Home and Auto Insurance Bundle, Priced Both Ways

• A multi-policy discount. California's auto rating rules allow "multi-policies with the same, or an affiliated, company" as an optional factor, and Mercury and Travelers both advertise a multi-policy discount.
• A multi-car discount on top. Multi-vehicle households are a separate optional factor, so two cars on one auto policy can help even before the house enters the picture.
• One review a year. If both policies start on the same day, they renew together, and we can look at the whole household in one conversation.
• One call after a big loss. If a windstorm drops a tree on the garage and the car inside it, one agent works both claims with you.

None of this changes what the policies cover. A bundle is still two separate policies, each with its own limits and deductibles, that share a carrier and a discount.

• The house is in a high wildfire-risk area. One carrier may decline it, or price it high enough to cancel out the bundle discount.
• A driver has tickets, an at-fault accident or needs an SR-22. The cars may price better with a carrier that focuses on those drivers, such as Bristol West, while the house stays with Mercury or Travelers. Our SR-22 insurance page explains the filing.
• The home is on the FAIR Plan. The FAIR Plan only sells property coverage, so there's no auto policy to pair it with. The California FAIR Plan guide covers that setup.
• You own a rental too. A rental house goes on its own landlord policy, which we can quote with carriers such as Steadily and Obie. See landlord insurance.

That ranking works in favor of the household this page is written for. Drivers with a clean record can qualify for California's Good Driver Discount, which by law must be at least 20 percent below the rate they'd otherwise be charged. To qualify, you generally need to have been licensed for the past three years with no more than one violation point, no at-fault injury accident in that time and no DUI conviction in the past 10 years.

Home insurance doesn't follow that ranking. A home premium turns on the rebuild cost, the property's wildfire risk score, the roof, the age of the plumbing and electrical, and claims history, so the multi-policy credit is one line in a price that can vary a lot between carriers. Our pages on California car insurance and homeowners insurance cover each side in more depth.

• The house or condo. An HO-3 policy for a house, or an HO-6 for a condo. Our condo insurance page explains unit coverage.
• Every car and driver. Both cars, plus a teen driver if you have one. Years of driving experience is one of California's three required rating factors, so a new driver changes the math.
• Earthquake coverage. A CEA earthquake policy has to come from the same company that writes your home policy, so if you want one, it can affect which home carrier makes sense. See earthquake insurance for the options.
• A personal umbrella, if it fits. An umbrella adds liability above your home and auto limits. Carriers usually require certain limits on the policies underneath, so ask us before you plan around one.

If you're switching both policies, we can usually start them on the same date so they renew together. Keep your old policies active until the new ones are in force; your old carriers will generally refund unused premium.

If you're buying a house, start the home quote as soon as you're in escrow. Your lender will want proof of homeowners insurance before closing, which makes it a natural time to re-price the cars as well.

We work from one office in Valencia and serve households across California by phone, email and e-signature. Santa Clarita families can read more on our Santa Clarita car insurance and Santa Clarita home insurance pages, and our Mercury Insurance agent page covers working with Mercury through us.