Every service here was checked on the same five points, using what each company publishes and what readers tell us. Partners do pay us when you use their link, and that never changes the order.

• Cost: whether the service charges the homeowner anything at any point.
• Effort: how long the form takes and what information it asks for.
• Who quotes: whether you get numbers on screen, from a licensed agent, or both.
• Breadth: how many carriers the service says it compares, and whether it names them.
• What happens next: how you are contacted and whether you are obliged to buy.

Every company here also passed our partner standards: registration and licensing, complaint history, fees, marketing promises and what you see before you sign. If a service stops meeting the bar, it comes off the list. Tell us at hello@homeownerpedia.com if your experience with any of them didn't match what you read here.