The best homeowners insurers provide excellent customer service. The Hartford received an overall MoneyGeek rating of 83 out of 100, which is a good score. Although it received good ratings for financial stability and affordability, it scored lower in terms of customer satisfaction. It also has a high customer complaint index with the NAIC.
The Hartford Home Insurance Review: Service, Cost, & More (2024)
MoneyGeek rated The Hartford homeowners insurance with a score of 83 out of 100. Its score was based on high affordability and financial strength scores and low customer satisfaction ratings.
Updated: November 1, 2024
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Verdict
With good affordability and financial stability ratings, The Hartford could be a suitable choice for homeowners insurance. Its A+ financial stability rating from AM Best ensures that legitimate claims are processed fairly and promptly. The company has average customer satisfaction and below average customer complaints ratio.
Despite the lack of unique discounts and coverages, you get a variety of optional coverages that can help protect your home. With its mobile app, affordable rates and diverse coverage options, the company is a good choice for individuals who aren't searching for extravagant discounts or advanced features.
Does The Hartford Have Good Customer Service?
Customer Satisfaction Rating
You must choose a home insurance company with a high customer satisfaction rating because this reflects the level of service you can expect. According to J.D. Power's 2021 U.S. Home Insurance Study, The Hartford ranks lower with an overall customer satisfaction score of 798 on a 1,000-point scale. This equates to a 3.58 out of 5 rating in MoneyGeek's internal rankings.
Customer Complaint Index
MoneyGeek examined The Hartford's customer complaint index from the NAIC in addition to its overall service. It has a score of 1.94 when compared to the national median of 1.00. This means that The Hartford receives significantly more complaints than the average insurance provider.
Financial Stability Rating
AM Best verifies insurers' financial viability by assigning them a rating in one of the rating scale's seven categories. The Hartford received an A+ rating, indicating that the insurer has superior financial strength and the ability to meet its ongoing insurance obligations.
What to Expect From The Hartford Homeowners Insurance
MoneyGeek's The Hartford homeowners insurance review details what to expect from a homeowners insurance policy from The Hartford. We'll discuss a variety of services and features that you may come across during your customer journey.
Getting a quote
The Hartford's website has a quote tool that allows you to request a customized homeowners insurance quote based on your personal profile, property information and insurance history.
Customer support
Policyholders can contact The Hartford’s customer service at 800-423-0567. They also have a separate flood insurance phone line as well as a customer service number for Spanish speakers and hearing impaired individuals.
Filing a claim
The Hartford accepts claims via a variety of channels, including their mobile app and website. You can even use the same channels to monitor the status of a claim.
Canceling your policy
You can cancel your insurance policy with The Hartford by contacting their customer care over the phone or in person.
The Hartford homeowners insurance policyholders have several options for filing claims. AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) customers can reach the company at 877-805-9918, while non-AARP consumers can file a claim by calling 800-243-5860, 24/7. To report flood damage, call 800-787-5677. If there are no injuries, you can file a claim online or using The Hartford's mobile app.
The Hartford’s homeowners insurance is available in all states except Hawaii.
How Much Does The Hartford Homeowners Insurance Cost?
You can expect an average annual premium of $1,979 for homeowners insurance. However, The Hartford homeowners insurance quote you receive may vary based on your home's location and age, type of home and other factors. It's recommended to consult with a representative from The Hartford to find out how much your homeowners insurance will cost.
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Several factors influence the cost of home insurance, including location, the amount of replacement cost coverage you choose, the amount of personal coverage you request and the deductible you choose. A reasonable starting point is to insure your home for $250K, but it's best to assess the value of your home to see how much coverage you truly need. You'll also need to select additional coverages, which will impact your insurance premiums.
MoneyGeek's home insurance calculator below can estimate your homeowners insurance premium based on the amount of coverage you select.
Home Insurance Calculator
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These are annual estimates. Get a personalized quote to determine your costs.
Choosing a plan with a lower coverage limit and a lower deductible may save you money on insurance premiums. However, this is only a short-term benefit. If your home gets damaged and rebuilding is necessary, you may end up paying a lot of money out of your pocket due to your lower coverage limit.
What Discounts Does The Hartford Offer?
The Hartford offers four homeowner insurance discounts, which is less than the industry standard of seven. Furthermore, none of these discounts are unique. Instead, most of them are offered by other home insurance providers.
Discount | Description |
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Protective Device | Installing fire sprinklers, fire alarms, burglar alarms and security systems could qualify you for discounts. |
Retiree | If you and your spouse are retired or work fewer than 24 hours per week, you could be eligible for a discount on your homeowners insurance rate. |
Bundle | Bundling your home and auto insurance policies can result in savings of up to 5% on car insurance and 20% on home, condo or renters insurance. This benefit is offered only via AARP's Auto and Home Insurance Programs. |
Claims Free | You can get a discount if you haven't filed any claims in years. The longer you have gone without filing a claim, the more money you can save. |
Bundling your insurance policies is a smart way to save money on your premiums. By bundling your home and auto insurance policies with The Hartford, you can save up to 5% on car insurance and 20% on home, condo or renters insurance. Only AARP's Auto and Home Insurance Programs provide this advantage.
Which Coverage Types Does The Hartford Offer?
The Hartford offers add-on coverages that you can include in your homeowners insurance policy. You can select from a total of 12 endorsement coverages, which is far more than the industry average of five. No unique coverages are offered by The Hartford. Most of their coverages are commonly offered by other insurers.
This insurer provides backup coverage for sewage or drain damage, which is a sort of water damage coverage. It protects your property against harm caused by backed-up water or sump pump overflow. Damages caused by flood or surface water are not covered, though. Note that according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' most recent study, 29.4% of losses occurring to homes are due to water damage and freezing.
To enhance The Hartford homeowners insurance coverage, the company offers a variety of add-on coverages. If you'd like more information about what additional coverages are available and how they can benefit you, refer to the chart below.
Extended reimbursement
Also called the Additional Limits Coverage, this pays for the cost of rebuilding your home up to a maximum of 125% of your coverage limits if it is declared a total loss. A coverage cap of up to 150% could be available, depending on where your home is located. This is added to all policies.
Contents Replacement Cost
Offered as "New for Old" Protection, this helps you replace your covered valuables with comparable new ones.
Personal Injury liability
It protects against damages resulting from a libel or slander suit.
Lock Replacement
When keys are lost or stolen, this coverage will pay up to $500 for replacement locks (subject to deductible).
Cyber Event / ID Theft
Also known as identity fraud expense coverage, it reimburses you for out-of-pocket charges up to a specified amount to help you recover your identity documents following fraud or identity theft.
Equipment Breakdown
Covers repairs or replacements for malfunctioning home systems or appliances (other than normal wear and tear).
Scheduled Personal Property
Covers the full insured value of selected items in the event they are damaged or destroyed.
Energy Efficiency Upgrade
Also known as green building coverage, this coverage increases coverage limits by up to 10% after a covered loss if you restore or rebuild the home using environmentally friendly materials.
Better Bathroom/Kitchen Replacement
Also known as replacement plus patented coverage, this covers the additional costs associated with rebuilding a kitchen or bathroom with Universal Design features that make your house easier to live in.
Back-Up of Sewer or Drain
Offered as water backup and sump pump overflow coverage, it covers damages to your home caused by backed-up water or sump pump overflow (flood or surface water damages not covered).
Valuable Items Blanket Coverage
This offers additional coverage for lost or damaged valuables up to $10,000 per item. It covers the value of jewels, fine art, furs and more.
Home Rental
Offered as rental property protection plus landlord insurance, this provides liability coverage for up to four family rental units.
Disappearing Property Deductible
This coverage reduces your deductible after three years of claim-free status.
When buying homeowners insurance, it's important to have the standard coverages in your policy. Not all policies cover flood, earthquake or insect damage. As a result, it's critical to read the fine print before purchasing a policy.
However, you can obtain protection from these elements by purchasing an endorsement from your insurer, if one is available.
The amount of home insurance coverage you need is determined by your unique situation. You can tailor the policy based on what you need to cover. The following standard coverages are available in The Hartford homeowners insurance.
This coverage protects your home and any structures that are directly attached to it. It covers damages to the internal systems, such as wiring, plumbing, heating and air conditioning.
Personal property coverage pays for the loss of your personal belongings, like appliances, furniture and clothing. This coverage covers expensive items, including jewelry, artwork or collectibles.
Personal liability insurance can help cover your legal defense costs and any court judgments against you if you are legally responsible for an injury or property damage to someone who is not a family member up to your policy’s limits.
Homeowners insurance covers structures that are not attached to the insured home. For instance, for damages caused to your detached garage, other structures coverage may cover the cost of repairs.
Medical payments coverage pays the emergency medical bills if someone who is not a household member is injured on your property.
This helps cover your living expenses if your home is uninhabitable due to a loss. If your home is severely damaged by fire, this coverage pays for your hotel stay while repairs are made.
What Online Homeowners Insurance Tools Does The Hartford Offer?
When your insurer offers a variety of online tools and services, your customer experience improves. The Hartford website features several features, including a tool to get custom quotes, pay bills, process claims and download policy documentation. While some are only available to policyholders, non-customers can use their online quote tool.
You can get an estimated cost of your homeowners policy using The Hartford's online quote tool. To get a tailored quote from The Hartford, you must provide your personal information, property details and insurance history.
This feature will help evaluate the appropriate level of coverage for your home.
You can manage your insurance policy online by paying bills, downloading policy documentation, filing claims and more.
The company offers a mobile app for both iOS and Android users. It offers fingerprint login, real-time claims, a digital ID card and roadside assistance, in addition to using it for paying bills and managing your account.
Other The Hartford Insurance Products
Homeowners insurance isn’t the only product offered by The Hartford. It also offers car, recreational vehicle and business insurance. If you buy homeowners insurance, you can also consider buying these other policies.
The other products offered by The Hartford are listed in the table below. Keep in mind that if you purchase auto insurance from the company, you may be eligible for a discount for bundling it with your home insurance policy.
Type of Product | Description |
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Business insurance | Business insurance offers business owners coverage against unexpected losses. |
Employee benefits | The Hartford offers benefits to companies, such as value-added services, retirement, voluntary benefits and absence management. |
Car insurance | You can get a quote for car insurance in eight minutes and make sure you are protected when on the road. |
Classic car insurance | You can get classic car insurance through The Hartford’s partner, Hagerty. |
Recreational vehicle insurance | This insurance covers your ATV, golf cart, snowmobile, boat or camper. |
Umbrella insurance | With umbrella insurance, you can get additional liability protection for your homeowners insurance policy. |
Flood insurance | This is an optional coverage that protects your property in the event of flooding. |
Methodology
To evaluate The Hartford as a homeowners insurance company, MoneyGeek analyzed The Hartford’s website, manually collected quotes and consulted consumer intelligence organizations such as J.D. Power, the NAIC and AM Best.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick is a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer and MoneyGeek's Head of Insurance. He has analyzed the insurance market for over five years, conducting original research and creating personalized content for every kind of buyer. He has been quoted in several insurance-related publications, including CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick earned a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He is passionate about using his knowledge of economics and insurance to bring transparency around financial topics and help others feel confident in their money moves.
sources
- Insurance Information Institute. "Facts + Statistics: Homeowners and renters insurance." Accessed April 28, 2022.
- J.D. Power. "2021 Home Insurance Study." Accessed May 25, 2022.
- The Hartford AARP. "AARP Homeowners Insurance Coverage From The Hartford." Accessed April 28, 2022.
- The Hartford AARP. "Contact Us." Accessed April 28, 2022.
- The Hartford AARP. "Home Claims." Accessed April 28, 2022.
- The Hartford. "The Harford App." Accessed April 28, 2022.