Safety Insurance homeowners insurance

Overview

Safety Insurance is a Boston property and casualty insurer that writes private passenger auto, commercial auto, homeowners, condo, dwelling fire, umbrella and small business coverage in three states: Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. It sells only through independent agents, 797 agencies with 1,063 offices at the end of 2025, and does not sell direct. The parent, Safety Insurance Group, Inc., trades on Nasdaq as SAFT, though that is about to change: in July 2026 Spain's MAPFRE agreed to buy the company.

The Safety Group ranked #68 among U.S. homeowners insurance groups by 2025 direct premiums written, with $314.1 million (0.17% of the national market), according to NAIC market share data. Nearly all of that is in Massachusetts, where Safety was the 3rd-largest homeowners group in 2025 with $292.6 million and a 7.25% share. Homeowners is a quarter of the business: $322.2 million of Safety's $1.28 billion in 2025 direct written premiums, with auto making up most of the rest. About 81% of its homeowners customers also insure a car with Safety.

History

Safety was founded in 1979 and has written insurance in Massachusetts since then through its predecessors. The holding company was incorporated in Delaware in 2001 and went public in November 2002. For its first three decades Safety was a Massachusetts-only company built largely on auto insurance. It expanded into New Hampshire in 2008 and Maine in 2016, and in November 2020 formed a fourth insurer, Safety Northeast Insurance Company. George M. Murphy, with the company for more than 37 years, became president and chief executive officer in April 2016 and chairman in May 2023.

Safety now writes through four companies, which act as pricing tiers rather than separate brands: Safety Insurance Company (standard rates), Safety Indemnity Insurance Company (preferred), Safety Northeast (a basic Massachusetts homeowners package at ultra-preferred rates) and Safety Property and Casualty Insurance Company (high-value homeowners and some commercial auto). Which company issues your policy depends on how your home and history score in underwriting.

On July 23, 2026, MAPFRE S.A. agreed to acquire Safety Insurance Group for $105 a share in cash, about $1.54 billion and a 44% premium to that day's stock price. Safety will become a wholly owned subsidiary of MAPFRE U.S.A. Corp., a sister to MAPFRE Insurance (The Commerce Insurance Company), already the largest home and auto insurer in Massachusetts. Both boards approved the deal; closing is expected in the first quarter of 2027, subject to regulatory approvals. The companies say Safety will keep its brand, Boston headquarters and agency relationships, and MAPFRE says the combination will be New England's largest homeowners insurer.

Homeowners coverage

Safety writes homeowners policies on houses, condominiums and apartments (renters), plus dwelling fire policies for non-owner-occupied homes. Its standard homeowners policy is an HO-3 form covering the house, other structures, contents, liability, medical payments to others and loss of use. Higher-value homes go to Safety P&C's high-value product.

Coverage upgrades come as packaged enhancement endorsements: Safety Select, Supreme, Supreme Plus and Complete for homeowners, and the Condominium Unit-Owners Enhancement and Edge Enhancement for condos. Safety does not publish what each package adds, so ask your agent for the endorsement form and compare it line by line; in New England the items worth checking are water backup, extended dwelling coverage and ordinance or law coverage limits for older homes. Home Cyber Protection, sold in Massachusetts and New Hampshire, covers compromised data and damage to software on computers, phones and connected home devices. Jewelry, fine arts and other valuables can be scheduled on an inland marine endorsement (items above $10,000 must be appraised), and small boats up to 32 feet can be added by endorsement. Flood is not covered by the homeowners policy.

Discounts and savings

The biggest saving is the auto-plus-home credit: 20% off a homeowners, condo or renters policy when your car is insured with Safety, and 5% off an umbrella or dwelling fire policy in Massachusetts. The other credits differ slightly by state:

• Massachusetts: e-Customer discount up to 5% with combined account billing and electronic policies; new home credit up to 18%; loss-free credits up to 16%; fire and burglar alarm credit up to 16%.
• New Hampshire and Maine: e-Customer discount up to 3% (up to 1% without an account credit); new home credit up to 18%; customer loyalty credit up to 16%; protective device credit up to 35% when combined with the new home credit.

Where it sells and recent market moves

Safety sells only in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. Of its 2025 direct written premiums, $1.20 billion came from Massachusetts, $57.7 million from New Hampshire and $16.1 million from Maine, and the two newer states are growing. Homeowners exposures were flat in 2025 at about 182,800 after rising 7.6% in 2024.

Prices are rising. Safety's average written premium per homeowners policy rose 9.7% in 2025 and 9.9% in the first quarter of 2026 compared with a year earlier, reflecting rate actions. Winter weather is the main threat to this book: two storms in January and February 2026, a blizzard and a record snowfall with hurricane-force gusts, produced more than 1,600 property claims and $42.7 million of damage, pushing Safety's first-quarter combined ratio to 113.4% and producing a quarterly net loss. Freeze losses of $29.5 million hit in 2023. The bigger change ahead is ownership: the MAPFRE sale, not a state exit, is the event Safety policyholders should watch through early 2027.

Claims

Report a claim through your agent or directly to Safety 24 hours a day at 800-951-2100 (617-951-0600 from outside Massachusetts and New Hampshire), or online through My Account and the Safety Mobile app. After a catastrophe, Safety says an adjuster should contact you within 48 hours and inspect within seven days of the report. Claims are handled by Safety staff adjusters or approved independent adjusting firms, and Safety does not hire or recommend contractors, so you choose your own. If you have a mortgage, the lender may be named on the claim check (see ice dams and roof damage for the most common winter claim).

Ratings and reputation

AM Best rates Safety's four insurance companies A (Excellent), with a long-term issuer credit rating of "a"; it affirmed those ratings in July 2026 (reported July 20) but revised the outlook to negative from stable for the companies and the parent, citing pressure on underwriting results from loss severity, weather and new business over five years and the first half of 2026. Safety says it has consistently held an A rating from AM Best. The company has been profitable in 44 of its 45 years, according to its 2025 annual report, and its 2025 combined ratio was 99.0%.

AM Best said its operating metrics have moved closer to an "adequate" assessment, particularly in personal property, while its balance sheet remains strong. Shoppers comparing Massachusetts agency companies often weigh Safety against Arbella and the Andover Companies.

Who it suits

Safety suits homeowners in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine who want a local independent agent, especially those who also need auto insurance, since the 20% package credit is large. It suits less well buyers who want to purchase online without an agent, who live outside its three states, or who would rather wait to see how the MAPFRE ownership change plays out.

• Strengths: 3rd-largest homeowners insurer in Massachusetts; a 20% home credit for Safety auto customers; A (Excellent) from AM Best; 24/7 claims reporting with a stated 48-hour adjuster contact after catastrophes.
• Weaknesses: sold only through agents and only in three states; AM Best outlook turned negative in July 2026 after winter storm losses; homeowners premiums per policy up about 10% a year in 2025 and early 2026; enhancement endorsements are not described on its site; a pending sale to MAPFRE.

How to contact Safety Insurance