When your home or personal belongings are damaged in a covered loss, you can file a home insurance claim to pay for repairs or replacements. If your claim is accepted, you’ll receive a settlement payment to cover the damage. But when you’ll receive those payments varies anywhere from days to months depending on where you live and your home insurance company.
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How long does it take for homeowners insurance to pay a claim?
Generally, it takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to receive payment for a claim — though exactly how long it takes you will depend on the laws of your state and your insurance company.
Some states like Minnesota and Texas require companies to pay out claims within five days after acceptance, while others like Florida give companies up to 90 days to send your payment. And then some states like Mississippi and Virginia have no set time limit at all.
Here’s a breakdown of how long your insurance company has to make a payment based on your state’s insurance regulations.
State | After accepting a claim, insurers must make a payment within ... |
|---|---|
Alabama | 30 days |
Alaska | 30 days |
Arizona | 30 days |
Arkansas | 10 days |
California | 30 days |
Colorado | 30 to 45 days |
Connecticut | 30 days |
Delaware | No set time limit |
District of Columbia | No set time limit |
Florida | 90 days |
Georgia | 10 days |
Hawaii | 30 days |
Idaho | No set time limit |
Illinois | 30 days |
Indiana | No set time limit |
Iowa | 30 days |
Kansas | No set time limit |
Kentucky | 30 days |
Louisiana | 30 days |
Maine | No set time limit |
Maryland | 15 days |
Massachusetts | No set time limit |
Michigan | 60 days |
Minnesota | 5 days |
Mississippi | No set time limit |
Missouri | No set time limit |
Montana | 30 to 60 days |
Nebraska | 15 days |
Nevada | 30 days |
New Hampshire | 5 days |
New Jersey | 30 to 90 days |
New Mexico | No set time limit |
New York | 5 days |
North Carolina | 10 days |
North Dakota | No set time limit |
Ohio | 10 days |
Oklahoma | No set time limit |
Oregon | No set time limit |
Pennsylvania | No set time limit |
Rhode Island | 30 days |
South Carolina | 20 to 40 days |
South Dakota | No set time limit |
Tennessee | 30 days |
Texas | 5 days |
Utah | 30 days |
Vermont | 10 days |
Virginia | No set time limit |
Washington | 15 days |
West Virginia | 15 days |
Wisconsin | 30 days |
Wyoming | No set time limit |
If your state doesn’t require insurance companies to pay out claims within a certain period of time, they still likely require insurers to investigate the claim within a certain number of days after receipt — often 15 to 30 days.
And then most states also have rules about how soon after receipt of a claim an insurance company must tell you whether it’s been accepted or denied — usually anywhere from 30 to 45 days.
You can visit your state’s insurance department website for more information about the specific rules about claims processing in your state.
5 factors that affect the speed of the claims process
A few factors that influence the speed of the claims settlement process include:
How long you wait to contact your insurance company. You should always file a claim as fast as possible after the loss.
How quickly you provide all of the documents to your claims adjuster. The longer your insurance adjuster has to wait for key pieces of information to process your claim, the longer the process takes.
The type of damage or loss. More straightforward property damage claims — like if a tree falls on your garage — are faster to process than more complicated liability claims that involve more people.
How responsive you are to questions from your assigned claims adjuster. Again, the longer you take to respond to your adjuster, the longer the process will take.
The total cost of the damage or loss. More expensive claims typically take longer to process than less expensive ones.
How to speed up the claims settlement process
Here are a few ways to speed up the claims settlement process — and ideally get paid faster!
File your claim ASAP. Most home insurance policies have time limits for when you need to file a claim. Plus, the faster you file it, the fresher in your mind the incident is — and the more information you’ll be able to provide your insurance company.
Keep in touch with your claims adjuster regularly. Your insurance company should be able to reach you to ask questions and clarify information regarding your claim. This might include setting up a home inspection to estimate the cost of damage. Many insurance companies have a feature that lets you submit docs, schedule appointments, and track the status of your claim all online or through its mobile app.
Document expenses and payments associated with your claim. Save receipts for any immediate expenses you have after a loss, like if you need to board up a broken window, as well as more substantial repair bills. Have your home inventory handy — your insurance provider may need it to verify the actual cash value of your personal belongings as part of the settlement process.
Sign up to receive your claim settlement payment electronically. This way you won’t need to wait to receive your check through the mail. If the option is available to you, you could receive your claim settlement payment directly in your bank account in as little as 48 hours after your claim has been approved.
What can delay my claim payment?
On the flip side, the insurance claim settlement process can be delayed for any of the following reasons:
Didn’t submit the proper paperwork
Took too long to answer questions from your claims adjuster
Didn’t keep a home inventory or document the expenses related to your claim
Filed a complicated claim that involves statements from multiple third parties
Filed an expensive claim that takes longer to be approved
How will I receive my home insurance settlement payment?
Depending on your home insurance claim, you may receive multiple payments throughout the settlement process. The initial payment is not always the final one — insurance companies often send out an advance toward your settlement amount so you can get started on repairs as soon as possible.
You may also receive separate payments based on the structures and personal belongings damaged in a covered event. For example, if a burglar breaks your bedroom window and steals your laptop, you may receive one check to reimburse you for window repairs and another to replace the laptop.
In some cases, the payment may go directly to you. But other times the payment may be sent to the contractor who’s overseeing your home’s repairs or to your mortgage lender if you’re currently paying off your home and they’re listed on your home insurance policy.
What if my claim settlement payment is delayed?
If your insurance company hasn’t issued your claim settlement payment within the timeframe set by your state, you may earn interest on your unpaid settlement depending on your state laws. You may also have the right to file a lawsuit against your insurer for payment.
Before things get to that point, follow up with your insurance company to try to resolve the issue outside the courts. Document any communication you have, including:
Date and time of communication
Phone number you called
The name of the person you spoke with
Brief summary of the conversation
And keep copies of any correspondence you have with the company, including all emails you send and receive.
Still no luck getting your payment? It may be time to file a complaint with your state insurance commissioner and consult with an insurance attorney for next steps.
