Comprehensive Car Insurance
Comprehensive coverage extends way beyond damage from collisions. Here's when and why you might need to add it to your car insurance policy.
Written by
Christine Lacagnina has written thousands of insurance-based articles for TrustedChoice.com by authoring consumable, understandable content.
Reviewed by
Cara Carlone is a licensed P&C agent with 20 years of experience. She has her P&C license in RI and TX and holds CPCU, API, and AINS designations.
When you drive a vehicle you love or simply rely on, you want to make sure it’s protected from all kinds of threats. Having just one or two types of coverage under your car insurance policy might not offer your vehicle protection against each type of disaster that could be a concern for you. That’s why you need to make sure you get equipped with the right kind of comprehensive coverage.
Luckily, an independent insurance agent can get your ride protected by the proper comprehensive car insurance. They’ll even get you covered long before you need to file a claim. But first, here’s a deep dive into this important coverage and why you might need it for your vehicle.
What Is Comprehensive Car Insurance?
Also known as “other than collision” coverage, comprehensive car insurance is one form of car insurance that offers a fuller picture of protection for drivers. When selecting your car insurance coverage, you’ve got several options. Comprehensive policies are designed to protect against numerous threats that aren’t related to vehicular collisions.
Comprehensive coverage pays for damage to your car due to a non-collision event, such as a flood or theft. If you really want to protect your vehicle, your best bet is to add comprehensive car insurance to your auto policy. An independent insurance agent can help you find the right coverage for your vehicle.
What Does Comprehensive Insurance Cover?
Basically, what comprehensive car insurance covers is everything except collisions with objects or other vehicles, which is what collision coverage is for. A typical comprehensive policy includes these types of coverage:
- Theft: Covers replacement if your car gets stolen.
- Vandalism: Covers repairs if your car is the target of graffiti, keying, etc.
- Flood: Covers repair and replacement if your car gets damaged by a flood.
- Fire: Covers repair and replacement if your car catches fire on its own or if it gets damaged by wildfires, house fires, etc.
- Severe weather: Covers repairs due to damage by hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters.
- Animal accidents: Covers repair and replacement if you hit a large animal like a deer.
- Riot: Covers damage to your vehicle caused by riots.
- Glass breakage: Covers repairs and replacement to your windshield and windows.
An independent insurance agent can further explain the many protections offered by comprehensive car insurance.
Do I Need Comprehensive Car Insurance?
While it may not be required by law, comprehensive car insurance is usually a wise option to consider. Without comprehensive car insurance, you could have to pay a lot of money out of pocket after an incident to repair or replace your vehicle.
It is also important to understand the difference between comprehensive vs. collision insurance. An independent insurance agent can further explain the importance of considering comprehensive car insurance.
How Does Comprehensive Car Insurance Work?
If you're the victim of any covered peril under your comprehensive car insurance, you'll file a claim through your car insurance company after the incident. After paying your deductible, the insurance company will reimburse you, typically up to your car's actual cash value, if the claim is approved. Usually, comprehensive car insurance doesn't have an actual coverage limit.
Say a tree limb falls on your car and your insurer approves your full claim amount. If you have $5,000 worth of damage and a $1,000 deductible under your comprehensive insurance, you'll pay out the deductible amount first, and then your insurance company will pay the remaining $4,000. Imagine having to pay this expense out of your own pocket if your policy lacked the proper comprehensive coverage.
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How Do I Know If I Need Comprehensive Coverage?
Whether you need comprehensive coverage depends on how much you value and need your car and whether you can afford the cost if you must suddenly replace it. Comprehensive coverage will add to your car insurance premiums, but it offers extra protection to match, which helps keep disruptions to your routine at a minimum. Here are some sample scenarios to help you decide if you need comprehensive car coverage.
- Probably not: If you drive an older vehicle you bought for $500 cash, comprehensive coverage probably doesn’t make sense since you’ll pay more in premiums than it would cost to replace the car.
- Probably yes: If you drive a limited-edition sports car, comprehensive coverage shields you from hefty repair or replacement costs if it’s stolen, scuffed, or otherwise badly damaged.
- Maybe: If you drive a mid-range car and need access to it every day because of work, kids, or other commitments, comprehensive coverage is your best bet because it ensures you’ll be able to afford fast repair or replacement, no matter what.
An independent insurance agent can help you determine if comprehensive car insurance is right for you.
Best Car Insurance Companies for Comprehensive Coverage
Comprehensive car insurance is available from many different auto insurance companies, and the best way to find the right carrier for you is through working with an independent insurance agent. Independent insurance agents know which insurance companies to recommend to meet your needs, and can provide informed suggestions based on company reliability, rates, and more.
While many insurance companies could sell you comprehensive car insurance, finding coverage could also depend on the area you live in. Here are a few of our top picks for comprehensive car insurance.
| Top Comprehensive Car Companies | Overall Carrier Star Rating |
| Progressive |
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| The Hartford |
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| Liberty Mutual |
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| Allstate |
|
One comprehensive coverage car insurance company outshines its competitors:
- Best overall comprehensive insurance company: Progressive
Progressive offers comprehensive car insurance to protect your vehicle against the following threats:
- Theft
- Fire
- Vandalism, riots, and explosions
- Windshield and glass damage
- Falling trees, limbs, rocks, and other objects
- Natural disaster damage, such as hail, wind, floods, lightning, and earthquakes
- Collisions with large animals like deer
An independent insurance agent can help you decide if Progressive's comprehensive car insurance is a good match.
Comprehensive Insurance Deductibles
When shopping for comprehensive coverage with your independent insurance agent, you'll decide if you want a deductible and what that amount will be. A higher deductible can lead to a lower monthly premium rate for your coverage, but you'll also have to pay more out of pocket after an incident.
What Isn’t Covered by Comprehensive Car Insurance?
Comprehensive car insurance is just one aspect of a complete car insurance package. Because of this, comprehensive car insurance doesn’t cover the following:
- Business use of your car: You’d need a commercial auto policy to cover this.
- Liability: You’d need to purchase bodily injury liability and property damage liability to protect yourself against lawsuits and the cost of bodily injury and property damage to others. Coverage is also likely mandatory in your area.
- Collisions with other vehicles: You’d go through collision coverage for claims relating to collisions with other cars.
An independent insurance agent can help you assemble a complete auto insurance package.
Why Should I Get Comprehensive Insurance?
When considering comprehensive car insurance, you'll want to ask yourself a few questions. The first thing to consider is your location. If you live in an area more prone to weather risks, like along the coast or in a hurricane zone, flood zone, or Tornado Alley, you'll be more inclined to want the extra protection for your car.
Additional questions when considering comprehensive insurance:
- Is my car very valuable?
- Does my city have a high theft rate?
- How much can I afford to pay out of my own pocket towards a deductible?
An independent insurance agent can help discuss these questions with you and determine whether comprehensive coverage is a good option.
How Much Does Comprehensive Coverage Cost?
The cost of your comprehensive car insurance policy will vary depending on several factors, such as the kind of vehicle you have, its age, and its value. Currently, the average cost of comprehensive car insurance is $421 per year. Your location is just one factor that influences your premiums.
These factors can also impact the cost of comprehensive insurance:
- Your age
- Your driving record
- Your credit history (in certain states)
- Your car’s make and model
- Your car’s age and value
An experienced driver with a perfect safety record and a low to mid-range vehicle could pay as little as a few hundred dollars per year for comprehensive coverage.
However, new drivers with poor records, especially those with expensive cars, could pay upwards of several thousand dollars per year. An independent insurance agent can help you find a policy with affordable comprehensive coverage near you.
Comprehensive vs. Collision Insurance
So, what are the differences between comprehensive and collision insurance? Let's break them down one by one.
| Type of Incident |
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Theft and vandalism |  |
 |
| Single-car collisions | |
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| Collisions with large animals | |
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| Collisions with another object | |
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| Collisions with another vehicle | |
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| Natural disaster damage | |
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| Fire | |
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| Falling objects | |
|
Comprehensive car insurance refers to one specific type of coverage under a larger car insurance policy. Car insurance policies typically come with several components, such as collision, liability, comprehensive, uninsured motorists, etc.
However, some drivers opt to cover their vehicles with their state’s minimum insurance requirements, while others go for a more complete coverage blanket, which can be called "full coverage" car insurance. Don't confuse comprehensive car insurance, which is a single type of coverage, with a full coverage auto policy, which includes several types of protection.
It’s highly recommended to get as much car insurance coverage as you can afford. Without the right type of coverage, you could be stuck paying out of your own pocket for a hefty claim and possibly even lose your vehicle. Comprehensive car insurance provides a wide range of protection not offered in other policies, such as collision coverage. A safe bet is to get set up with this coverage early on.
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Why Work with an Independent Insurance Agent?
Independent insurance agents are your greatest ally when it comes to finding the right comprehensive car insurance. Your agent can shop and compare quotes and policies from multiple car insurance companies in your area to help you find the best rate and quality protection. And down the road, your agent will still be there to help update your policy when necessary.
FAQs About Comprehensive Insurance
Drivers who want more protection for their vehicles than just against collisions with other cars or objects should purchase comprehensive insurance. If your car is highly valuable or prone to weather-related risks or crime threats, it's important to consider comprehensive insurance.
Working with an independent insurance agent is the best way to determine the coverage levels that work best for you. They'll consider factors like your car's age and value, as well as how much money you'd be willing to pay out of pocket toward a deductible.
Work with your independent insurance agent to determine how much you'd be willing or able to pay out of pocket after an incident. Higher deductibles can offer you a nice price break on monthly premiums. However, you'll have to pay more out of your own pocket if you need to file a claim.
If comprehensive coverage no longer makes sense for you, it might be time to drop it. Perhaps your car is old, not valuable, or not particularly at risk of anything other than a collision with another driver.
Maybe you don't even take your car out on the road. An independent insurance agent can help you decide when it's the right time to drop comprehensive insurance.
It can be easy to get these two terms confused because, by definition, they might seem to mean the same thing. However, comprehensive insurance refers to just one coverage aspect of a car insurance policy. It covers threats other than collision (e.g., windshield breaks, theft, etc.).
A "full coverage" car insurance policy refers to a policy that includes more than just the state's required liability coverage. It typically includes collision coverage, comprehensive coverage, and other types of coverage, such as personal injury protection and uninsured motorist coverage.
https://www.insurance.com/auto-insurance/coverage/comprehensive-and-collision-auto-insurance.html
https://www.iii.org/article/what-is-covered-by-collision-and-comprehensive-auto-insurance
https://wallethub.com/edu/ci/comprehensive-vs-collision/10023
https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-auto-insurance