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Heritage Insurance Summary
Heritage Insurance has been in business since 2012, along with several other new insurance companies, in response to changes in the Florida insurance market that followed several major hurricanes. As larger insurance companies backed out of the market, many homegrown companies moved in to fill the void, especially as the market started to improve – among them was Heritage Insurance.
In 2013, Heritage made a deal with Citizens to take over 60,000 policies as part of the takeout plan designed to reduce the policy load on the state’s last-resort insurer. The deal raised some controversy over the large payout to Heritage for taking over the policies and the speed with which the deal was pushed through. This takeout involved many insurance companies, often new ones, and the insured could choose whether or not to move to one of the new insurance companies.
Heritage writes only property & casualty policies, including several types of homeowner’s insurance and commercial residential policies. The company headquarters is in Clearwater, Florida, and they write policies across the state. Policies are sold through a network of independent agents.
Insurance Products
The focus of the Heritage Insurance lineup is homeowner’s, and they write several forms designed to cover multiple types of dwellings.
Homeowner’s Insurance (HO3)
Heritage writes standard HO3 homeowner’s insurance package policies, designed for attached or detached single-family homes. These policies coverage replacement cost for the home itself, personal property insurance, and personal liability coverage. Options available include:
- Replacement cost coverage for personal property
- High-value item riders for jewelry, art, and more
- Dog Liability
- Identity Theft Coverage
- Personal Injury Protection
Condominium Insurance (HO6)
Heritage writes policies for condo owners that are designed with the specific needs of condos in mind. This coverage includes:
- Personal liability
- Personal property with available replacement cost coverage
- Coverage for permanently attached parts of the structure from the walls in
- Loss assessment coverage
- Options to add dog liability identity theft, and more
Dwelling Fire (DP3)
Heritage writes DP3 policies to cover homes that are not owner-occupied such as rental houses, duplexes, and townhouses. These policies cover the structure and liability first and foremost, with added coverage for landlords that include loss of rent. Because these are for non-owner-occupied homes, they have limited personal property coverage.
Commercial Residential
Heritage writes policies to cover a variety of multiple-dwelling residences, including:
- Apartment complexes
- Retirement and assisted living homes
- Homeowner’s Associations
- Condo Owner’s Associations
This coverage is designed for the specific needs of multi-unit buildings, including structure coverage and liability.
Heritage Insurance Rates
Heritage Insurance does not provide the option for online quoting, although there is an online form that allows you to request a quote, but it does not return instant results – rather you will be contacted via phone or email with the quote information.
Quotes are also available by contacting an agent directly. This makes it more difficult to compare the rates to other insurance companies, but is not uncommon for property & casualty insurers of this size.
Heritage is a small insurer with a somewhat specific market, so they are unlikely to compete well with large insurance companies. They may, however, be competitive with similar insurance companies – small, Florida-based companies.
Since they write only property insurance, there is no option to obtain multi-policy discounts with Heritage, something that is likely to make their premiums appear a little higher in price. Additionally, they are sold through agents, which means commissions can raise prices as well.
Claims
Heritage customers can report claims by calling a 24-hour toll-free claims reporting line, 1-855-415-7120, where a customer service representative will take the claim information over the phone and get the claim started.
Heritage also offers the Platinum Preferred Savings Program, a free membership program that comes with several perks, including:
- 10% off the deductible in a claim
- 24/7 Concierge service
- A 3-year warranty on all work performed by the Contracted Alliance Network
- No upfront deductible payments
There is little information on the claims process available, other than what is given regarding the Platinum program procedures.
Consumer Research and Complaints
As a very new insurance company, Heritage has not had much time to build a reputation, and there is not a large amount of feedback available from customers in general.
Although the company is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), the currently hold an A+ rating on the site. There have been a total of 28 complaints in the last three years, eight of which have been closed in the past 12 months.
The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation offers a company complaints database that compiles the number of complaints against insurance companies on a yearly basis. The most recent data available is the complaints listed in the fourth quarter of 2016. During this time, Heritage had 67 complaints in total, a ratio of 1:3555. That means that there was one complaint for every 3555 policies in force that year.
In spite of the concern over the Citizens takeout policy transfer mentioned earlier in this review, there doesn’t seem to be much of concern when it comes to the company’s reputation.
Financial Strength
| Rating Company | Grade | Financial Outlook |
|---|---|---|
| AM Best | N/A | N/A |
| Fitch | N/A | N/A |
| S&P | N/A | N/A |
Bottom Line
Heritage Insurance is a very new company, but so far seems to be holding a relatively good reputation in the Florida market. They are likely to be worth investigating for anyone who is part of the Citizens takeout or for anyone who has had trouble finding coverage with national-level insurers.
As a local insurer, they are unlikely to provide rates that can compete with bigger companies, especially because they have no multi-policy discounts to offer, but for those who are considering the smaller, local insurance company market, Heritage is worth a look.
For a list of companies that we recommend, visit our Best Insurance Companies page.
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Review Information
I am a former insurance agent and banker turned consumer advocate. My priority is to help educate individuals and families about the different types of insurance they need, and assist them in finding the best place to get it.
Greg Bush says
Long story with lots of issues… 5 different adjusters and many lies…
I had Heritage when Irma hit south Florida. We had significant damage – a 15-foot piece of Palm tree when through our roof.
Called Heritage two days after and was told they would have an adjuster out as soon as they could.
The first one was scheduled out 7 days later, unfortunately Heritage send him to an address in Pensacola (I am in Naples and have never lived in Pensacola, and during that same time I did receive a payment notice to the correct address)
After that was fixed, the adjuster did make it 10 days later.
During the inspection, he handed me his card with $1,500 written on the back. It was a “Quote” for tree removal and said that he could get that plus a little more back form the insurance company if I wanted.
His estimate, however, was a little on the low side, just under $20K for all the repairs. He did miss a few things – he was 2,000 ft short on the size of the roof, he did not include labor or the materials needed to fix the 15 foot hole in said roof, he missed the water damage in 5 rooms from the rain pouring in the hole in the roof, and just did an overall bad job.
(And on 10/27/17 I received a quote for emergency water mitigation)
After going back and forth with 4 different adjusters and 5 broken promises for a check, I finally had paid out of my pocket $53K for the roof to be repaired in January!
We finally were mostly reimbursed for the roof, but Heritage said that the only way they would pay for the “Emergency” water mitigation was if they paid the contractor directly.
After numerous phone calls and emails, they finally paid the water mitigation service in June of 2018 – 9 months after Irma!
I was told the delay was caused by the lack of people to handle the claims. but this is what an insurance company is supposed to do! And it comes the year after they paid their CEO $26,000,000!
So it would appear that instead of investing in the company to support their stakeholders, the compensation committee decided to give the funds to the boss. (I hope the SEC reviews this.)
Also, they have no problem paying the top three execs $20,000,000 for compensation for the last two years even if they do not pay the claims to the policyholders.
Now they just canceled my policy without any notification. I found out from my mortgage company.)
I called and spoke with a nice lady who said she would send me proof that they send the notice, but all she did was send a letter stating the policy was canceled.
I would recommend that anyone stay away from this company if you want to get your claims paid.
If all you want to do is line the pockets of a few people in Tampa, then this is your place. (Also check out where they have their annual meeting – Hawaii!)
James says
I would not recommend this insurance company. I recently refinanced my home and I was offered a better premium with Heritage so I accepted. They notified me that someone may come out to do an inspection and call to make arrangements, the agent showed up unannounced for starters and took pictures. I was insured with them for approximately 2 months then they sent me a cancellation notice because I had a trampoline in my yard which we no longer used and was not an issue with removing it, don’t they have a grace period to resolve issues? I received my cancellation notice on December 1st and the policy will be canceled on December 6th. Not good business practices. I will go to one of your competitors.
Jennifer says
I called and got my claim # and was told someone will call me in 72 hours. That comes and goes. I called the next day and the guy tells me he will call me back later that day…he didn’t call. Called him today and was told today that a tree had to fall on the power line, on my property in order to get a food refrigerator spoilage. That is not how it works! I have that extra coverage. I keep having to call and never get a callback.
Stephen Moyer says
The company is terrible. After jacking my rates year after year and being delinquent in billing me, leading to just a cancelation notice, I decided to cancel the policy. Be advised, after all these years I have never filed a claim. The check had been sent out the day before I found a much cheaper, better coverage policy. So at that time, I called the company to just return my check and leave the policy canceled. I was assured this would happen and I would receive my refund. Instead, I receive a reinstatement notice on July 30th dating back to July 4th. Obviously, a way to rip me off further. When I called and begun to get the run around on how I would have to take further action to get my money back obviously, I became displeased. In short order, their customer service hung up on me. Needless to say, they will never have me as a customer again.
Barry Wolfgang says
The folks at Heritage Ins. Came in and dried up my mess, that was caused by a water heater that went bad, and to make matters worse the drain pan somehow got stopped up. The water got my bedroom wet, (of course), the claims people sent someone right over to dry the room out and he did a good job.
Now steps in the Project Manager [Redacted], He took in all the things that went wrong and set about getting my house back to normal. Walls were painted and the rug was replaced and the cost of my Murphy bed will be covered.
A lot of things went on and [Redacted] made them seam and as painless as he could. The place looks ready for the new Murphy Bed to be installed. ( Murphy Beds are installed by the Co that sells them.)The house is done and I am well pleased with [Redacted]’s work and friendly attitude.
Frank Paredez says
I was forced into this company a few years ago, so what could I do. But today I got a quote from another small insurance company for 1/2 the price and same coverage, so I’m switching. I figure I have to have insurance and all the national companies will not insure in Florida, so I’ll take the cheap one, since no matter which one I choose, they will not be able to pay if a real catastrophe happens here in Florida. I’m off to a cheaper company.
Michael says
Smart move Frank. I had Heritage Insurance, and they did take care of my problem, although there were several snags in the process. I was pleased with the overall outcome, but they dropped me on the next renewal. Better you get them before they get you! (I forgot they only like to insure you if you don’t have any claims!)
karen says
You know what doesn’t make sense, you look at their rating on BBB and they have an A+ rating, but received over 80% negative reviews.
I’m starting to regret going with them, I assumed they were good because of their rating. I hope they come through for me when I need them!
BP says
I don’t think people bother to go online to write reviews if they don’t have a problem. I wrote a positive one for Heritage because my experience was nothing like what most people here have experienced. My damage was not storm-related. After a hurricane, it’s impossible to speak with any adjusters or get any work done. Companies just don’t have enough people to handle the number of calls.
I am with a new insurance company now and although they are very cooperative I can hardly ever reach the person handling my hurricane claim and wait forever for her to get back to me. But once I finally got the roofer’s quote I was sent a check immediately. Now I am trying to find a soffit and gutter company who will call back.
Tanya Swan says
Hope you never have a claim!
They won’t pay to restore your home back to the state it was before damage!
They don’t return calls!
Ellen Smith says
I can only second that. Got the Run around for a water damage from a broken pipe under the bedroom and living room. I live in a construction zone now since 2 Weeks before Christmas. Good going Heritage. In 10 Years first claim and no call backs, no Fixing just the run around.
Brittany Lengacher says
I am absolutely appalled at these reviews and this insurance company! We have been with Heritage Insurance for 3 years now. It is going on 4 months post Hurricane Irma where our house was badly damaged as a result. We have not seen anything from the Insurance company. If my husband or myself did not call daily to stay on top of them, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Consequently, due to the neglect, our house is now ridden with black mold due to a leak from the Hurricane. I have three small children, under 6 years old, and the insurance company does not want to pay out to relocate us while the mold is being remediated, even though our policy covers relocation. My children are getting sick from the mold. [Redacted] is our adjuster, and just pray he NEVER gets assigned to your home.
Reading the previous reviews makes me sick. Heritage insurance responded to a REFRIGERATOR LEAK on September 28th (after the Hurricane) faster than my house. Then in October (again, after the Hurricane), Heritage Insurance fixed mold in someone’s house due to a dishwasher leak? What did those customers do to get good service? I am asking so I know, so that Heritage will step up to the plate at my house, for our policy, before my children are all sick! Apparently, Hurricane damage is not a priority for this HORRIBLE insurance company.
dan witowski says
They responded to my refrigerator leak and completed the vast majority of work before the hurricane. Your facts are incorrect.
Brittany says
My apologies. I didn’t realize you waited at least one month to post a review. Glad you got your work done nonetheless.
BP says
Brittany, if there’s a hurricane insurance co’s become overwhelmed. Certainly, they need a better business model if when they are needed most they are mostly incapable of responding.
I am now with another co which responded with a check as soon as I got a quote from a roofer. It was getting a roofer there that was the problem. I still need to get soffits, but not one company calls back.
concerned customer says
I have been having the same problem with Heritage. It has been an unresolved issue since Hurricane Irma in September 2017 and they keep delaying the release of money so that I may start work on the house. Every time it rains in South Florida which is every day, more water comes in causing more mold. I call every few days and they keep telling me the same thing over and over again. I had a water damage and there is mold damage in more than one room in my house. It is APPALLING to hear that I am not the only one going through this. What are they going to do if their clients become physically ill from this?
Nancy Jackson says
I turned in hurricane damage on 9-12-2017 and still waiting to get my claim settlement on claim [redacted]. I have contacted on many occasions without any call backs. I’ve also emailed an estimate from Budget roofing to [Redacted] ext. [redacted] and he promised he would call me back with no response. I have squirrels gnawing into where the tile has been taken off and also rain coming in. There is more damage now!!! I would like for this matter to be looked into and a call back immediately!!!
Michelle T says
Victim of Hurricane Irma, lost all food and air conditioner, my claim has not even been assigned to an adjuster. Very hot, very tired of waiting and very disappointed.
Marcia E. says
I agree! Had a lightening claim two days before the hurricane. We lost our air conditioner and all our electronics. We couldn’t wait any longer to replace our items so we have over $6,000 on credit cards and as of today, the 18th of October we are told our claim still hasn’t been assigned to an adjuster. I had Allstate insurance for years and they were much better equipped to handle claims. Sounds like Heritage is in way over their head. Just hoping they stay in business long enough to settle the claims of all who have been affected.
Mike Pedone says
Incredible company to do business with. I had mold and cabinet damage in our kitchen due to a dishwasher leak. Their response team was at our home within hours of our initial call. They were professional and proactive from start to finish. If you are dealing with Heritage, I would strongly recommend you ask for [Redacted] as your customer care specialist. To say he went above and beyond would be a gross understatement! Our family is so pleased with the way everything has been handled. It is refreshing to find a company that offers this level of service AND is cost effective
dan witowski says
I had a water leak in my refrigerator water filter which caused damage to the floor tile and baseboards and cabinet bases. Within 4 hours of my call to Heritage they were out to dry out my house and then used their own employees and not subs to complete the repairs in a very professional manner. I was totally pleased with the service that I received from Heritage.
Dan W
Veronica Richardson says
I had a great experience with Heritage Insurance. [Redacted], my claims recovery specialist, kept me informed every step of the way. The men and women who were responsible for remediation were all very professional. The work that was done was outstanding;i.e., replaced wood floors, painted walls, etc. all due to water damage. I highly recommend Heritage Insurance Company.
Roy J Butterworth says
My recent claim with Heritage Ins. was handled in a prompt and professional manner from the beginning to completion of project. all contacts were very knowledgeable and helpful. I would highly recommend this Company.
Roy Lawson says
I am in my second month of an insurance claim resulting from a pipe bursting and flooding my rental property. I would describe their service as non-existent. They don’t return phone calls, they aren’t proactive about anything, and the case was transferred to a third representative. The first one must have quit or something because I wasn’t actually able to get through to that person. The second one yelled at my contractor’s office lady who has been diligent at trying to work with them. The third one I just learned about yesterday from their receptionist, and I have yet to be called by either him or his manager despite leaving a message of the urgency.
Meanwhile my tenant is shorting me rent because they are walking around on concrete floors. I have stalled the contractor because we can’t get anything in writing from the insurance company and have no clue what our budget is. It is a disaster!
The rates are affordable, but God help anyone who has an actual claim. I’m on the precipice of getting an attorney involved.
Roy Lawson says
I just spoke with the new desk examiner assigned and to be fair to Heritage Insurance I feel much more comfortable now with the new person assigned. The last guy was terse, unresponsive, and fortunately no longer with the company. The new guy was so much better to work with. The claim has been approved and we should have this resolved soon. I will be sure to post a final comment once the process is complete. The jury is still out as they say.
Michael Mosca says
My experience with Heritage Insurance Company is nothing but outstanding!
From the moment of my claim till completion it was nothing but professionalism and compassion. I am a “snow bird” and was located 1200 miles from my claim in Florida.
Heritage Insurance’s inside manager [Redacted] walked me through the steps with patience and guidance, he was a tremendous help. [Redacted] suggested [Redacted] to handle the repairs necessary. That was one of the best moves I made. [Redacted] was assigned as my project manager. [Redacted] was Fantastic. He went over and above to make me and my wife happy, in one case after working hours on his own time.
I cannot say enough good things about Heritage Insurance and I appreciate all [Redacted] and [Redacted] did for us.
Again, thank you.
South Florida says
Heritage is the WORSE. They have no problem taking your premiums, but DO NOT EVER rely on them to come through for you when you need them. We are 3 months into the claim process and have not received a cent yet to restore our home. Lost use of 2 1/2 rooms in our house, they couldn’t care less what you’re going through. They claim as their company logo they are a “Pillar of strength and Character” what a joke. Pillar of strength- yea maybe for their CEO’s making 24 million a yr. sitting in their mansions or their stock investors. Character? Adjusters don’t answer calls or emails, they delay, delay, delay. AVOID this company if you can!
We’ll be submitting complaints to the FL DFS, BBB, state representatives, newspapers, TV stations, Blogs, forums & will even consider filing suit against them if applicable. Our FL legislature needs better laws to help consumers.
After 21 yrs. of property ownership in FL, it’s bad enough when you’re in a very awful situation of your house being damaged, and all your hard work, & money has gone out the window, and you actually need to have to make a claim for property insurance. Dealing with Heritage though has made this situation FAR worse than it should’ve been had we had a reputable, prompt, honest insurance company to deal with in the first place. Their polices don’t seem to be worth any more than the paper they’re written on.
BP says
My experience with them was shockingly pleasant! They responded quickly, sent out an experienced field agent who took care of business in a timely manner. I received a 30 page detailed report of every item that was to be cleaned, painted, replaced, etc. I was also assigned a desk agent. My problem was hiring the hazmat company to do the repairs after the initial hazmat cleaning. I had to sign an agreement before they would start the repairs that the funds would be signed over to them when I got the check. They made me wait far too long (30 days in hotel covered by Heritage), then work was horribly inferior. Heritage said there was nothing they could do which made sense. They sent me the funds, I saw a lawyer and inept hazmat guy agreed to reimburse me thousands. Word of warning, when hiring a contractor make sure the “licensed and insured” means for the work they are actually doing. Can’t be a general contractor without being licensed as one. Heritage even approved me for a second month at the hotel though I didn’t stay. Was afraid I would be dropped by them or have a huge premium increase. Neither happened. Instead my local agent totally messed up and my coverage ended for “non-payment”. Would have liked to stay with them as they treated me very well. Absolutely no complaints with them other than desk agent not being able to give any advice re dealing with faux contractor. said he was new.
Kiera says
I am in the process of purchasing a home. I needed a homeowners insurance so i purchased it with heritage insurance. I sent a copy of it to the lenders and they told me that i didnt purchase enough. So i got back in contact with heritage to see if i could up the amount on the policy. They told me that they couldnt. Ok thats fine, that not the worst part. The worst part is that I asked for my policy to be cancelled and refunded back to me …they told me it would be a month before i recieve my funds back. A total of 648. FYI I ask for the funds back on the same day that the policy was purchased. It is completely unprofessional for it to take that much time for funds to be returned on a service that was not recieved. I wouldnt recommend this company to anyone.
Kiera says
I called back the next day and spoke to another representative, [Redacted], he was vey helpful. He took the time to look into the situation and had my funds return within 48hrs. Thank you [Redacted].
bev says
Couldn’t you have stopped payment on the check if it was the same day? If you charged it you could notify your charge card company. Something sounds off here.
Cara says
Oh my goodness heavens, I should have read these complaints before foolishly walking through the doors of Heritage Insurance, im really not sure whether to blame them or the snarky , rude middle aged SGI adjusters that My brother in law was dealing with over the phone for the months. Been over 8 weeks and he’s been getting the runaround. No developments at all. Hey SGI claims adjusters, us working class people are not paying you to sit on your FAT BEHIND all day. Stop comin up with lame excuses like sending investigators just so you can weasel your way out of a big responsibility. Send us the [Redacted] check!!
K Jones says
I have Heritage Insurance on a rental property. The roof was damaged in hurricane Mathew. They sent out an independent claims adjuster and paid the claim promptly for a new roof and other repairs. I would recommend them to anyone.
Carol Grigg says
Since Hurricane Matthew, I have been appalled at the inefficiency and now the dishonesty of this company. After going through 4 different adjusters who keep leaving, ONE TELLING ME HE IS TOO OVERLOADED WITH WORK to review the extensive file of documentation I have sent them, and their supervisor, follwed by no follow up, and repeat denials of my claim by phone, instead of in writing, I got a Cancellation of Insurance notice from them today from them for “non-payment” which my broker assures me is not true and is actually “ILLEGAL.”
James says
Whatever you do, if your claim is approved NEVER use their ” concierge service of professionals” to repair your home.
The WORST contractors and the job will take months longer than using your own contractors.
Working with their unprofessional and incompetent contractors has been a nightmare of epic proportions. I wish I could post pictures of their kitchen cabinet installation.
DONOVAN & ROSA BIRCH says
Heritage is a company of crooks. They will take your money on premiums but when it comes time to pay out a justified claim, they try to weasel out of it. Truly despicable practices and the reason why people don’t trust the insurance industry. My wife noticed what appeared to be water damage coming down in he family room. We examined the area and discovered the damage affected the entire area and the wall inside the living room . We could not determine where the water was coming , so my husband when on the roof and work what he thought was where the water was coming from. The obvious leak was due to the hail we had in May of this year. We reported to incident ELR ROOFING they came and saw the damage on my roof and my family room. Call Heritage immediately to file claim even though the damage is explicitly covered in the policy language. i waited for several weeks call several times, for the claim representative to tell me the all they can do is mail me check in the amount of $2400. where will i get a roofing comp and dwelling to do the work in my home. I send back their check and, I am already in the process of filing a lawsuit.
Denise Galanos says
I know what you are saying , My dishwasher broke, the drain hose was broke and the water drained out and went under the wood floors over two months ago i have black mold on my wood cabinets and on the wood floors. I am sick from that mould just because they don’t want to hand their claims the check they sent me isn’t going to handle my custom Cabinets my cabinets alone are going to be closest to ten thousand. I and thatvis just one item the black mould on the. Wood floors they were supose to pick that up 7 weeks ago
Huma says
Heritage is not a good company. They are quite unprofessional and need some training in customer service. I see they have had no issue collecting my money the last few years but when it came time to help me sort through some water damage discovered in my master bath.. They took over two months and a lot of chasing around to weasel out of paying the claim. Do not give them your money. You can not be assured that you will be covered in case of the unexpected.
Bob says
Heritage Insurance is the worst company you will ever deal with. NEVER use this company for any of your insurance needs. They refused a claimed based on someone they hired to disprove that there was a claim to begin with. Do yourself a favor and if you currently are using Heritage, find another insurer before you become a victim like everyone else on this article.
Olu Aduloju says
Heritage is a company of crooks. They will take your money on premiums but when it comes time to pay out a justified claim, they try to weasel out of it. Truly despicable practices and the reason why people don’t trust the insurance industry. My wife and I were doing spring cleaning in our house when we noticed what appeared to be water damage on the cabinets in our kitchen. We examined the area and discovered the damage affected the entire cabinet area and the wall inside our pantry. We could not determine where the water was coming from as there was no obvious leak. We reported to incident to Heritage immediately. First, our claim was outsourced to a company called Choice Solution Services (CSS). Even after repeated request to not have this company handle my claim, Heritage continues to outsource the claim. After stalling the claim for 2 months and not providing updates unless I called several times, CSS denied the claim even though the damage is explicitly covered in the policy language. I am already in the process of filing a lawsuit.
Holly F. says
Heritage Insurance is incompetent and unprofessional. A warning to all: save your time and money and take your business elsewhere. My full review and explanation can be found at http://www.bbb.org. Terrible company.