AAA Home Insurance Review

AAA Insurance Ratings at a Glance

Home insurance is an important part of home ownership because if something unexpected happens, your insurance provider will cover the loss. Take a look at Benzinga's AAA home insurance review to determine whether or not this insurer is right for you.

AAA policies vary from club to club, so be sure to review the specifics of potential policies carefully. Don’t hesitate to ask your agent if you have any questions about your coverage and how it works. 

In general, AAA home insurance policies will cover:

Your Home

The definition of your home refers to the physical structure of the house, including the floors, walls, roof, windows and attached structures like a porch. Homeowners insurance will pay to repair or rebuild if it’s destroyed or damaged by a covered event (also known as a peril). Covered events typically include fire, theft and storms. 

Policies will usually also cover detached structures like sheds, but at a lower percentage than the coverage for your home. 

Home insurance policies typically don’t cover damage from floods or earthquakes. You’ll need to buy a separate policy for these events. 

Your Belongings

Your belongings are just as important as the physical structure of your home (and maybe more so). AAA home insurance policies cover repairing or replacing these items if they’re destroyed by a covered peril. This coverage is typically a percentage of the coverage you have for the physical structure of your home, so keep that in mind when deciding coverage limits. 

If you have especially expensive items, like a valuable coin collection, you may want to insure them separately. Talk to your agent about getting an endorsement on your policy to insure these items for their full value. 

Liability

When you buy a home insurance policy, you may not realize it includes another important type of coverage — liability insurance. This coverage helps with your legal defense costs if you’re sued for property damage or bodily injuries caused by a member of your household (including pets). It also helps cover the costs of any awards or settlements. 

It doesn’t cover the costs of damage to the members of your household, however, so if your puppy decides to chew up your favorite shoes, it’s on you to replace them. 

Liability coverage often includes medical payments. This feature means that if someone’s injured in your home or by a member of your household, they can file a claim directly with your insurance to have their medical bills covered without having to file a claim with their own health insurer. 

Depending on the offerings in your area, you may also be able to buy umbrella insurance. This insurance kicks in if you exceed the limits of the liability portion of your home insurance. It extends the coverage up to its policy limits, and it may offer additional coverage not found in your primary policy. If you have assets to protect, umbrella insurance is worth considering. 

Loss of Use

If a worst-case scenario happens, you may not be able to remain in your home while it’s being repaired or rebuilt. Staying in a short-term rental or hotel gets expensive, though. Homeowners insurance will help pay the bills that exceed your typical living expenses, like hotel and food costs. This coverage is typically a percentage of the coverage you have on the structure of your home. 

Discounts

Like most insurance companies, AAA offers discounts. It includes discounts for:

• Having multiple types of coverage with AAA, such as home and auto
• Having a burglar alarm or fire alarm
• Being age 50 or older
• Having fire-resistant roofing
• Being insured with AAA for at least 1 year
• Having recently renovated your home

AAA’s home insurance customer service options vary depending on where you purchased your policy. You’ll typically call the main number listed on your AAA membership card for general assistance (things like needing to add or remove someone from your policy). You may have a separate number for claims, and you can typically file claims 24/7. 

Another option for customer service is your agent. They can assist you with general questions as well as claims. 

AAA offers significant discounts that can help with the cost of homeowners insurance. You do have to buy a membership to take advantage of those discounts, however. Memberships start at about $50 with 3 levels of membership. 

Each level of membership offers additional benefits. For example, the Classic membership offers up to 5 miles of towing. The Plus membership offers up to 100 miles of towing. The Premier membership offers up to 100 miles of towing per tow for up to 4 tows or 1 tow for up to 200 miles. You also get discounts on hotels and other benefits. So while membership increases your upfront costs, the insurance and other discounts may make it worthwhile for the amount of insurance you need. 

AAA has a highly-rated mobile app. It includes electronic proof of insurance and your AAA membership card, bill reminders and the ability to make payments from the app. You can also view local gas prices, find AAA branches near you, find member discounts and use the TripTik Travel Planner to plan your trips. It’s rated 4/5 stars in the Google Play store and 4.5/5 stars in the Apple App Store. 

AAA home insurance offers protection for your home and belongings along with liability coverage. You also have the benefit of working with an insurance agent. Where AAA sets itself apart is with its membership benefits. The roadside assistance benefits along with the discounts on hotels, amusement parks, car rentals and more add up. 

The process of buying a policy is a bit complicated, given that you have to buy a policy through an agent. The fact that each AAA club is self-managed also makes things a little harder. There are several AAA club websites (each area maintains its own website), so it may take time to find the right website for your area. 

AAA vs. Competitors

Here’s how AAA stacks up against its competitors. 

AAA is a solid choice for home insurance. It offers discounts, and its membership offers several benefits. For the best rates, consider bundling your home and auto coverage. It may frustrate some insurance buyers to have to work through an agent, and the variations from region to region complicate the process of shopping for insurance. Overall, it’s worth considering, especially if you’re already a AAA member. 

Frequently Asked Questions