Comprehensive Insurance

What does comprehensive coverage do?

Comprehensive insurance covers damage to your car from incidents other than collisions. This normally includes coverage for:

• Theft
• Vandalism
• Glass damage (such as a broken windshield)
• Damage sustained from hitting an animal or bird
• Damage from falling objects or missiles
• Fire
• Floodwaters
• Severe weather damage

To file a

hail damage claim,

hurricane damage claim or

tornado damage claim for your car, you must have comprehensive coverage.

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You need to obtain not only comprehensive but also collision coverage to have physical damage or "full coverage" on your car. Collision will cover you if your car hits, or is hit by, another vehicle or object. Some insurance companies will not offer you comprehensive coverage unless you also carry collision coverage as part of your car insurance policy.

When obtaining a quote for comprehensive coverage, you will need to choose a deductible amount. A deductible is the portion of a claim that you’re responsible for paying before your insurance benefits start to pay out.

The value of the car, your driving record, the deductible you choose and repair costs determine the cost of comprehensive coverage, but it is usually very affordable. The average annual cost nationwide for comprehensive coverage is just $192, according to a rate analysis by CarInsurance.com. That's not much to pay to ensure you get the actual cash value (ACV) for your car, minus the deductible, if your car is totaled. ACV is how much your car is worth on the market before it sustained damages.

Comprehensive claims will not raise your rates unless you file multiple claims in a short period.

How much does comprehensive coverage cost?

Enter your state in the search field in the table below to see the average comprehensive insurance cost, per year,  for your location. You'll see the following states are the cheapest, coming in at $100 or below, or about $90 less than the national average:

• Maine
• Washington
• New Hampshire
• Hawaii
• Oregon
• Virginia

The following states are the most expensive, coming in around $400, or about $200 more than the national average:

• South Dakota
• Kansas
• Oklahoma
• Wyoming
• Nebraska
• North Dakota

Is comprehensive coverage mandatory?

Comprehensive insurance is not legally required by any state. Most states require property damage liability so that your insurer will pay (up to your limits) if you damage other people’s vehicles or property, but states do not require that you carry coverage to pay for damages to your own car.

However, if you have a loan or lease on your vehicle, then your lienholder can (and usually will) require that you carry this coverage and may mandate the specific deductible amount you have to select.

If want to lower your insurance premium by raising your deductible while your car is still financed, be sure to check with your lienholder to see if they will allow a higher deductible than what you are currently carrying.

What is the recommended deductible?

Usually, you can choose for your

comprehensive deductible an amount anywhere from $100 to $2,500 (deductible choices vary according to state laws and insurance company guidelines). Most car owners choose a deductible of between $250 and $1,000.

The higher the deductible the less expensive your premium will be, because the insurer is taking less risk of paying out for claims.  

Take your own finances into account when choosing a deductible. Saving money on your premium is nice, but do you have the ability to take on a larger out-of-pocket expense when making a claim?  For example, if you set your deductible at $1,000 and your car sustains damages totaling $1,800, you will pay $1,000 and your insurance company will pay $800. 

Deductibles are normally due per incident, so you will have to pay your deductible amount out every time you make a comprehensive claim. The exception being if you live in a state where laws require the deducible to be waived for windshield claims.

What happens if I don’t have comprehensive coverage?

Without comprehensive coverage, you cannot make a car insurance claim if your vehicle receives damage that is considered “other than collision” damage by your insurer. This leaves you personally responsible to pay for the repairs, unless there is someone else found liable for the damages (such as a vandal or car thief) that is known and available for you to go after for the repair costs.

With a newer, high valued car, you will usually want this added protection for your vehicle, whether you have financed it or not. If your car is stolen soon after you buy it, you don’t want to be out the full cost of a replacement vehicle. 

If you have an older car with a low value (without a lease or loan on it), you may not want to pay for this coverage since if the car is damaged, or totaled, the low insurance compensation amount may not be worth the premium paid out.

Knowing how much your vehicle is worth can help you decide if comprehensive coverage is worth the extra cost. Find out the current value of your car by using appraisal tools offered on sites such as Kelley Blue Book (KBB), NADAguides, and Edmunds.