Branch Insurance homeowners insurance

Overview

Branch is a Columbus, Ohio insurtech built around one idea: buy home and auto insurance together, online, in a few minutes. You enter a name and address, Branch pulls claims, driving and credit information from outside sources, and it shows a bindable price for the bundle. Policies can also be bought through independent agents and through partners that embed Branch at the point of a home purchase or loan, such as Rocket Mortgage, Homepoint, OpenRoad Lending and Vivint Smart Home.

The insurer in most states is Branch Insurance Exchange, an Ohio-domiciled reciprocal exchange owned by its policyholders, who are called members or subscribers. Branch Financial, the Columbus company behind the brand (Branch Financial, Inc. in the subscriber agreement), runs the exchange as its attorney-in-fact. Depending on where you live, your policy may instead be written by General Security National Insurance Company or Everspan Insurance Company, with the same Branch service and member programs. Branch is a public benefit corporation and a Certified B Corporation.

Branch is small in homeowners terms. Branch Insurance Exchange is not among the 125 largest homeowners insurance groups in the NAIC's 2025 market share data, so it has no national rank. It is compared most often with other insurtech brands such as Lemonade, Hippo and Kin.

History

Steve Lekas, a former Allstate and Esurance executive, and technology entrepreneur Joe Emison founded Branch in Columbus in 2017. It began as a managing general agent, with policies underwritten by General Security National Insurance Co., and by mid-2020 sold bundled home and auto coverage in Arizona, Illinois, Missouri, Ohio and Texas.

In July 2020 Branch raised a $24 million Series A, co-led by Greycroft and HSCM Bermuda with SCOR among the new investors, and announced it would convert to a reciprocal exchange. Expansion came quickly: Indiana in February 2021, Colorado and Oklahoma in April 2021 (its eighth state), and Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, New Mexico, Utah and West Virginia in January 2022, taking it from five states to 19 in a year. In June 2022 Branch raised a $147 million Series C led by Weatherford Capital at a valuation of $1.05 billion, and said it operated in 28 states with reinsurance backed by SCOR.

Then costs caught up. In June 2023 Lekas announced layoffs, citing persistent inflation and loss costs that ran higher than expected as the company grew. Branch also told members that its rates had to rise, pointing to claims inflation at its highest in about two decades and what it called the worst quarter on record for catastrophic weather at the start of 2023.

Homeowners coverage

Branch sells homeowners, renters and umbrella coverage alongside auto, and covers both single-family homes and apartments. It publishes few form-level details. Its FAQ describes optional "incremental coverage," an extra layer above the dwelling's replacement cost that works like extended replacement cost if rebuilding costs more than expected after a total loss. Roof material affects the rate. Branch's Texas guide notes that some types of damage carry separate deductibles, so look for a separate wind and hail deductible on the declarations page.

Because the details are thin, read the actual policy before you buy: the form (HO-3 or otherwise), how the roof is settled, the water backup limit and the deductibles. Your own policy and your state's endorsements control.

Discounts and savings

Bundling is the core of the pitch; Branch calls its home-and-auto bundle discount among the strongest in the industry but does not publish a percentage. It has advertised up to 22% off home premiums with a home security system through partner offers. Two community programs reward members for growing the exchange: My Community, available in Arizona, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico and Ohio, and Community Pledge, available in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. A referral program pays gift cards for referrals.

There is also a cost unique to the reciprocal. Under the subscriber agreement, members of Branch Insurance Exchange pay a surplus contribution on top of premium, up to 15% of premium during the first five years of continuous membership and 2% after that. It builds the exchange's capital; if you leave, only the current term's contribution is refunded, pro rata and without interest. Branch Financial keeps a management fee of 5% of premiums. Members may also earn credits in a Subscriber Savings Account that vest over time. Compare the total you pay, not just the premium line.

Where it sells and recent market moves

Branch does not publish a state-by-state product list. Its site says products issued by Branch Insurance Exchange are not available in California and not in every state, and that some products and discounts vary by state. Its two community programs between them cover 17 states across the Midwest, South, Southwest, Mountain West and mid-Atlantic, including Ohio, Texas and Arizona. Where Branch cannot offer a policy, its agency places coverage with unaffiliated carriers. Get a quote with your exact address to confirm whether home coverage is offered.

The main recent story is the shift from fast growth to price adequacy in 2023, with layoffs and rate increases. For a policyholder, that means renewal prices that may rise faster than in the first years of membership.

Claims

File a claim online through Branch's website, in the Branch app, or by phone at 855-540-9642. Branch's claims team reviews the report and contacts you with next steps. Claim mail goes to Branch Claims, PO Box 1458, Portsmouth, NH 03802, and [email protected] handles claims correspondence. After a loss, document damage with photos before cleanup and keep receipts for emergency repairs (see how to file a homeowners insurance claim).

Ratings and reputation

Branch Insurance Exchange carries a Demotech Financial Stability Rating of A (Exceptional), as listed on Branch's site in October 2026; it does not have an AM Best rating. Most mortgage lenders accept a Demotech A. A young reciprocal's financial strength depends heavily on reinsurance and on the surplus contributions its members pay.

Who it suits

Branch suits homeowners outside California who want home and auto from one company, like buying online with prefilled information, and are comfortable with a reciprocal exchange rated by Demotech. It suits less well if you want an AM Best-rated insurer, a detailed published menu of endorsements, or a local agent relationship, and the surplus contribution means the advertised premium is not the whole cost.

• Strengths: fast online bundled quotes for home and auto; available through independent agents and lender partners as well as direct; member-owned structure with a published 5% management fee and Subscriber Savings Accounts; Demotech A (Exceptional).
• Weaknesses: not available in California and state availability is not published; surplus contributions of up to 15% of premium for new members; few published coverage details; layoffs and rate increases in 2023 after rapid growth.

How to contact Branch Insurance