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Best Earthquake Insurance Providers

Protect yourself from the financial devastation earthquakes can cause

Homeowners often assume earthquakes are covered by a traditional homeowners insurance policy, yet this is not the case at all. When it comes to earthquake insurance, this type of coverage can be purchased as an endorsement on an existing policy, but it is often purchased as a standalone insurance policy as well.

The Insurance Information Institute (III) notes that, although Americans in 42 different states are at risk for an earthquake and related damage, not enough people purchase this important coverage. That’s why it makes sense to compare earthquake insurance policies and weigh the pros and cons, and that’s especially true if you live in a state where earthquakes are not just possible but likely.

Investopedia compared the best earthquake insurance companies in order to find providers with solid financials and a good reputation. We also compared earthquake insurance companies based on the type of coverage they offer, whether you can add it to an existing homeowners policy, and related benefits consumers can count on. Here's what we found.

Best Earthquake Insurance Providers

Best for California : Amica


Amica

 Amica

Amica stands out as the best option for California residents due to its collaboration with the California Earthquake Authority (CEA), which is a publicly managed, not-for-profit organization meant to encourage homeowners in the state to protect their properties from earthquake damage.

Pros
  • Amica works with the CEA to provide coverage for CA residents

  • You have the option to bundle earthquake insurance with other Amica policies including homeowners insurance or auto insurance

  • Excellent rankings for financial strength and customer service

  • Online claims center available

Cons
  • You have to speak with an Amica agent to get an earthquake insurance quote through the CEA

Amica is our top pick for earthquake coverage in California due to its direct collaboration with the CEA. To be clear, the CEA offers earthquake insurance protection that provides coverage for your dwelling, your personal belongings, building code upgrades, emergency repairs, and even loss of use. 

Amica offers earthquake protection as an add-on for traditional homeowners insurance policies, but you can also use them to purchase other types of insurance you need, such as auto insurance or umbrella insurance coverage.

Amica was originally founded in 1907, so this provider has a long history of providing quality insurance products to its customers. They also boast an A+ rating from AM Best for their financial strength, and they scored the highest in J.D. Power’s 2021 U.S. Home Insurance Study.

If you want to add earthquake insurance to your existing homeowners insurance policy with Amica, you will need to speak with an agent. You should also note that Amica offers quite a few add-ons you can purchase with their homeowners insurance policies, including flood insurance coverage, personal property replacement coverage, valuable items coverage, and more. 

Also keep in mind that, although this coverage is offered in partnership with the CEA, you will still file a claim with Amica if you need to use your insurance. This means you get access to the excellent customer service Amica is known for as well as their online claims center.

Best Commercial Coverage : ICW Group


ICW Group

ICW Group

ICW Group scored a spot in our ranking as best commercial coverage because their commercial earthquake policies include protection for buildings, business personal property, loss of income, earthquake sprinkler leakage, and more.

Pros
  • Offers commercial earthquake coverage for buildings and business property

  • Helps cover losses in income due to earthquake damage and subsequent repairs

  • Strong ratings for financial strength

Cons
  • You have to speak with a local agent to get a customized quote for your business.

We chose ICW Group for our ranking due to the comprehensive earthquake insurance protection they offer in the commercial space, which is available in all 50 states. Organizations can look to ICW Group for earthquake coverage to protect buildings and business personal property, and they can even buy coverage for losses in income due to earthquake damage. Coverage for earthquake sprinkler damage is also available, and you may also be able to purchase coverage for additional perils.

ICW Group was founded in 1972 and is the largest group of privately held insurance companies in the state of California. The company offers insurance policies in 50 states and Washington, D.C.

The biggest downside of working with ICW Group is the fact that you have to contact them in order to be put in touch with a local agent before you can get a quote. Since you buy this coverage from a local agent, factors like the quality of customer service and claims process can vary.

Best for Bundling Policies : American Family Insurance


American Family Insurance

 American Family Insurance

We chose American Family Insurance as best for bundling policies due to the broad selection of coverages they offer and the discounts they advertise. For example, you can save money by bundling homeowners insurance coverage with auto insurance. Other discounts are available based on the age of your home, generational policies, and more.

Pros
  • Save money by bundling all your insurance policies in one place

  • Other insurance discounts available

  • Earthquake insurance for condos available, in addition to coverage for single family homes

Cons
  • You need to work directly with an agent to get a quote

American Family Insurance made our ranking as the best insurer for bundling based on the fact that this provider advertises discounts for customers who use them for multiple insurance products, including auto insurance. Also available are discounts based on the age of your home, safety feature discounts, loyalty discounts, and even price cuts when other family members have insurance with American Family. According to the company, you can buy this coverage in 11 states including Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Missouri, Nevada, Oregon, Utah, and Washington. 

Originally founded in 1927 as Farmers Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, American Family has grown to become one of the most prominent and popular insurers in the United States. American Family also boasts a strong A rating for financial strength from AM Best.

When it comes to their earthquake coverage, you can buy insurance to protect your home as well as your garage and other structures on your property. American Family earthquake insurance also provides coverage for your fences, driveway, sidewalk, and personal property. You can also utilize this provider to buy earthquake insurance for a condominium you own or even a property you rent.

One downside of American Family Insurance is that, like others that made our ranking, you do need to speak with an agent and provide considerable details in order to get a quote for earthquake coverage.

Best for Renters : Liberty Mutual


Liberty Mutual

 Liberty Mutual

Liberty Mutual made our ranking due to the fact they offer earthquake insurance for renters and make it easy to get a free quote online. Their renters insurance policies include coverage for damages caused by earthquakes as well as aftershocks that occur within 360 hours.

Pros
  • You can get a free quote online

  • You can add earthquake coverage to an existing renters insurance policy if you live in an eligible area

  • Online claims process available

Cons
  • You have to apply to see if coverage is available in your area

Liberty Mutual stands out for its earthquake coverage for renters due to their online application and claims process. Originally founded in 1912, Liberty Mutual has been offering high-quality insurance products for more than 100 years. This provider boasts an A rating from AM Best for its financial strength. 

Note that not all providers offer earthquake insurance for renters specifically, yet individuals who rent may still want earthquake coverage for their personal belongings, even if they don’t own the property itself. Not only does Liberty Mutual earthquake insurance apply to damages from an earthquake, but damage caused by aftershocks within 360 hours will count as the same event. You can apply for earthquake insurance as a renter from Liberty Mutual online, although you won’t know if your area is eligible for coverage until after you complete the application process. 

Liberty Mutual also stands out due to its online claims process, which lets you file and oversee claims using a digital dashboard. Liberty Mutual also offers a mobile app that makes it easy to pay for your policy, track your claims, or access your insurance policy details with a few clicks. 

Finally, note that Liberty Mutual also offers popular homeowners insurance coverage in addition to their renter’s insurance policies.

Best Online Experience : GeoVera Insurance


GeoVera Insurance

 GeoVera Insurance

GeoVera Insurance earned a spot in our ranking due to their updated online experience and the fact you can get a free quote online. This provider’s claims process is also handled online for even more convenience.

Pros
  • Easy online quote process

  • You can file claims online

  • GeoVera offers standalone policies for earthquakes you can buy separately from your homeowners insurance coverage

Cons
  • Coverage is only available in California, Oregon, and Washington

  • Cannot bundle this coverage with a traditional homeowners insurance policy

GeoVera Insurance is our choice for best online experience due to their online functionality, including the fact you can get a free quote online and without speaking with an agent. However, their policies are only available in three states—California, Oregon, and Washington—and you cannot bundle your coverage with other types of insurance.

GeoVera Insurance is unique because it only offers catastrophic coverage for specific events, meaning it does not offer auto insurance, homeowners insurance, or other popular types of insurance. However, this provider’s focus on catastrophic insurance coverage can be seen as a major plus since this is clearly their area of expertise. GeoVera boasts an A rating for financial strength from AM Best. 

While GeoVera Insurance offers coverage for windstorms and hurricane damage in the state of Hawaii, their main product is their earthquake coverage. You can choose from a few levels of earthquake insurance from GeoVera—comprehensive coverage with a 10% deductible in Washington and Oregon.

GeoVera Insurance also offers coverage for dwellings, other structures, personal property, and loss of use.

Best Customer Service : Country Financial


Country Financial

 Country Financial

Country Financial made our ranking as best for customer service. Like others that made our list of best insurers, this provider offers comprehensive homeowners insurance coverage with the option to add on earthquake protection if your home qualifies.

Pros
  • Excellent ratings for customer service and financial strength

  • Earthquake insurance can be added onto an existing homeowners insurance policy

Cons
  • You have to work with an agent to get a quote that includes earthquake insurance coverage

  • Earthquake insurance coverage not available for condominiums or renter’s insurance policies

Country Financial stands out from the competition due to its excellent ratings from third-party rating companies. First, this insurer scored the top spot in J.D. Power’s 2020 U.S. Home Insurance Study, which gauged customer satisfaction levels and granted Country Financial 855 out of 1,000 possible points. However, in 2021, they were ranked ninth.

Country Financial was originally founded in 1925, yet they have grown to offer auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, health insurance, and even annuities and investment products to their customers. Their traditional homeowners insurance coverage does not include protection from earthquakes, but you can add earthquake insurance, flood insurance, identity theft insurance, and other coverage options as a customer.

Also note that many discounts are available on their homeowners insurance policies, including multi-policy discounts, discounts for newer homes, discounts for newer roofs or special roofing products, alarm credit discounts, and more. Country Financial also offers an online claims process that makes filing and managing your claims easy, as well as an online customer portal that lets you oversee your policies, change your coverage options, pay your bill, and more from the comfort of your home. 

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Earthquake Insurance?

Earthquake insurance is a type of catastrophe insurance meant to protect policyholders against unforeseen earthquake damage. This type of coverage can kick in to replace your dwelling, replace or repair other structures on a property (i.e., fences, garages, etc.), and provide coverage for personal property that is lost or damaged during an earthquake or subsequent aftershocks.

While many homeowners believe earthquakes would be covered by their traditional homeowners insurance policy, this is just not the case. Earthquake insurance is typically purchased as an add-on policy to a traditional homeowners or renters insurance policy, yet you may also be able to buy a standalone earthquake insurance policy as well. 

Who Should Get Earthquake Insurance?

Earthquake insurance is most commonly purchased by people who live along the Pacific Coast, or in states such as California, Washington, Alaska, and Oregon. However, the Insurance Information Institute (III) claims that individuals in 42 different states are actually at risk for earthquake damage. 

The Insurance Information Institute (III) reports that the following 16 states are at the highest risk for earthquakes: Alaska, Arkansas, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. However, they also note that some states have little to no risk, including Florida, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

Is the California Earthquake Authority Good Insurance?

Many earthquake insurance customers hail from California due to the increased risk found along the San Andreas Fault and the many costly earthquake events that have taken place in the state over the last 50 years. Due to the sheer number of earthquakes in the state, and the potential for the most costly quakes in the future, the California Legislature created the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) in 1996.

Since then, the CEA has become the largest provider of residential earthquake insurance in the United States, and the company is relied on to provide two-thirds of policies in California. Note that many of the earthquake insurance providers on this list offer earthquake coverage in the state of California in conjunction with the CEA. 

Fortunately, earthquake insurance from the CEA can be relied on when you need it. The Insurance Information Institute (III) confirms that the CEA is financially sound with over $18 billion set aside to pay for claims. 

How We Chose the Best Earthquake Insurance Providers

While many insurance providers offer earthquake insurance, we couldn’t include them all. To come up with the providers for our ranking, we looked for companies that offer earthquake insurance with special features or discounts available. While we started by comparing more than 20 providers, we gave preference to companies that offer a broad range of insurance products nationwide, and we also looked for ones that have excellent ratings for financial strength and customer service. 

Best Earthquake Insurance

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Article Sources
Investopedia requires writers to use primary sources to support their work. These include white papers, government data, original reporting, and interviews with industry experts. We also reference original research from other reputable publishers where appropriate. You can learn more about the standards we follow in producing accurate, unbiased content in our editorial policy.
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  4. J.D. Power. "2021 U.S. Home Insurance Study."

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