Acuity Insurance homeowners insurance

Overview

Acuity, A Mutual Insurance Company is a Sheboygan, Wisconsin mutual insurance company owned by its policyholders. It is mainly a commercial insurer: Wisconsin's insurance regulator puts its mix at about 75% commercial and 25% personal lines, and its largest line is commercial auto, most of it trucking. Homeowners insurance is a meaningful second business. Acuity ranked #55 among U.S. homeowners insurance groups by 2025 direct premiums written, with $418.3 million (0.22% of the national market), according to NAIC market share data.

Its home state is where it matters most for homeowners. Acuity was the sixth-largest home insurer in Wisconsin in 2025, with $132.0 million in premiums and 4.87% of the market, behind American Family, State Farm, Auto-Owners, Erie and Allstate. The company says it writes more than $3 billion a year in total premium, manages more than $8.5 billion in assets and employs about 1,900 people. It sells through independent agents and is known for consistent financial results, including 27 straight years on the Ward's 50 list of top-performing property-casualty insurers, and for the 400-foot flagpole at its headquarters.

History

Acuity was incorporated on August 11, 1925, as the Mutual Automobile Insurance Company of the Town of Herman and began business that September, initially only in Sheboygan County. It became Mutual Auto Insurance Company in 1954 and Heritage Mutual Insurance Company in December 1957, then adopted the Acuity name in March 2001. It absorbed Bloomfield Mutual Insurance Company of West Bloomfield, Wisconsin, in 1982.

More recent steps were small and practical. In 2017 Acuity bought a Texas managing general agency, renamed Acuity TX MGA, to handle Texas personal auto, which is written by Home State County Mutual and ceded entirely to Acuity. In 2020 it formed Abuzz Insurance Agency as a digital channel to sell directly or refer customers elsewhere; it was renamed Acuity Advantage Insurance Agency in August 2024. Benjamin Salzmann was chief executive and Melissa Winter president at the end of 2024; Winter now leads the company as president and CEO.

Like most property insurers, Acuity had a rough stretch after the pandemic. The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance reported net underwriting losses of $153.7 million in 2022 and $144.0 million in 2023, narrowing to $6.8 million in 2024 after rate increases, inflation-guard pricing adjustments and geographic diversification. Its examination as of December 31, 2024 found no adverse findings.

Homeowners coverage

Acuity sells homeowners, condo, renters and landlord policies, and packages home, auto and other personal coverages in its Road and Residence program, which automatically includes replacement cost on the home and personal property, one high limit that can apply to any property, and a single deductible. Its homeowners endorsements are unusually broad for a regional carrier:

• Guaranteed home replacement, which pays the full cost to repair or rebuild after a total loss even above the policy limit (see extended and guaranteed replacement cost coverage).
• Matching siding, with limits of $10,000 to $40,000, which pays to replace undamaged siding, soffits, fascia, trim and shutters when wind or hail repairs will not match; if you choose not to replace the undamaged siding, Acuity waives the deductible. See matching: when new shingles or siding don't match.
• Limited inland flood, typically $50,000 of coverage with a $1,000 deductible for under $65 a year, available only if the policy also has water backup and sump overflow coverage and only for homes not in or within 25 meters of a FEMA flood zone. It is not a substitute for NFIP coverage.
• Service line ($10,000 limit, $500 deductible), mechanical breakdown for appliances ($50,000 limit, $5,000 per item over 15 years old, $500 deductible), identity fraud and cyber protection, jewelry, home business and earthquake coverage.

Say a hailstorm damages one side of a house clad in a discontinued vinyl siding. Without a matching endorsement, a standard policy may pay only for the damaged wall; with Acuity's $20,000 option, the undamaged walls can be re-sided so the house matches. Endorsements vary by state, and your policy controls. Acuity says it uses a wildfire tool in underwriting but does not vary price for wildfire risk or mitigation.

Discounts and savings

Acuity advertises savings of up to 20% for bundling home, vehicle and umbrella coverage, through Road and Residence or its Per-Pak program, which packages any two or more policies, such as a boat and a car. It does not publish a list of individual homeowners discounts online; ask the agent which credits apply in your state.

Where it sells and recent market moves

Acuity says it sells in more than 30 states, and the Wisconsin examination lists licenses in 38. Its five largest states in 2024 were Wisconsin (20.1% of direct premium), Texas, Missouri, Illinois and Minnesota, across all lines; most premium comes from the Midwest, and regulators say its current strategy is to go "deeper" in existing states rather than add many new ones.

On August 4, 2025, Acuity told Wisconsin regulators it would withdraw from personal lines in Nevada, followed by commercial lines, after nearly a decade of unprofitable underwriting there; the exit began in late 2025. Elsewhere it is growing: Acuity said in October 2026 that written premium was up 4.3% year to date through August and that it plans about 150 new jobs through 2027.

Claims

Claims can be reported 24/7, including weekends and holidays, at 800-242-7666, online or through your agent. A claims representative tries to make contact the same business day or within 24 hours, and each claim gets a single claims professional as the point of contact. Acuity says 96% of insureds and claimants surveyed in 2025 reported a positive claims experience, a company survey rather than an independent study.

Ratings and reputation

Acuity holds A+ (Superior) from AM Best, earned on February 6, 2026, and A+ from S&P Global, earned on October 25, 2025, according to its website. Acuity describes itself as the only commercial regional insurer rated A+ by both. It has been named to the Ward's 50 for 27 consecutive years through 2026 and was Big I Minnesota's 2026 Carrier of the Year.

Who it suits

Acuity suits homeowners in Wisconsin and Acuity's other states who want a financially strong mutual, a local independent agent and coverage options most regional carriers do not offer, such as guaranteed replacement cost, matching siding and inexpensive inland flood. It suits less well buyers who want to purchase online without an agent, homeowners in Nevada, or those comparing on a long list of advertised discounts.

• Strengths: A+ ratings from both AM Best (February 2026) and S&P (October 2025); policyholder-owned mutual since 1925; guaranteed home replacement, matching siding and limited inland flood endorsements; 24/7 claims with a single point of contact.
• Weaknesses: homeowners is a secondary line for a mostly commercial insurer; agent-only for most buyers; withdrawing from Nevada; underwriting losses in 2022 and 2023 led to rate increases.

How to contact Acuity Insurance