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Our Summary

Allstate has 12,200 agents nationwide that help those in their communities with personal and commercial insurance needs. Their business policies are underwritten by specialized business underwriters to make sure that you are properly protected from the risks that your business faces. 

Company Overview

Allstate started in 1931 and is based in Northbrook, Illinois. It was founded by the Sears, Roebuck & Co. president and chairman, General Robert E. Wood, who wanted to sell insurance by mail. Today, Allstate writes business primarily through its agents but is also the owner of online powerhouse, Esurance. 

Geographic Representation

Allstate has locally owned and operated agencies throughout the U.S. in all 50 states. Each agency is headed by an independent agent who manages his own team to serve his local community.

Lines of Coverage

Allstate doesn’t advertise all lines of insurance on its website but when you click through for a quote, you see other lines of insurance beyond a business owners policy 

The types of commercial insurance policies that you can get with Allstate include:

• Business Owners Policy (BOP): Provides general liability and commercial property insurance with equipment breakdown and business interruption all in one policy
• Professional Liability: Covers injuries and damage resulting from poor professional advise or service
• Business Umbrella: Added liability protection for BOPs and commercial auto policies
• Workers’ Compensation: Pays medical bills and lost wages for employees hurt while working
• Commercial Auto: Provides financial protection for at-fault accidents in business vehicles
• Transported Tools and Equipment: An inland marine policy that covers business property that is taken to job sites and client locations

Top Industries Served

Allstate tends to be conservative with its underwriting of small businesses. It best serves Main Street businesses where it has a large appetite and competitively prices policies. 

Its website has featured businesses, such as:

• Accounting services
• Barber shops
• Chiropractors
• Dentists
• Legal services
• Medical offices
• Photographers
• Real estate agents 

If you are unsure about Allstate’s ability to cover your business, talk to an agent.

Premium Costs

Premiums for an Allstate commercial policy will depend on your location, your industry, revenues, and claims history. You may be able to get a discount if you combine commercial auto with a BOP. 

Underwriting Process

Allstate has a complete online system that it uses to generate business insurance quotes. It allows you to choose your industry as well as the type of insurance you want to get. It asks for location details and business property amounts. While we entered a very simple business profile, the online system was unable to generate a quote for us. We imagine that most business profiles will need to speak with an Allstate agent to get a business policy. The process for a quote is likely just minutes with an agent, though each agent will be different, and the underwriting team may take several days to issue the policy. 

AM Best Ratings

AM Best is a nationally recognized insurance rating firm that grades companies based on metrics determining financial strength. AM Best has afforded Allstate’s rating of A+ (Superior) in 2021. This means that Allstate has the financial resources to handle its claims and pay its obligations. 

Complaint Index

Every year, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) issues a score for insurance companies called a complaint index. This score is determined by the number of complaints a company has in relation to its size. Average scores are always set at 1.0 with scores dropping below this average being favorable scores. When scores go above 1.0, this means companies have more complaints than expected for their size. 

The Allstate commercial insurance complaint ratios are:

• General liability: 0
• Commercial property: 0
• Commercial auto: 3.09

Allstate scores exceptionally well in the first two metrics with no complaints reported. It still has work to do to bring down the complaint index for commercial auto. 

Reputation

Allstate’s Trustpilot reviews are primarily centered around personal lines of business, not commercial. These reviews are heavily skewed on the negative spectrum citing problems with customer service and resolving problems. It’s important to understand that each Allstate office is owned individually, and customer service will vary from agent’s office to agent’s office. Find an agent you gel with and can easily communicate with. 

Concluding Thoughts

Allstate checks all the boxes when it comes to offering the needed business insurance most small business owners need. The company focuses on Main Street businesses where it feels there is a lower risk of massive claims. When selecting Allstate, it’s important to find an agent you trust because that is who will be servicing your policy. 

Learn more about Allstate 

Methodology

CommericalInsurance.net employs its own independent research to come up with the details for reviews. We do this so that you can have as many insights as possible about a company so that you can make the best decision for your commercial insurance. We take into consideration the company’s history and where they serve. We want to highlight the appetite that a company has as this suggests where business owners can get the most competitive rates. Where possible, we include premium data. From there, we take into account formal complaints, and financial strength ratings along with public reviews painting a broad picture of the company’s reputation.