The Hartford Home Insurance Review: Service, Cost, & More (2024)


MoneyGeek Logo IconBadge ribbonscore83

4/5

satisfaction

4/5

affordability

5/5

stability


pros

checkmarkGood financial stability and affordability ratings
checkmarkOffers many add-on coverages and several discounts
checkmarkAvailable in all states and D.C, except Hawaii

cons

closeLow customer satisfaction score
closeDoes not offer common add-on coverages like better roof replacement and hidden water damage
closeOnly a few discounts available

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?

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.

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.

1
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.

2
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.

3
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.

4
Canceling your policy

You can cancel your insurance policy with The Hartford by contacting their customer care over the phone or in person.

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FILING A HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE CLAIM WITH THE HARTFORD

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.

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STATE AVAILABILITY

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.

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Home Insurance Calculator

State

Alabama

Dwelling Coverage

$100,000

Deductible

$500

Liability

$300,000

Personal Property

$20,000

Credit Score

Excellent
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Low

Average

High

These are annual estimates. Get a personalized quote to determine your costs.

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MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

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

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.

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MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP

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.

1
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.

2
Contents Replacement Cost

Offered as "New for Old" Protection, this helps you replace your covered valuables with comparable new ones.

3
Personal Injury liability

It protects against damages resulting from a libel or slander suit.

4
Lock Replacement

When keys are lost or stolen, this coverage will pay up to $500 for replacement locks (subject to deductible).

5
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.

6
Equipment Breakdown

Covers repairs or replacements for malfunctioning home systems or appliances (other than normal wear and tear).

7
Scheduled Personal Property

Covers the full insured value of selected items in the event they are damaged or destroyed.

8
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.

9
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.

10
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).

11
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.

12
Home Rental

Offered as rental property protection plus landlord insurance, this provides liability coverage for up to four family rental units.

13
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.

Dwelling
Personal Property
Personal Liability
Other structures
Medical payments
Loss of use

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.

Online Quote Tool
Home Insurance Calculator
Online Account
Mobile App

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

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.

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 headshot

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.


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