Texas Farm Bureau Auto & Home Insurance Review
Strong service and competitive rates for homeowners insurance, but above-average cost for auto.
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Editor's Rating
Available only to residents of the Lone Star State, Texas Farm Bureau provides basic auto and home insurance coverage. Whereas its homeowners insurance rates are some of the state's most competitive, its auto insurance policies aren't quite as affordable. For both types of insurance, the coverage features are unexceptional, but the company has a strong customer service reputation. And it's worth investigating what discounts you qualify for to see if you can get a competitive quote.
Pros and cons
Pros
Affordable homeowners insurance
Excellent customer service
Cons
Expensive auto insurance
Few coverage add-ons
Can’t get a quote online
Texas Farm Bureau Insurance: Our thoughts
Texas Farm Bureau homeowners and auto insurance policies don’t provide unique features, but a standard Texas Farm Bureau Insurance policy will give customers almost all the coverage they’d expect. Be aware, however, that its “named-peril” home insurance policies will only provide coverage if the damage is caused by a peril specifically named in the policy.
Where Texas Farm Bureau does stand out is in its customer service reviews, with strong ratings for both homeowners and auto insurance. One downside, however, is that you can’t get insurance quotes online, making it hard for customers to get a quick price and compare it to the prices of other insurers while shopping.
Auto insurance takeaway: Texas Farm Bureau is not the best option for cheap auto insurance in Texas. While not the most expensive insurer, it charges higher premiums than competitors and offers little in the way of add-on coverages or perks.
Homeowners insurance takeaway: Texas Farm Bureau home insurance policies are very affordable — anywhere from 52% to 36% cheaper than average, depending on the coverage level. Customers should also note that its named-peril policies may not cover every unexpected risk posed to their homes.
Texas Farm Bureau auto insurance
Texas Farm Bureau auto insurance policy offerings are fairly run-of-the-mill, with a limited number of add-on features, which are also offered by most other insurers, such as roadside assistance. Rates are on the more expensive side as well, with some national insurers like State Farm offering a better deal.
Texas Farm Bureau auto insurance quotes
You will likely find cheaper auto insurance rates with a different insurer than Texas Farm Bureau. The company consistently charged higher-than-average rates for drivers with an at-fault accident on their record. Additionally, purchasing an insurance policy from the organization requires paying an annual membership fee of $50. Shoppers should be sure to take this added fee into account when comparing rates.
For young drivers with an accident on their record, Texas Farm Bureau’s annual rates for a minimum coverage policy were only 1% higher than average. However, with adult and senior drivers, the difference was far larger. Texas Farm Bureau charged adult female drivers who had been in an accident rates that were 38% more expensive than average and 69% higher than premiums from Geico, the cheapest insurer.
Similarly, senior drivers who take out a policy with Texas Farm Bureau will pay rates that are 13% higher than average and 34% more expensive than Geico’s rates.
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Annual car insurance rates
Insurer | Male, 16 to 24 | Female, 25 to 64 | Male, 65 and older |
|---|---|---|---|
| Geico | $2,059 | $745 | $687 |
| Allstate | $2,193 | $841 | $905 |
| Texas Farm Bureau | $2,312 | $1,256 | $923 |
| State Farm | $2,570 | $800 | $755 |
Annual rates for a minimum coverage policy were provided by the Texas Department of Insurance. All sample drivers have an at-fault accident on record.
Texas Farm Bureau auto insurance discounts
Texas Farm Bureau offers discounts that are common in the industry. From claim-free customer savings to discounts for bundling insurance, if you qualify with Texas Farm Bureau, you might be eligible for these discounts.
Texas Farm Bureau auto insurance includes savings for:
- Multipolicy discount: Bundling home and auto insurance purchases with Texas Farm Bureau
- Multicar discount: Insuring two or more vehicles in the same household
- Claim-free discount: Not having filed a claim in the past three years
- Driver training discount: Successfully completing a driver education course
- Academic achievement discount: A designated operator of the vehicle performing well in school
- Passive restraint discount: Having a factory-installed air bag or safety belt passive restraint system meeting federal safety standards
Discounts will vary in size as they are applied to a rate calculated based on a variety of factors including your car model, your age and where you live.
Texas Farm Bureau auto insurance coverage
Texas Farm Bureau has a handful of additional coverages that, while not particularly unusual, can be helpful to Texas drivers. The most unique is its Mexico coverage, which allows policyholders to drive 25 miles across the border into Mexico and still have the same coverage they would within the United States — without any additional charge.
Other Farm Bureau add-on features, also known as endorsements, are usually available from other auto insurance companies. These add-ons include:
Car insurance feature | How it works |
|---|---|
| Roadside assistance coverage | Provides assistance when an insured vehicle is disabled, such as for a flat tire |
| Auto death indemnity coverage | Provides a limited life insurance policy to a named beneficiary if the policyholder is killed in an automobile accident; limits are generally between $5,000 and $10,000 |
| Rental reimbursement coverage | Helps pay for transportation costs, like a rental car, if your vehicle is unusable due to damage sustained in a covered event |
| Towing and labor costs coverage | Covers the cost of towing your car to a repair shop after a breakdown |
| Nonowner coverage | Extends coverage to someone who doesn’t own a vehicle, such as a spouse driving a company car |
You can also get SR-22 insurance coverage from Farm Bureau, should you require it.
Farm Bureau auto insurance policies include the standard coverage features you’ll find with most car insurance companies.
- Bodily injury and property damage liability coverage
- Collision and comprehensive coverage
- Medical payments coverage and personal injury protection
- Uninsured and underinsured motorist coverage
Texas Farm Bureau homeowners insurance
Texas Farm Bureau home insurance policies have some of the most competitive premiums in the state. Coverage costs anywhere from 52% to 36% less than average.
Policyholders should be aware, however, that Texas Farm Bureau only sells named peril policies, meaning you’re only covered for damage done by perils specified in the policy. And while the company offers generous discounts, some of those discounts only apply to certain perils, so it’s difficult to estimate their impact on your policy.
Texas Farm Bureau homeowners insurance quotes
Texas Farm Bureau has the cheapest annual rates for homeowners insurance in the state.
For example, for homes with $75,000 in dwelling coverage, Texas Farm Bureau’s home insurance policy average quote was 52% cheaper than the average across four top competitors. Though, as with auto insurance, shoppers should know they’ll have to pay an annual membership fee to be eligible for Texas Farm Bureau Insurance.
Higher-value homes with higher amounts of coverage can also get competitive rates from Texas Farm Bureau, though the difference in cost isn’t quite as large. Texas Farm Bureau’s rates were about one-third cheaper than average for the two higher policy limits we looked at. Policyholders with $200,000 of dwelling coverage paid 36% less than average, and policyholders with $350,000 paid 37% less.
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Annual home insurance rates
Insurer | $75,000 policy limit | $200,000 policy limit | $350,000 policy limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Farm Bureau | $875 | $1,815 | $2,574 |
| Farmers | $1,768 | $2,380 | $3,703 |
| State Farm | $2,082 | $3,367 | $4,631 |
| Allstate | $2,528 | $3,795 | $5,461 |
Those looking for home insurance in Texas should always shop around before making a final decision. Home insurance rates of individual insurers can differ greatly based on location, style of home and other factors, and you should always compare rates of multiple insurers for your particular house.
Texas Farm Bureau homeowners insurance discounts
Texas Farm Bureau’s most unique discount is its underground home discount, which offers 30% off to customers if the main dwelling insured on their policy is underground. Apart from this unusual perk, however, the discounts are all standard offerings you’d get from another insurer.
That said, some of the individual discounts offered by the Bureau are quite large, meaning it can be worth getting a quote to see how affordable the policies can be for you. For example, Texas Farm Bureau will discount your premium 15% if you bundle your purchase of home and auto policies. Compared to the bundle discounts at most other insurers, this discount is relatively large.
Other discounts offered, such as discounts for safety features and a claim-free history, are generous, too.
Discount | How it works | Reduction of premium |
|---|---|---|
| Underground home | Applied if your home qualifies as underground | 30% |
| Impact-resistant roof | Applied if your roof is composed of materials meeting impact-resistance criteria, with discount varying based on the materials and your location | 4% to 17% |
| Companion policy | Applied if you also own a Texas Farm Bureau auto insurance policy | 15% |
| Claim-free | Applied if you’ve been insured and claim-free for the last five years | Varies by peril, ranging from 8% to 36% |
| Central alarm | Applied if a home has a centrally monitored alarm system, dead bolts on all exterior doors and a fire extinguisher | 15% |
| Dry fire hydrant | Applied if a home is near a dry fire hydrant | 5% |
| Metal roof discount | Applied if your home has a metal roof | Varies by peril, ranging from 20% to 59% |
Discounts only apply to certain perils, not your whole policy, so your final discount may differ.
Texas Farm Bureau homeowners insurance coverage features
A Texas Farm Bureau homeowners insurance policy offers relatively standard coverage features, and the add-on coverages you can purchase are similar to what other insurers offer.
If you buy a homeowners insurance policy with Texas Farm Bureau, you can count on it including the five standard forms of coverage:
- Dwelling coverage
- Personal property coverage
- Liability coverage
- Loss of use coverage
- Medical payments coverage
However, not all standard coverages are equal, and some of the Bureau’s coverage is less extensive than that of major competitors in Texas. For example, the limits on your loss of use coverage with a Farm Bureau policy are limited to 10% of your dwelling coverage, while major competitors such as Allstate include up to 40%.
This means if you have $100,000 in dwelling coverage and a fire renders your home uninhabitable, Texas Farm Bureau will only cover you for the costs of living elsewhere up to $10,000. Allstate, by contrast, would cover you for up to $40,000 in this situation.
Additionally, Texas Farm Bureau only sells named-peril policies — a key difference from other insurers. While most homeowners insurance policies cover all risks except those specifically excluded in the policy, Texas Farm Bureau only covers risks specifically named in the policy.
An agent told us that the perils left out in a Texas Farm Bureau policy are the same perils that other insurance companies would explicitly exclude, so the two policies offer essentially the same protection. However, we recommend that shoppers who opt for a Texas Farm Bureau policy read their policy carefully to make sure it offers sufficient coverage.
Finally, the add-on features offered in Texas Farm Bureau home insurance policies are typical of what you see with major home insurance companies. These coverages include:
- Residence glass coverage
- Increased limits on valuables (jewelry, furs, money, bank cards, etc.)
- Television and radio antenna
- Personal computer coverage
- Personal injury coverage
- Watercraft liability coverage
- Business pursuits liability coverage
- Additional premises liability coverage
- Identity theft expenses
- Coverage for rust, mold, fungus, bacteria, etc.
- Windstorm, hurricane and hail coverage for structures over water
Texas Farm Bureau customer service reviews and financial strength ratings and reviews
Texas Farm Bureau performs well in terms of customer service compared to major Texas insurers. For both homeowners and auto insurance, Texas Farm Bureau receives fewer complaints than a typical insurer of its size, according to complaint index data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Complaint index of major Texas auto insurers
Measured against State Farm, Allstate and Geico, Texas Farm Bureau scores better than the other insurers, receiving a complaint ratio of 0.50 — far below the state average of 1.00. This score indicates that, adjusted for the amount of policies in force in the state, among the major auto insurers in the state, Texas Farm Bureau customers complain about their service at a lower rate than those of Allstate, State Farm or Geico.
Complaint index of major Texas auto insurers
Rank | Insurer | Auto complaint index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Farm Bureau | 0.50 |
| 2 | Allstate | 0.63 |
| 3 | State Farm | 0.70 |
| 4 | Geico | 0.71 |
Complaint index was taken from an insurer’s largest subsidiary in the state by premiums written.
Complaint index of major Texas home insurers
Home insurance complaint rates tell a slightly different story. While Texas Farm Bureau still has a low complaint index of 0.52, Farmers and State Farm boast even lower indices of 0.23 and 0.38, respectively. Compared to Allstate, however, Texas Farm Bureau provides much better service, as Allstate’s complaint index is 1.00.
Rank | Insurer | Home complaint index |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Farmers | 0.23 |
| 2 | State Farm | 0.38 |
| 3 | Texas Farm Bureau | 0.52 |
| 4 | Allstate | 1.00 |
Complaint index was taken from an insurer’s largest subsidiary in the state by premiums written.
On the downside, Texas Farm Bureau does not have an online quote tool, so if you’re looking to get a quote for homeowners or auto insurance, you’ll have to talk with an insurance agent by calling them on the phone or meeting them in person. This prevents customers from getting an initial online quote and browsing coverage options at their convenience.
If you have a policy with Texas Farm Bureau, you can be confident in its ability to pay your claims. Texas Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co. and Texas Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co., two of the company’s subsidiaries, received financial strength ratings of A- and A, respectively, from AM Best. These grades indicate an “excellent” ability to pay out insurance claims.
Texas Farm Bureau Insurance structure and affiliates
Headquartered in Waco, Texas, Texas Farm Bureau is part of the American Farm Bureau Federation, which is an independent, nongovernmental organization focused on supporting agricultural interests. Texas Farm Bureau writes approximately 3% of policies written in both the home and car insurance market in the state. If you purchase auto or homeowners insurance with Texas Farm Bureau, you’ll be buying it from one of its four subsidiaries.
- Texas Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.
- Texas Farm Bureau Underwriters
- Texas Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co.
- Farm Bureau County Mutual Insurance Co. of Texas
Claims and payments
You can file a claim with Texas Farm Bureau online, though you can make a phone call if you prefer. The Texas Farm Bureau Insurance claim reporting center phone number is 1-800-266-5458, and you can contact the office at any time of the day or night, since it is open 24/7. For bill pay with Texas Farm Bureau, you can either log on to your account or make a payment without logging in.
Methodology
Homeowners insurance rate data was provided by Quadrant Information Services. Our sample property is a 2,100-square-foot home built in 1986 with $75,000, $200,000 or $350,000 of dwelling coverage. Rate data was publicly sourced from insurer filings and includes premiums for ZIP codes across the state. As such, it is intended for comparative purposes only; your own rates could differ.
Auto insurance rates were provided by the Texas Department of Insurance. All of our sample drivers are single and drive 18,000 miles per year. They have an average credit score and an at-fauly accident on their record. They live in Dallas County, Texas, within ZIP code 75287. We gave them a state minimum coverage policy, which includes:
- $30,000 per person and $60,000 per accident in bodily injury liability coverage
- $25,000 in property damage liability coverage
Editorial Note: The content of this article is based on the author’s opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.