What is Hippo?

Founded in 2015, Hippo is an esteemed insurtech company that facilitates the connection between homeowners and policies underwritten by renowned insurance providers like Spinnaker Insurance Company and Topa Insurance Company. With a wide range of coverage options, Hippo serves residents in 40 states across the country, ensuring their homes are adequately protected. It is important to note that while Hippo extends its services to a majority of states, it currently does not offer coverage in Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Hawaii. Explore Hippo today to discover reliable and personalized insurance solutions tailored to your needs.

Hippo Homeowners Insurance Products

In general, Hippo offers insurance policies for homeowners, condominium unit owners, homes that are under construction, and landlords. Hippo does not publish details about its precise coverage options. However, homeowners insurance policies typically include the following coverage:

• Dwelling coverage: This coverage provides financial resources to repair or rebuild a covered home damaged by a covered event, like a fire.
• Other structures coverage: Fences, sheds, and other structures not attached to the home are included in other structures coverage.
• Personal property coverage: This type of policy covers the costs of repairing or replacing personal property, like furniture, clothing, and other personal effects.
• Personal liability coverage: Policies that include liability coverage provide financial support if you cause property damage or injuries to others. This type of coverage also applies if legal suits stem from such covered incidents.
• Additional living expenses: Sometimes referred to as loss of use coverage, this provides financial support to cover expenses like hotels, meals, and pet boarding if a policyholder cannot live in their home after a covered event.
• Medical payments: Coverage that extends to guests in the policyholder’s home, regardless of fault.

Premiums are calculated based on the policy coverage limits, endorsements and optional coverages, discounts, and deductibles, among other factors. The cost of a policy also depends on the home’s location and characteristics, as well as the costs associated with replacing the structure in the case of a loss.

Key Features of Hippo

These are some of the key characteristics of Hippo homeowners policies:

Endorsements

In addition to its basic homeowners coverage, Hippo offers homeowners a variety of endorsements at an additional cost. Depending on your needs, available endorsements include but are not limited to the following:

• Computers (up to $10,000)
• Equipment breakdown (up to $100,000 for items up to 15 years old)
• Extended replacement costs for dwelling coverage (between 25% and 50% of the coverage limit)
• Home office equipment (up to $10,000)
• Jewelry and watches (up to $5,000)
• Mortgage payment protection (up to $1,500 per month for up to 12 months)
• Water backup coverage (up to $20,000)

Discounts

Hippo policyholders can take advantage of several discounts offered by the insurtech company. Popular discounts include:

• Smart Home discount: Where homeowners take advantage of Hippo’s free Smart Home device program
• Loss-free discount: Offered when a customer has not had a loss over three or five years, depending on the policy
• New business discount: For customers who have purchased their home within 12 months before the policy’s effective date
• Renewal business discount: Reserved for homeowners who have maintained policy discounts with no lapses in coverage
• Theft protection device discount: Available where the homeowner installs qualifying devices or where a community has a security presence
• Affinity discount: For customers who purchase coverage through an affinity group, such as a business or university
• Hail-resistant roof discount: Offered where the homeowner installs a qualifying impact-resistant product
• HOA discount: For homes located in a qualifying HOA
• Companion policy discount: Available where a customer bundles homeowners insurance with at least one Hippo auto policy

Exclusions

Homeowners insurance typically does not cover certain events like flooding, earthquakes, normal wear and tear, infestations, and wind and hurricane damage. Common exclusions also include coverage for service lines for utilities like water and sewer, as well as coverage for equipment breakdown, government actions, mold damage, and faulty workmanship.

Hippo’s homeowners coverage reportedly also includes exclusions for liability claims related to dog bites with a prior bit history or dogs of certain breeds. Excluded breeds include Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Cane Corsos, Chow, Doberman, German Shepherd, Great Dane, Husky, Pit Bull or Pit Bull mix, Presa Canario, and Rottweiler.

Hippo Smart Home

Hippo offers policyholders smart-home monitoring equipment like sensors for smoke, carbon monoxide, water leaks, and motion. Professional, 24/7 monitoring is available, and Hippo customers who opt in to the services can save up to 10% with a home monitoring system and 13% for professional monitoring.

Hippo Home Care

Hippo provides homeowners a personalized and dynamic home health profile that simplifies maintenance and avoids future issues. Homeowners receive guidance on how to check up on certain key systems within their homes, including checklists and relevant step-by-step guides—all through the Hippo mobile app. Hippo’s home care experts can also provide tailored advice.

Claims

Hippo offers convenient options for policyholders to file claims, available round the clock, both online and via phone. When homeowners need to initiate a claim, it is recommended to gather essential information such as detailed notes regarding the covered event and relevant photographs depicting the damage incurred. Upon receiving this information, Hippo promptly creates a comprehensive record of the claim and proceeds to assign a dedicated adjuster who will schedule an inspection of the property damage.

The submitted information undergoes careful review by Hippo, and in case further details are needed, the company ensures to follow up with the homeowner accordingly. Once the review process is complete, Hippo promptly informs the homeowner about the claim's approval status. Rest assured, once approved, Hippo strives to expedite claim payments as soon as possible, prioritizing a seamless and efficient experience for its valued policyholders.

Hippo Pros and Cons

While Hippo makes it easy for homeowners to compare coverage options and discounts, the company has disadvantages. For that reason, it’s important to consider the pros and cons of Hippo homeowners insurance before committing to a policy.

Pros

• Offers a wide range of endorsements for customizable coverage
• Extended replacement cost coverage is available
• Homeowners can take advantage of several discounts

Cons

• Website makes it challenging to find coverage and discount information
• Not available nationwide
• Some homeowners may not be eligible for coverage, even in covered states

Who is Hippo Best For?

In general, Hippo is best for homeowners who plan to take advantage of Hippo’s smart home and home care features. That said, Hippo may be best for:

• Homeowners who prefer to manage their insurance via a mobile app
• Homeowners who want to integrate smart-home devices
• Homeowners who need access to home maintenance resources and video consultations
• Homeowners who do not live in mobile homes

How to Get a Hippo Homeowners Insurance Policy

Homeowners can get a quote for Hippo homeowners insurance online, by phone, or through one of the home builders in Hippo’s network. The process varies slightly depending on how you prefer to get a quote. However, you can follow these steps to get a Hippo homeowners insurance policy online.

1. Provide real estate details. To get a homeowners policy through Hippo, navigate to the company’s website, enter your home address, and click “Quote in 60 Seconds.” Enter some basic information about the property, including whether it is a house or condo and whether you live in it or if it is occupied by a renter or vacant.

2. Review property information. The company uses data from several sources to auto-complete information about your home, saving time over some competitors. Once you review the information for accuracy, continue through the quote wizard and provide details about fixtures and finishes to estimate replacement and rebuilding costs.

3. Choose a timeline and discounts. Next, indicate when you want to start your policy (this week, in a few weeks, or in a couple of months) or if you are browsing policy options. Based on your information, Hippo lists several discounts that may apply to your home. Choose applicable discounts and click on the “Continue” button.

4. Enter contact information to get a quote. Finally, enter your name, date of birth, email address, and phone number to get a quote. If you want to include a second insured person, add their information as well. Contact Hippo at 1-877-838-8866 if you prefer to receive a quote by phone.

5. Select a policy and bind coverage. Once you’re ready to proceed with homeowners coverage, select a policy and bind coverage. From there, you can manage your account and file claims online or by phone.

Hippo vs. Lemonade

The most significant difference when comparing Hippo vs. Lemonade is that Hippo only offers home insurance. In contrast, Lemonade provides a range of coverage options, including renters, car, pet, and life insurance. Both companies provide a totally digital experience with online quotes and mobile apps, but additional features vary somewhat between providers. Lemonade boasts fast claims processing, while Hippo provides free home maintenance advice, video consultations, and smart-home devices.

Methodology

When looking at small business insurance carriers, we want to know that our customers are working with the best. This is why we search for carriers that have high AM Best ratings or marketplaces that work with carriers that have those ratings. We review the key features of the provider and look at how costs are derived. The quote process is essential to a good customer experience, which is why we go through the process to test the efficiency of the system.

Frequently asked questions