Comprehensive coverage typically kicks in to help you cover the cost of repairing your car after damage from anything other than a collision with another car. Comprehensive car insurance isn’t legally required, but acts as protection against some of the more unexpected — and uncontrollable — damages that can happen.
Comprehensive car insurance protects your car for almost anything other than a collision with another car. Damage that’s covered by comprehensive insurance can include:
Let’s say you park your car on the street after coming home from work. One night, a tree falls on your car, smashing the hood and leaving you with a $5,000 repair bill.
After you pay your $500 deductible for your comprehensive coverage, your insurance covers the additional $4,500 for your car repair.
Comprehensive coverage comes with a deductible. You’ll choose how much you want your deductible to be when you’re buying insurance.
To decide what your deductible should be, weigh how much car repairs could cost against how much you’re willing to pay out of your own pocket. The higher you set your deductible, the lower your insurance premiums will be.
Unlike liability insurance, you’re not legally required to have comprehensive coverage — regardless of the state you live in. But that doesn’t mean you won’t need it, or that you shouldn’t otherwise get it. You might want to opt for comprehensive insurance if:
The biggest reason you might want to pass on comprehensive insurance is the value of your car. If your car isn’t worth much, it could cost more to keep up insurance than it would to put aside money for repairs or another car.
A good way to tell if your car is worth enough to get comprehensive coverage is to compare the cost of your annual premium and deductible to your car’s value. If the premium and deductible combined are more than your car’s worth, you may be better off without.
However, consider whether you have the cash reserves for another car or a backup car to get around if your lower-value car gets stolen or totaled for a covered reason.
A car insurance policy with just comprehensive coverage isn’t considered full coverage. However, when you combine all state-mandated coverage like liability as well as comprehensive and collision, you get what’s called full coverage insurance.
At $167 per month, Travelers comes in as the cheapest car insurance company for policies with comprehensive coverage, catering to a broad range of drivers. Progressive brings the second cheapest comprehensive policy at $171 per month.
However, the cheapest overall is USAA at $165 per month, but you’ll have to qualify as a member of the military first.
| Company | Annual premium | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| USAA | $1,980 | $165 |
| Travelers | $2,005 | $167 |
| Progressive | $2,047 | $171 |
| Geico | $2,552 | $213 |
| Nationwide | $2,674 | $223 |
| Allstate | $2,723 | $227 |
| State Farm | 2,869 | $239 |
| Farmers | $2,972 | $248 |
| Liberty Mutual | $3,213 | $268 |
To find the cheapest comprehensive car insurance, we looked at quotes with liability, comprehensive and collision coverage from a variety of ZIP California codes. Our driver profile looked like this:
We also compared coverage both for sedans and SUVs to get a well-rounded look at premiums for these popular vehicles.
You’ll need other types of car insurance coverage to pay for this damage, including:
Comprehensive coverage offers protection against noncollision auto damage. It can offer peace of mind knowing you’re covered when the unexpected happens. To find the best price, compare car insurance companies.
What kind of animal-related damage is covered?
Typically damage from animals would include a wild animal damaging your car — like hitting a deer, squirrels chewing through wires or a bird flying into your windshield.
How much should my comprehensive insurance pay to replace my car?
You typically purchase up to the actual cash value of your car. That means if your car is a total loss, you’ll only pay your deductible, and you car insurance will pay the going market value for your car after factoring in its depreciation.
If your policy states replacement cost value, that means you should get paid a settlement that doesn’t factor in depreciation. This helps you pay in full for another car with a similar make, model, year and condition.
How do I know if an insurance coverage type is mandatory?
The best way is to check with your state’s DMV. Most likely, your state requires all drivers to carry liability coverage for bodily injury and property damage.
The exceptions are New Hampshire and Virginia, which have different rules. Your state may also require you to buy personal injury protection or medical payments coverage.
If you’re leasing your car, you’ll also want to check with your lender. Most lenders require comprehensive and collision insurance.
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