Home · Condo · Personal lines · NH + CT
By Jon Merwin, Founder and CEO, Licensed Insurance Advisor
- Vermont Mutual opened its doors in Montpelier, Vermont, on January 21, 1828, and is owned by its policyholders, not stockholders.
- Vermont Mutual holds an AM Best financial strength rating of A (Excellent) with a stable outlook, affirmed effective March 31, 2026.
- Vermont Mutual lists seven states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York State, Rhode Island and Vermont.
- Its Homeowners Broadening Endorsements come in three levels, and the top two add Home Systems Protection for sudden equipment breakdown.
- Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance quotes Vermont Mutual alongside our other carriers, and we help you report claims and follow up until they are resolved.
Is Vermont Mutual a good choice for your home? For many homeowners in New Hampshire and Connecticut, it is worth a close look. Vermont Mutual is one of the older mutual insurers in the country, it sells through local independent agents, and it holds an AM Best rating of A (Excellent). Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency, and Vermont Mutual is one of the 40+ carriers we work with. This Vermont Mutual homeowners insurance review is our plain look at who the company is, what its homeowners policies are known for, who it tends to fit, and how we compare it with other options before we recommend anything.
Who is Vermont Mutual Insurance Group?
Vermont Mutual’s story starts with fire, like many early New England insurers. According to its company history, the Vermont Mutual Fire Insurance Company received its legislative charter on November 10, 1827, and opened to the public on January 21, 1828. Its founder, Montpelier merchant Daniel Baldwin, wanted to protect his neighbors from financial ruin when open flames lit nearly every home.
The company has operated in Montpelier ever since. It took its current name, Vermont Mutual Insurance Company, in 1967. Today Vermont Mutual Insurance Group brings together three companies: Vermont Mutual Insurance Company, its wholly owned subsidiary Northern Security Insurance Company, Inc., and the affiliated Granite Security Insurance Company (Vermont Mutual, About).
Because Vermont Mutual is a mutual company, it is owned by its policyholders. In its own words, unlike public insurance companies that answer to stockholders, it answers to its policyholders. Vermont Mutual describes itself as a regional company focused on the Northeast, and says it insures more than 300,000 policyholders through more than 800 independent agency office locations.
| Fact | What the source says |
|---|---|
| Founded | Chartered November 10, 1827; opened January 21, 1828, in Montpelier, VT (source) |
| Ownership | Mutual company owned by its policyholders (source) |
| Group companies | Vermont Mutual Insurance Company, Northern Security Insurance Company, Inc. and Granite Security Insurance Company |
| States | CT, ME, MA, NH, NY, RI and VT (source) |
| How it sells | Through local independent agents (find an agent) |
| AM Best financial strength | A (Excellent), stable outlook, affirmed effective March 31, 2026 (AM Best) |
What is Vermont Mutual’s AM Best rating?
As of October 15, 2026, AM Best’s Best’s Credit Rating Center shows Vermont Mutual Insurance Company with a Financial Strength Rating of A (Excellent) and a Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of a+ (Excellent), both with a stable outlook, affirmed effective March 31, 2026. AM Best has rated the company since 1906. Vermont Mutual’s distinctions page also lists the A (Excellent) rating.
For a full and fair picture: AM Best moved the rating to A from A+ in March 2025. In its announcement, AM Best tied the change to a strategic shift in how Vermont Mutual manages its risk-adjusted capital, revised the outlook to stable and noted a return to strong operating performance in 2024.
Where does Vermont Mutual write homeowners insurance?
Vermont Mutual says it offers personal and commercial insurance in seven states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York State, Rhode Island and Vermont (Vermont Mutual). This review focuses on the two states where we quote it most for homeowners, New Hampshire and Connecticut.
Our Portsmouth, NH home insurance page and our New Hampshire homeowners insurance guide explain how we match homes to carriers across the state. In Connecticut, start with our Connecticut homeowners insurance hub. We serve Connecticut from our Connecticut office and by phone, email and online.
What does a Vermont Mutual homeowners policy cover?
Vermont Mutual’s homeowners page lists a range of policy types, so the company can fit more than a single-family house:
- Homeowners policies for owner-occupied houses.
- Condominium policies for unit owners.
- Tenant policies for renters.
- Mobile home policies.
- Dwelling fire coverage, designed primarily for tenant-occupied properties or other properties that may not qualify for homeowners coverage (Vermont Mutual, Dwelling Fire).
Vermont Mutual also offers a Home Business Endorsement, which it says lets you insure an in-home business on your homeowners policy instead of a separate commercial policy. Tell us about your business when we quote so we can confirm it qualifies.
Homeowners Broadening Endorsements
The feature Vermont Mutual is best known for among agents is its Homeowners Broadening Endorsements. These bundle supplementary coverages onto the base policy for items such as debris removal, theft of jewelry and fine arts, water backup and identity fraud. There are three levels:
| Level | What Vermont Mutual says it adds |
|---|---|
| Enhancement Amendment | The entry level of broadened protection on the homeowners policy |
| Advantage Endorsement | More protection than the Enhancement Amendment, and includes Home Systems Protection |
| Elite Endorsement | The broadest level; includes Home Systems Protection plus underground service line coverage |
Home Systems Protection covers damage caused by a sudden and accidental mechanical or electrical breakdown, up to the endorsement’s limit. Vermont Mutual’s list includes furnaces and heat pumps, central air, water heaters, well pumps, electrical panels, solar equipment, and kitchen and laundry appliances. In a New England house with an older boiler or a private well, that can be a practical add-on.
Underground service line coverage, included with the Elite Endorsement, addresses something many homeowners don’t realize they own: the water pipes, waste lines and cables that run under their yard. Vermont Mutual notes that homeowners are often responsible when one of those lines fails on their property.
Valuables and extra liability
For jewelry, silverware, fine arts and other special property, Vermont Mutual offers personal inland marine coverage. It also offers a personal umbrella that adds liability limits above your Vermont Mutual auto and homeowners policies. You can read more about how an umbrella works on our umbrella insurance page.
One thing a homeowners policy, from any carrier, generally does not cover is flood. If your home is near the coast, a river or a low-lying area, ask us about a separate flood insurance policy when we quote your Vermont Mutual home.
Who is Vermont Mutual a good fit for?
Every home is underwritten on its own merits, so this is a general guide, not a promise of eligibility. In our experience as an independent agency, Vermont Mutual tends to be worth quoting for:
- Primary homes in New Hampshire and Connecticut, where Vermont Mutual has deep regional roots and a long history of insuring New England houses.
- Homeowners who want broader built-in protection, through the Advantage or Elite Endorsement, including Home Systems Protection and service line coverage.
- People who work from home and want to look at the Home Business Endorsement rather than a separate commercial policy.
- Condo owners and renters, since Vermont Mutual writes condominium and tenant policies as well as homeowners.
- Owners of a rental house, who may be a fit for Vermont Mutual dwelling fire coverage.
- People who value a local agent, since Vermont Mutual works through independent agencies and directs claims through them first.
What to keep in mind
- Vermont Mutual writes in seven northeastern states, so it may not follow you if you move outside that footprint.
- Endorsement levels, limits and policy forms vary by state and by home. We confirm the details for your address before you decide.
- You can’t shop Vermont Mutual on a website the way you might with a direct writer. You go through an independent agent, which for many clients is the point.
Call our team at (603) 431-4020, or request a quote below and we will compare Vermont Mutual with our other carriers.
How does Portsmouth Atlantic quote Vermont Mutual alongside other carriers?
As an independent agency founded in 2005, we don’t start with one company’s form. We start with your house: its age, construction, heating system, roof, location and how you use it. Then we compare the carriers that fit. For a standard homeowners, second home or condo policy, Vermont Mutual is one of several carriers we may quote, and you can see the full list on our carriers page.
Two policies with similar limits can differ in endorsements, deductibles and how they handle water backup or equipment breakdown. When we put Vermont Mutual next to a company like Andover, which we review in our Andover insurance review, we walk you through those differences in plain English. If your home needs high-value coverage, we may also show you options like those in our Cincinnati Insurance review.
A Connecticut note: In Connecticut, we place one- to four-unit landlord and dwelling policies with Vermont Mutual, Andover, Liberty Mutual, Hanover, Providence Mutual and Foremost, and 5+ unit apartment buildings with Vermont Mutual, Andover and Providence Mutual.
We’re family-owned and licensed in 10 states. Portsmouth Atlantic is New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials.
How do Vermont Mutual homeowners claims work?
Vermont Mutual’s Report a Claim page asks policyholders to contact their local independent agent as soon as possible after a loss. The agent forwards the necessary information to Vermont Mutual and gives you initial guidance, and a Vermont Mutual claims representative then contacts you to start the process. Vermont Mutual also takes claim reports online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and has an emergency line for catastrophic damage that makes a home unlivable.
That agent-first approach is how we like to work. If Portsmouth Atlantic is your agent, call us at (603) 431-4020. We help you report the claim, make sure Vermont Mutual has what it needs, and follow up until the claim is resolved. Meanwhile, stay safe, take photos and prevent further damage if you can.
How do I get a Vermont Mutual quote?
Tell us about your home and we will compare Vermont Mutual with our other carriers. Prefer to talk? Call (603) 431-4020.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vermont Mutual a good homeowners insurance company?
Vermont Mutual is a policyholder-owned mutual insurer that has operated in Montpelier, Vermont, since 1828. Its AM Best financial strength rating is A (Excellent), affirmed effective March 31, 2026, with a stable outlook. Whether it is the right fit depends on your home, so we compare it with our other carriers before we recommend it.
What states does Vermont Mutual write insurance in?
Vermont Mutual says it offers personal and commercial insurance in Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York State, Rhode Island and Vermont. Products and endorsements can vary by state.
Can I buy Vermont Mutual insurance directly?
Vermont Mutual’s website points consumers to a local independent agent for coverage and quotes. Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance is an independent agency that quotes Vermont Mutual for New Hampshire and Connecticut homeowners.
What are Vermont Mutual’s Homeowners Broadening Endorsements?
They are packages of extra coverages added to a Vermont Mutual homeowners policy. Vermont Mutual offers three levels: the Enhancement Amendment, the Advantage Endorsement and the Elite Endorsement. The Advantage and Elite levels include Home Systems Protection, and the Elite level adds underground service line coverage.
Does Vermont Mutual cover appliance and home system breakdowns?
Through Home Systems Protection, included with the Advantage and Elite Endorsements, Vermont Mutual covers sudden and accidental mechanical or electrical breakdown of listed systems such as furnaces, heat pumps, water heaters, well pumps, electrical panels and many household appliances, up to the endorsement’s limit.
How do I file a Vermont Mutual homeowners claim?
Vermont Mutual asks policyholders to contact their local independent agent as soon as possible, and it also takes claim reports online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If Portsmouth Atlantic is your agent, call us at (603) 431-4020. We help you report the claim and follow up until it is resolved.
Does Vermont Mutual insure condos, renters and rental homes?
Yes. Vermont Mutual lists homeowners, tenant, condominium and mobile home policies, and it offers dwelling fire coverage designed primarily for tenant-occupied properties that may not qualify for a homeowners policy.
Is Vermont Mutual available for Connecticut homes?
Yes. Connecticut is one of the seven states Vermont Mutual lists. In Connecticut, Vermont Mutual is one of Portsmouth Atlantic’s carriers for one- to four-unit landlord and dwelling policies, alongside Andover, Liberty Mutual, Hanover, Providence Mutual and Foremost, and for 5+ unit apartment buildings, alongside Andover and Providence Mutual. We serve Connecticut from our Connecticut office and by phone, email and online.
Sources
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, History of Vermont Mutual
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, About Vermont Mutual
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, A Recognized Leader in the Industry (distinctions)
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, Personal Homeowners
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, Homeowners Broadening Endorsements
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, Personal Dwelling Fire
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, Personal Inland Marine
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, Personal Umbrella
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, How to Report a Claim
- Vermont Mutual Insurance Group, Find an Agent
- AM Best, Best’s Credit Rating Center: Vermont Mutual Insurance Company (checked Oct. 15, 2026)
- AM Best, AM Best Downgrades Credit Ratings of Vermont Mutual Insurance Company and Its Subsidiaries (Mar. 4, 2025)
Jon founded Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance in 2005. The family-owned agency works with 40+ carriers, is licensed in 10 states and is New Hampshire’s highest-rated agency on Google, with 1,000+ Google reviews and over 2,000 testimonials. Call (603) 431-4020.