Frontline home insurance review: Coastal home insurance
Frontline home insurance is ideal for homeowners with high-value homes in Florida and other coastal regions thanks to its unique hurricane deductible perk.
By
Pat HowardPat HowardManaging Editor & Licensed Home Insurance ExpertPat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and former managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.
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.
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.
4.1
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 ($$$$$).
NA
The bottom line
Frontline home insurance is best for homeowners in Florida and in other coastal states that can take advantage of its high-value home insurance policy with coverage limits as high as $3 to $5 million for the dwelling. But the part that stands out most about Frontline is its innovate “Stepdown Deductible” policy, which is a unique product feature that, after paying a hurricane deductible on a claim, provides you with a cash reimbursement of your deductible every year you go without filing a claim — from up to 5% in year one to up to 100% by year six.
“Stepdown Deductible” policy option lets you earn your hurricane deductible back in cash if you go claim-free for five years
Cons
Just four discounts advertised
Not much information about policy options online
Basic coverages offered
Frontline home insurance policies include these six basic coverages to protect your home, belongings, and liability:
Dwelling: Pays to rebuild or repair the structure of your home, such as the roof, floors, walls, built-in appliances, and any structures attached to the home.
Other structures: Pays to rebuild or repair additional structures on your property that aren’t attached to your home, like a detached garage or gardening shed.
Personal property: Covers the costs of repairing or replacing your personal belongings, such as furniture, clothes, electronics, and other possessions you own.
Loss of use: Helps cover the cost of hotel stays, restaurant meals, pet boarding costs, and other temporary living expenses while your house is being rebuilt or repaired after a covered loss.
Personal liability: Covers medical and legal expenses in the event you’re legally responsible for an accidental injury or property damage.
Medical payments: Pays for guests’ medical expenses if they’re injured in your home, regardless of who is at fault.
Additional coverages offered
You also have the option to add a slew of additional coverages to your Frontline homeowners insurance policy — but keep in mind you’ll pay for the added protection:
Water backup: Covers the cost of repairs if your house is damaged due to water backing up and overflowing from your drain or a sewer line.
Scheduled personal property: Increases coverage limits on expensive valuables that are often subject to per-item limits on a standard policy, such as jewelry, watches, electronics, or antiques.
Flood insurance: Offers separate flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), the main provider of flood insurance in the U.S.
Increased ordinance or law: Provides higher ordinance or law protection that provides you with higher dwelling limits if you need to repair or rebuild your home according to building codes.
Mold & fungi: Covers mold or fungus growth in your home due to a covered loss, like a hurricane or burst pipe.
Personal injury: Covers liability expenses you incur if you’re held liable for defamation, libel, and more.
Screened enclosure for hurricanes: Covers the cost of repairing damaged screened enclosures or carports that incur damage during a hurricane.
Golf carts: Covers damage to golf carts if caused by a covered peril.
Homeowners association assessment: Covers losses assessed to you by your homeowners association if the loss is covered under your home or condo insurance policy.
Animal liability: Covers the cost of medical or legal expenses if your animal causes injury or damage, though some breeds may be excluded from coverage.
Ratings methodology
Price
3.1/5
Frontline home insurance comes with just four available discounts for homeowners to take advantage of, which explains its lower-than-average price rating.
Customer experience
5.0/5
Frontline received fewer customer complaints from 2020 to 2022 compared to other companies of its size, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), which explains its high customer experience rating.
Coverage options
3.9/5
Frontline has several additional coverage options that homeowners in Florida and other coastal states will likely find useful, including increased ordinance or law coverage, mold and fungi protection, golf carts coverage, and more.
Financial strength
4.0/5
Frontline has an A- rating with AM Best, signifying that it has an “excellent” ability to pay out claims in the event of a major loss.
How much does Frontline home insurance cost?
The cost of Frontline homeowners insurance will vary depending on a variety of factors, including:
Where you live
Your home’s age, condition, and claims history
Discounts you qualify for
Your coverages and policy limits
Your credit score
What discounts does Frontline offer?
Frontline home insurance comes with a few potential discounts that can lower your rates.
Secured community: If you live in an HOA or a community with a secured or surveilled entry point.
Water leak detection: If you have a water leak detection device installed in your home.
Frontline home insurance state availability
Frontline homeowners insurance is available in the following 5 states:
Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
What to expect with Frontline home insurance
How to get a quote: To get an Frontline home insurance quote, find a local independent agent in your area via Frontline’s agent finder tool.
Customer service options: Frontline’s website has a helpful contact page that includes an inquiry form as well as several phone numbers you can reach: 877-744-5224 for general inquiries, 800-675-0145 for non-hurricane claims, and 866-673-0623 for hurricane claims.
How to file a claim: To file a home insurance claim with Frontline, call 800-675-0145 for non-hurricane claims, and 866-673-0623 for hurricane claims. You can also file a claim and upload applicable documents via its online claims portal.
Frontline vs. other home insurance companies
Compare Frontline to similar homeowners insurance companies using the table below.
Pat Howard is a licensed insurance expert and former managing editor at Policygenius. Pat has written extensively about the home insurance industry and his insights as a subject matter expert have appeared in several top tier publications, including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and Reuters. Pat has a bachelor's degree in journalism from Michigan State University.
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.
