The best and worst homeowners insurance companies for claims
The 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study found that Amica was No. 1 for claims satisfaction in 2024. J.D. Power releases its claims satisfaction survey annually in February. For the claims survey, J.D. Power asked 6,019 homeowners insurance policyholders how they felt about recent claims experience in key areas, including the final settlement, interaction with representatives, and the estimate and repair process.
The J.D. Power home insurance company ratings survey found that customer satisfaction with home insurance companies was at a seven-year low last year. Severe weather events — costing $92.9 in damage across the country — resulted in slow repair times for policyholders, Garrett says in a press release.
“Catastrophic weather events are straining an already fragile system still experiencing supply chain issues that affect the availability and cost of materials. Resources become strained for both insurers and the contractors doing the work. Unfortunately, it’s when claims last beyond three weeks that J.D. Power sees things decline,” he says.
Here are J.D. Power's homeowners insurance rankings on a 1,000-point scale.
Ten-time award winner Amica came in first place this year, with AIG and Erie Insurance following. The report also pointed out that USAA received the second-highest score of (899), but wasn't included on the list because it only sells insurance to military personnel and their families.
PEOPLE ASK
Why should I trust J.D. Power ratings while choosing home insurance companies?
J.D. Power has been around since 1968 and has earned a solid reputation for unbiased evaluation of services and products. Its reputation for trustworthiness is why companies proudly advertise J.D. Power awards.
The study found that overall satisfaction with claims has dropped from last year, with an overall rating of 869 out of 1000. That’s a decrease of five points from 874 in 2023. Claims took, on average, more than six days longer to complete repairs than in 2022, with an average time of 23.9 days.
The 2024 study had several other important findings, including:
- While customers who use digital tools to submit a claim usually experience a smoother claims process, they don’t always experience higher satisfaction than other customers, as digital claims have been taking longer than expected.
- Cost is affecting overall satisfaction. Many customers are finding themselves paying rising premiums as well as a deductible when they file a claim, leading to lower customer satisfaction.
- Higher customer satisfaction occurs when there is consistency in service. Customer satisfaction dropped by 200 points among the 27% of people who didn’t experience this from their insurer.
The best and worst homeowners insurance companies for overall satisfaction
The 2024 J.D. Power U.S. Home Insurance Study found that rate increases lead more people to shop around. Meanwhile, the ongoing home insurance crisis in states like Florida and California, where companies are leaving the market, leaves people with fewer options.
“Many shoppers have ended up staying put because there are so few alternatives available, but carriers need to recognize that steady rate increases put policy retention at risk and has a negative effect on customer satisfaction.,” Breanne Armstrong, director of insurance intelligence at J.D. Power says in a press release.
The larger overall home insurance study, redesigned in 2024 to cover both home and renters insurance surveyed 14,122 homeowners and renters on five factors: trust; price for coverage; people; digital channels; problem resolution; product/coverage offering; and ease of doing business.
Of the top three from 2023, only Amica held a place in the 2024 top three, falling from second to third while Chubb and AIG took the top two spots.
It’s worth noting that the top score this year was 688; last year the top score, earned by Erie, was 856. The average this year was much lower at 640 over last year’s average of 819, which is largely due to the redesigned rating system.
"Since we changed the model of the study, we can’t directly trend 2024 back to 2023. Although the lower scores make it appear that satisfaction with home insurance declined, these lower scores are a direct result of the scale change," says Armstrong, responding to our request for clarification on the changes.
Below is a list of J.D. Power's best insurance companies for overall satisfaction.
*Company doesn't provide rates to our data partner, Quadrant Information Services.
While Erie and Amica, last year’s top two, stayed in the top five this year, 2023 third-place winner Auto-Owners dropped to 11th place. Chubb climbed from No. 14 to No. 1 in 2024. USAA, which was not ranked due to its eligibility requirements, scored 737.
PEOPLE ASK
What if my home insurance company does not have a rating, but I am satisfied with the service?
Your personal experience with your homeowners insurance company is the most important factor. If you're pleased with your insurer, there's no need to change. J.D. Power doesn't evaluate all homeowners insurance companies, and there are many regional companies offering great service.
A few other findings of the home insurance study include:
- Most of those who switched carriers (57%) did so for a better price.
- Auto and home bundle rates among those who switched dropped by 10%.
- Bundling is less common in the states where carriers are leaving and rates are rising, especially Florida, California and Louisiana.
What other ratings should I consider while choosing my home insurance carrier?
There are a lot of ways to evaluate and find the best homeowners insurance company. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) provides complaints data for insurance companies; look for a company with a ratio of less than 1.0.
AM Best rates insurance companies for financial stability, which measures the company's ability to pay claims.
Insurance.com also offers our careful evaluation of the best homeowners insurance companies annually. Additionally, we rank home insurance companies on a state level. If you're in a state where insurance is hard to find, state-level rankings are helpful. Check out our ranking of the best homeowners insurance companies in Florida and the best homeowners insurance companies in California.
J.D. Power also releases ratings for renters insurance; see our overview of the 2024 J.D. Power renters insurance ratings for more information.
How to file a homeowners insurance claim
The Insurance Information Institute (III) suggests taking these steps when filing a homeowners insurance claim:
- Report any burglary or theft to the police.
- Contact your agent or company immediately. Insurance policies place a time limit on filing claims. Ask questions. Am I covered? Does my claim exceed my deductible? How long will it take to process my claim? Will I need to obtain estimates for repairs to structural damage?
- Follow up the initial contact with an explanation of what happened in writing, at your agent's or company's request.
- Make temporary repairs and take other steps to protect your property from further damage. Save receipts for your spending and submit them to your insurer for reimbursement.
- Prepare a list of lost or damaged articles. Save receipts from any additional living expenses you incur if your home is so severely damaged that you must find other accommodations while repairs are being made.
- Provide needed information to the insurance representative assigned to handle your claim.
Frequently asked questions
Which insurance company is best at paying claims?
According to J.D. Power's property claims satisfaction study, Amica is rated as the best insurance company for paying claims. It is closely followed by AIG and Erie, highlighting their commitment to customer satisfaction when handling claims. This evaluation considers several factors, including the ease of filing claims, the fairness of claim amounts, and overall customer satisfaction.
Which homeowners insurance company has the highest customer satisfaction?
Based on J.D. Power's home insurance ratings, Chubb is the best home insurance company for customer satisfaction. It has the highest score, 699 out of 1,000, followed by AIG and Amica.
Which home insurance company has the most complaints?
Complaints are measured by many different sources, including the National Association of Insurance Commissioners and state insurance departments. The number of complaints for any given company varies depending on location, which subsidiary company operates in that location and even over time. It's therefore difficult to name one company as having the most complaints.
How often does J.D. Power release new ratings?
J.D. Power homeowners insurance ratings are released annually. The homeowners insurance claims satisfaction study is released in the spring, and the overall homeowners insurance satisfaction study is released in the fall.
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