Bear River Insurance Review 2023

If you live in Utah, Bear River insurance could be a decent option for you to consider. Those who are looking for local agents and in-depth knowledge of the specific risks faced by Utah residents may find Bear River Mutual appealing since it is specifically tailored to those in the Beehive state.

Bear River Mutual Insurance is Utah’s oldest provider of property and casualty insurance. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, it provides auto, homeowners, renters, condo, dwelling and umbrella insurance products.

Bear River advertises low premiums for Utah drivers and offers a fairly standard suite of auto insurance coverage. Included in their basic package are coverages for liability, physical damage, uninsured/underinsured motorists, and personal injury protection (PIP). The company’s website does not offer information on discount opportunities, though you can get a quote online or call a local agent for further information.

Bear River Mutual insurance products

Bear River Mutual has been insuring Utah homes and cars for longer than any other company in the state. The company’s philosophy is to deliver fair, honest, and prompt service to select customers at affordable rates.

The company offers a wide range of insurance products that you can customize to fit your needs. Coverages include home, auto, renters, and more. Bear River’s independent agents can help you select the best plan for your situation.

Bear River home insurance

Bear River home insurance offers fairly standard coverage compared to other national or larger regional carriers. The company only insures homes in Utah, with coverage available for primary and secondary homes.

However, Bear River Mutual does note that its policy rates are based solely on the risks associated with Utah homes, which could mean lower rates than a national carrier that has to account for varied risks nationwide. It may be a good option for homeowners looking for standard policies without a great number of extra options since there are only a few endorsements listed on the website.

Bear River’s website is not especially informative about what its home policies cover and what coverage limits are available. Hence, it may be best to speak to an agent about your specific needs. In addition to basic liability insurance, you could add coverage for equipment breakdown, buried utility lines and earthquakes to your policy.

It also offers dwelling insurance for rental properties, as well as renters, condo and umbrella insurance.

Home insurance coverage includes:

Primary residence. Protect your home with Bear River’s home insurance. A variety of protections are available, and an agent can help you customize the plan for your needs.
Secondary residence. You can protect your seasonal or vacation home with this coverage.
Personal liability. This protection covers you if someone is injured or if someone’s property is damaged in your home due to your negligence.
Earthquake. This feature protects your home and belongings from earthquake damage.
Condominium. Condos often require special protections. You may qualify for special discounts on your condo insurance.
Equipment breakdown and utility/service line coverage. This protection covers electrical devices and equipment in your home. Coverage is also available for buried utility lines, such as gas, electricity, water, and sewer.

Insuring only Utah homes allows the company to provide the best prices for Utahns. An agent can provide you with more details about discount opportunities and customization.

Pros and cons of Bear River home insurance

Bear River’s home insurance product has its upsides and downsides. Comparing home quotes from several companies, including Bear River Mutual, might help you get a better idea if the company is right for you.

Pros

Coverage for secondary homes is available
Rates are based only on Utah risks
Local agents available to guide you

Cons

Fewer endorsements than some carriers
No discounts advertised
Only available in Utah

Bear River home insurance cost

Specific average rates for Bear River home insurance aren’t available. If you’d like to know how much your coverage would be with Bear River, contact an agent for a quote.

There are a number of cheap homeowners insurance companies writing policies in Utah, so you should be able to ask for quotes from several companies, including Bear River, if you are looking for the most affordable rates. The average cost of a homeowners insurance policy with $250K in dwelling coverage in the U.S. is $1,428, for comparison’s sake.

Bear River home insurance discounts

Most of the best home insurance companies offer discounts, but Bear River does not list any savings opportunities on its website. This doesn’t mean that the company doesn’t offer ways to save, just that it doesn’t advertise them.

You will need to speak to an agent directly to learn what discounts Bear River may have for your policy.

Bear River car insurance

If you live in Utah, Bear River car insurance could be a decent option for you to consider. Those who are looking for local agents and in-depth knowledge of the specific risks faced by Utah residents may find Bear River Mutual appealing since it is specifically tailored to drivers in the Beehive state.

While coverage options are limited (roadside assistance and rental reimbursement appear to be the only add-ons), Bear River may also have policies for your RV, motorhome or trailer. Bear River could be a good choice for Utal drivers, but the carrier did not make our list of best car insurance companies, largely due to its limited availability — coverage is only available in Utah — and coverage options.

Auto coverages available with Bear River include:

Liability. This is the most basic form of auto insurance. Most states require this coverage, and it pays the costs if you injure someone else or damage their property with your vehicle.
Physical damage coverage. Also known as collision and comprehensive coverage, these protections pay for damage to your vehicle. Collision covers losses resulting from hitting another object. And comprehensive pays for non-collision accidents, such as theft, weather, or vandalism.
Uninsured/underinsured motorist. This coverage protects you and your assets if you are in an accident caused by a driver with little or no insurance.
24/7 roadside assistance. This feature covers towing, lockout services, and fuel delivery. You can add it to your policy by speaking to an independent agent.
Rental car reimbursement. If your vehicle is undriveable after a covered accident, this feature will pay for your temporary use of a rental car.
RV/motor home/trailer. You can protect your assets by adding this coverage to your auto plan.

Bear River’s independent agents can help you select the best coverage for you.

Pros and cons

Like any company, Bear River Mutual has its perks and drawbacks. It can be helpful to understand these while shopping for coverage, especially if you are getting car insurance quotes from multiple carriers. Knowing the pros and cons of each company could help you make a more informed coverage decision.

Pros

Local agents available
Coverage is available for RVs, motorhomes and trailers
Offers online access to policy documents

Cons

Few endorsements
Limited third-party ratings
Digital tools are not as robust as some carriers

Bear River car insurance cost

Rates for Bear River car insurance aren’t available. If you are shopping for Utah car insurance, getting quotes and comparing car insurance rates from several carriers might help you find the right policy for the right price. You can request a quote from the Bear River website, but will need to wait for an agent to contact you to receive the quote.

As a benchmark, the average cost of car insurance in the U.S. is $622 for minimum coverage and $2,014 for a full coverage policy.

Bear River car insurance discounts

Discounts can be a great way to get a cheaper car insurance policy. Unfortunately, Bear River Mutual does not advertise any car insurance discounts or additional ways to lower your car insurance costs on its website. Talking directly to a Bear River agent is likely the best way to find out what savings opportunities are available to you.

Bear River Mutual renters insurance

Renters insurance is an excellent way to protect your personal belongings. Bear River’s plan for renters gives you access to customizable protection. Coverage available for renters includes:

Personal property. Your belongings are covered against theft, damage, destruction, etc. Your plan may also protect the personal property of guests in your apartment.
Loss of use. Your plan will pay for temporary living expenses if your property is uninhabitable after a covered loss.
Additional coverages. Renters plans may include other coverages, such as debris removal and repairs.

Bear River Mutual renters’ plans cover personal property against fire, lightning, windstorms, hail, smoke, vandalism, theft, etc. An agent can give you a complete list of covered perils.

Bear River dwelling insurance

Dwelling insurance is available for personally-owned homes, buildings, duplexes, and fourplexes.

Bear River’s dwelling insurance covers:

Dwelling. The home used mainly as a living space is the dwelling. Structures attached to the house and tools and materials used for work on the dwelling are also covered.
Other structures. Structures not attached to the home, such as garages or sheds, are covered under this feature.

Dwelling coverage is usually written for rental properties. Bear River’s dwelling insurance might help you protect your assets if you own a rental building.

Bear River umbrella insurance

Umbrella insurance is liability coverage to supplement your primary policy. It can help pay for things that your primary plan doesn’t cover.

Umbrella insurance with Bear River covers you against:

Damages. Your plan will pay for damage you cause to others, up to the limit of liability.
Lawsuits. The plan covers the costs to defend yourself against a lawsuit if your primary policy provides insufficient coverage.

Bear River Mutual’s umbrella plans can be written with $1-$2 million limits.

Bear River ratings & reviews

Financial ratings and customer reviews are two important criteria to check as you continue your search for a new insurance company. You can learn so much from these two sources, as they reveal the company’s credibility and trustworthiness.

Bear River financial ratings

Financial ratings are third-party appraisals of an insurance company’s ability to meet specific obligations.

Bear River Mutual Insurance Company has an A- (excellent) rating with A.M. Best, one of the country’s most trusted financial reviewers. Additionally, the company’s outlook is stable.

Bear River customer reviews

Aside from financial ratings, customer reviews are another excellent source of information about a company. Reviewing customer complaints and praises allows us to determine how the business treats its patrons. This information tells you if the company honors its commitments and respects its customers.

Bear River Mutual is not accredited by the Better Business Bureau (BBB). However, the company holds an A- based on customer submissions. It has 1/5 stars based on six customer reviews.

Bear River has far better Google reviews. Here, the company has an average rating of 4.6/5 stars based on 1,603 customer reviews.

While the BBB reviews are generally unfavorable and accuse the company of poor customer service, the Google reviews are glowing. Many customers celebrate their friendly agents. Others praise the company for its easy claims process and quality services.

Comments are similarly positive on Clearsurance, where the company has 4.11/5 stars based on 57 customer reviews.

How do I file a claim with Bear River?

Bear River may be a smaller company, but it does provide its policyholders with several easy ways to file claims, including:

Filing online with this form

Calling 1-800-925-5177

- Option 2 for roadside assistance

- Option 3 for glass-only auto claims

- Option 4 for all other auto claims

- Option 5 for property claims (home, condo, renters, etc.)

You may be able to contact your agent directly to file a claim as well. However, Bear River notes that claims must be reported directly, so your agent may direct you to call one of the numbers listed above.