After you file a home insurance claim, it’s possible that your premium will increase when your policy renews. If you file one claim, your insurance company may see you as likely to file another in the future. To offset the cost of that potential claim, your insurance company may charge you more for your policy. For smaller claims, especially when the repair costs are close to your deductible, it may not be in your best interest to file a home insurance claim.
How much does your homeowners insurance increase after a claim?
How much home insurance goes up after a claim will depend on a few things, most important of which is severity. In general, the more expensive your claim was, the more your insurance company could raise your premium. Liability claims, especially, tend to change your premium the most. A liability claim can get expensive quickly, as it can involve attorney fees, settlements and medical bills.
Not all home insurance claims are weighed equally. How much — or even, if, — your home insurance goes up after a claim will depend on:
- Your personal claims history: Homeowners with extensive claims histories may be seen as high-risk and be charged higher rates.
- Claim size: A $30,000 claim will likely affect your rate more than a $5,000 one.
- Type of claim: Different types of claims signal different kinds of risk. For example, a fire claim may be viewed differently by your insurer than a home break-in.
- Your state: Some states regulate how filing a claim can affect your insurance policy. Remember, home insurance is managed by state (not federal) governments.
- Your insurance company: Different insurers each have their own ways of calculating your rate. To one insurer, a certain kind of claim may not be that big of a deal. But, to another, it could raise your premium significantly.
- Your policy specifics: Some home insurance policies offer add-ons like claim forgiveness or a rate lock, which can keep your premium level after you file a claim.
Sometimes, your home insurance premium could go up not because you filed a claim, but because many people in your area did. For example, if multiple homeowners on your street file claims for home break-ins, that could signal to an insurance company that your street is a high-risk location. It helps to think about home insurance premiums as measures of risk: the riskier, the more expensive.
The average cost of home insurance for a homeowner without any claims is $2,181 for a policy with a $300,000 dwelling limit. The table below illustrates how homeowners insurance goes up after a claim, based on our analysis of average rates from Quadrant Information Services.
| Type of claim | Dollar amount of claim paid out* | Average annual rate after a claim* | Percent increase |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wind | $12,000 | $2,303 | 6% |
| Liability | $31,000 | $2,305 | 6% |
| Theft | $5,000 | $2,322 | 6% |
| Fire | $80,000 | $2,309 | 6% |
| *Average rates based on a claim filed on a home insurance policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. |
Why do insurance premiums go up after filing a claim?
With home insurance, the past is often used to determine the future. Meaning, if you’ve filed a claim before, your insurance company could see you as more likely to do so again. Some claims cost insurance companies quite a bit of money; to recoup the financial loss, an insurance company may charge you a higher rate. This is especially the case with claims that are likely to happen again, like dog bites, water damage and theft.
As mentioned, whether or not your insurance premium increases after a claim is situational. Certain types of claims affect insurance rates more than others. You should expect your rate to go up after a claim if you fall into any of the following categories:
- You live in an area with severe weather
- Your home is located in a high-crime area
- You have filed liability claims in the past
- You own a home with a history of claims
- You file more than one claim over several years
How long does a claim affect home insurance rates?
A claim won’t haunt you forever. How long a homeowners insurance claim stays on your record can vary, but is usually no longer than seven years. After that time, your rate should begin to level out. To check if a claim is lingering on your record, you can request a Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) report. A CLUE report will detail previous claims filed for a particular property, and is used by many insurance companies when setting rates. If there’s an error on your home’s CLUE report, it could be making your policy more expensive, so it could pay to check yours out.
Are there times when companies are not allowed to increase rates after a claim?
There are many situations when property insurance companies can raise your rate after a claim. But there are also certain situations when an insurance company is not allowed to do so. Because insurers are regulated at the state level, consumer protection laws vary based on your location.
Some of the situations that prohibit insurance companies from raising premiums include:
- When a homeowner inquires about filing a claim, but does not submit one.
- When a homeowner files a claim that does not result in a payout (denied claim).
- When a homeowner files a single claim.
- When a homeowner files a claim due to natural disaster damage.
As a homeowner, it is important to understand the consumer protection laws in your state. You can contact your state’s Department of Insurance (or equivalent governing body) to learn more about the restrictions where you live. You can also contact your insurance company to find out what situations are exempt from rate changes.
When is it worth it to file a home insurance claim?
Just because your premium could go up doesn’t mean you should never file a claim. It’s more so a matter of knowing when it’s financially in your best interest to do so. It could take a while for your home insurance premium to get back to its pre-claim level, so you may be shouldering a surcharge for a while. If you’re not sure whether or not you should file a claim, you might want to ask yourself the following:
- Is the damage I’m claiming higher than my deductible? Your deductible is the amount of money you are financially responsible for after a covered loss. If your home repair costs are lower or close to your policy deductible, it may not be worth it to file a claim and face a premium surcharge.
- Can I afford the repairs without insurance? Of course, for major repairs, you’ll probably want to rely on your policy instead of dipping into your own pockets. But, for smaller things, like a few broken windows, you may consider paying out of pocket.
- Does what I’m claiming have long-term benefits or ramifications? Something like a full roof replacement or brand-new kitchen could help you sell your home later on, so filing a claim might make sense as the long-term benefit could offset the cost eventually.
Frequently asked questions
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In addition to being intentional when deciding whether to file claims, you can also improve your credit, update your home’s security or safety features, stay on top of home maintenance and bundle policies with your insurance provider to aid in preventing your rates from increasing. These are all factors home insurers may consider when setting rates or offering discounts on your policy. While these might help you score an affordable rate, it also helps to shop around at renewal time. You might find that you can get the same coverage levels at a more affordable price through a different insurer.
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The short answer? It depends. As a rule of thumb, consider your deductible. If the repairs are significantly higher than your deductible, it may behoove you to file a claim. If you’re not sure, you can always speak to a licensed agent.
Methodology
Bankrate utilizes Quadrant Information Services to analyze January 2025 rates for all ZIP codes and carriers in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Quoted rates are based on married male and female homeowners with a clean claim history, good credit and the following coverage limits:
- Coverage A, Dwelling: $300,000
- Coverage B, Other Structures: $30,000
- Coverage C, Personal Property: $150,000
- Coverage D, Loss of Use: $60,000
- Coverage E, Liability: $500,000
- Coverage F, Medical Payments: $1,000
The homeowners also have a $1,000 deductible, a $500 hail deductible and a 2 percent hurricane deductible (or the next closest deductible amounts that are available) where separate deductibles apply.
These are sample rates and should be used for comparative purposes only. Your quotes will differ.
Claims: Rates were calculated based on the following insurance claims assigned to our homeowners: “fire ($80,000 in losses), liability ($31,000 in losses), theft ($5,000 in losses) and wind ($12,000 in losses).”
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