Homeowners dealing with property damage claims are getting their repairs completed faster than a year ago, which is helping offset some of the sting from rising premiums, according to J.D. Power.
The findings come from the J.D. Power 2026 U.S. Property Claims Satisfaction Study, which surveyed over 5,000 homeowners insurance customers who filed a claim within the previous nine months.
The study measured satisfaction across eight factors, including fairness of settlement, trust, timing and digital channel experience.
Faster repairs, happier customers
Overall customer satisfaction with the property claims process rose 20 points this year to 702 out of 1,000 points. That improvement came despite 19% of customers facing a triple hit of insurer-initiated premium increases, out-of-pocket expenses and a deductible of $1,000 or more.
The average time to complete a repair dropped to 29.6 days, down 2.8 days from the previous year. Final payment now arrives in an average of 40.7 days, which is 3.4 days faster than before.
Mark Garrett, director of insurance intelligence at J.D. Power, notes in a summary of the findings:
“There was no shortage of headwinds to customer satisfaction with the property claims experience this year, particularly when it comes to the financial burden customers face, but carriers were really able to counter the negative effects of higher prices by delivering exceptional service.”
Direct repair programs speed up repair timelines
One factor driving quicker resolutions is the use of direct repair programs. This is where insurers connect homeowners with contractors from their approved network. About 41% of customers used these programs and saw notably faster start times for work.
For higher-severity claims, those using direct repair programs experienced timelines averaging more than two weeks shorter than customers who went another route.
Digital tools gain traction
Insurers have also invested heavily in digital capabilities, and customers are putting them to use. The study found the following:
- 38% of customers used digital tools to report their initial claim
- 49% submitted photos to help estimate or pay their claim
- 45% received updates through digital channels
Customers who engaged with digital tools at each of these touchpoints reported higher satisfaction than those who didn’t.
Room for improvement remains
While 51% of customers said their insurer fully met expectations for how their policy would work and 15% said expectations were exceeded, 34% reported that their policy fell short of what they anticipated.
Common complaints among dissatisfied customers included a lack of explanation or discussion about the estimate or settlement, high out-of-pocket costs and having to frequently initiate contact with the insurer for updates.
The best home insurers for claims processing
Following are the homeowners insurance companies with an overall customer satisfaction score higher than the average of 702 on a 1,000-point scale.
- Amica: 773
- The Hartford: 756
- Chubb: 744
- Liberty Mutual: 722
- Nationwide: 720
- Erie Insurance: 719
- Progressive Home: 704
A relatively calm hurricane season and fewer large-scale weather events likely contributed to an improved experience for customers as well. This gave insurers some breathing room to focus on service rather than crisis management.
The worst home insurers for claims processing
Here are the companies that scored lower than the average of 702 out of 1,000 points:
- American Family: 700
- Travelers: 700
- Farmers: 691
- State Farm: 690
- Auto-Owners Insurance: 681
- Allstate: 672
- Safeco: 666
- Homesite: 657
For homeowners still shopping for coverage or evaluating their current insurer, claims-handling speed and digital communication options might be worth weighing alongside premium costs.
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