25 Home Insurance Claims Statistics Homeowners Should Know
How often homes file claims, what each type of claim costs, the catastrophes behind the biggest losses, and how a claim can affect your premium, in 25 cited statistics on U.S. homeowners insurance claims.
A homeowners policy is a promise to pay claims, and the claims data shows exactly where that promise gets tested. In a typical year only a small share of insured homes file, but the claims that do arrive are far larger than they were five years ago, and a handful of perils account for most of the money paid out. This report gathers 25 cited statistics on how often homes file claims, what each type of claim costs, the catastrophes behind the biggest losses, and how a claim can follow you into your next homeowners insurance renewal. Every figure comes from a regulator, a government agency, or an insurance research body, never a sales page.
Key Takeaways
- Most homes never file in a given year - only 5.3 percent of insured homes had a claim in 2023, down from 6.4% in 2020.
- Claims are getting much bigger - the average homeowners claim rose from $13,884 to $20,062 between 2019 and 2023, a 44% jump in four years.
- Fire is rare but brutal - non-catastrophe fire claims averaged $173,111 in 2024, up about 74% from 2020.
- Wind and hail drive the dollars - wind and hail produced 42.5 percent of homeowners losses in 2023, the largest share of any peril.
- Catastrophes keep coming - U.S. natural disasters caused $103.1 billion in insured losses in 2025, about half of it from severe convective storms.
- Claims can follow you - in Texas, an insurer can raise your rate after two nonweather claims and decline to renew after three in three years.
How often homes file claims
1. Just 5.3% of insured homes filed a claim in 2023
The share of insured homes with a claim was 5.3 percent in 2023, according to ISO data published by Triple-I, down from 6.4% in 2020. Put another way, roughly 19 of every 20 insured homes went the whole year without a claim. That low frequency is the core economics of home insurance: premiums from the many homes that never file fund the large repairs for the few that do. The ISO figures cover HO-2, HO-3, and HO-5 owner policies and exclude Alaska, Texas, and Puerto Rico.
2. Wind and hail account for about half of all claims
Over 2019 to 2023, wind and hail produced 2.80 claims for every 100 insured homes each year, out of 5.64 claims per 100 homes from all causes. That makes weather damage to roofs, siding, gutters, and windows roughly half of every claim filed. Insurers have responded with tools aimed squarely at these frequent losses, including the percentage deductibles for specified perils that the Insurance Research Council links to declining claim frequency.
3. Water damage and freezing generate 1.5 claims per 100 homes
Water is the second most frequent loss, at 1.50 claims per 100 insured homes a year over 2019 to 2023. Burst pipes, failed supply lines, leaking water heaters, and ice dams all land in this category, which also includes covered mold. Standard policies pay for sudden, accidental water damage but exclude floods from outside the home, which require separate flood insurance. That line between a covered burst pipe and an excluded flood is one of the most common sources of claim disputes.
4. Fire, theft, and liability claims are rare
The perils homeowners fear most are statistically the least frequent. Fire and lightning produced 0.23 claims per 100 insured homes a year from 2019 to 2023, theft produced 0.12, and liability produced 0.09. Combined, that is fewer than one claim for every 200 insured homes. Rarity is not the same as low cost, though, and the severity figures below show why these perils still dominate the worst outcomes.
5. One in ten home insurance holders reports filing a claim
Survey data points the same direction. In a 2024 Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia survey published in May 2025, 9.8 percent of home insurance holders said they filed a claim in the prior 12 months, and 68.9% of those claims came from a natural disaster or weather event. The survey is self-reported and measures something different from ISO’s per-policy count, so the two numbers are not directly comparable. Both confirm that weather, not burglary or lawsuits, is what sends most homeowners to their insurer.
What each type of claim costs
6. The average claim rose 44% in four years
The average homeowners claim climbed from $13,884 in 2019 to $20,062 in 2023, an increase of about 44%. The sharpest jump came in 2022, when severity rose from $16,601 to $19,740. Severity is the average amount paid per claim, excluding adjustment expenses, so this is money that went directly to repairs and replacement. Rising severity explains why premiums kept climbing even as the share of homes filing claims fell.
Data
| 2019 | $13,884 |
|---|---|
| 2020 | $14,864 |
| 2021 | $16,601 |
| 2022 | $19,740 |
| 2023 | $20,062 |
7. Fire claims average $88,170
Fire and lightning claims averaged $88,170 over 2019 to 2023, more than five times the all-cause average of $17,059. A serious fire can be a total loss, destroying the structure, everything inside it, and the family’s ability to live there during the rebuild. That combination of rare frequency and enormous severity is precisely the risk profile insurance exists to absorb, and it is why dwelling limits should track full rebuilding cost.
8. Non-catastrophe fire claims hit $173,111 in 2024
Ordinary house fires, outside of wildfires and other declared catastrophes, are getting dramatically more expensive. The average non-catastrophe fire claim reached $173,111 in 2024, up from $99,613 in 2020, a rise of about 74%. Frequency barely moved, holding between 0.13 and 0.16 claims per 100 homes. The cost of each fire, not the number of fires, is driving this line.
9. Water claims now cost more than wind and hail claims
Per claim, water is slightly more expensive than wind. Water damage and freezing claims averaged $15,400 over 2019 to 2023, compared with $14,747 for wind and hail. Water travels through flooring, drywall, cabinets, and insulation, and drying and mold remediation add to the bill. A small leak caught early is a minor repair; the same leak found weeks later can become a five-figure claim.
10. Liability claims average nearly $30,000
Liability claims are infrequent but costly. They averaged $29,880 over 2019 to 2023, with bodily injury and property damage claims averaging $37,174 and medical payments claims $11,886. These are payments to other people for injuries or damage the policyholder is responsible for. Because a serious injury judgment can exceed the liability limit on a standard policy, many owners pair their homeowners coverage with an umbrella policy.
11. Theft claims average $5,524
Theft is the least expensive major claim type, averaging $5,524 over 2019 to 2023. After a deductible, many burglary losses net only a few thousand dollars, and some owners skip filing small theft claims entirely. Theft accounted for only 0.6% of homeowners losses in 2023, a reminder that the risk most people picture when they think of home insurance is a small part of what insurers actually pay.
Where the claim dollars go
12. Wind and hail produced 42.5% of losses in 2023
Measured by dollars rather than claim counts, wind and hail still lead. The peril accounted for 42.5 percent of homeowners losses in 2023, and its share ranged from 38.1% to 47.7% between 2019 and 2023 depending on the storm season. Because hail and wind events hit whole neighborhoods at once, they also create surges in claims that strain adjusters and contractors.
13. Water and fire each account for about a fifth of losses
The next two perils are nearly tied. Water damage and freezing produced 22.6 percent of homeowners losses in 2023, while fire and lightning produced 21.6%. All other property damage, a category that includes vandalism and malicious mischief, made up another 10.0%. Theft (0.6%) and credit card and other losses (0.6%) round out the total.
- Wind and hail 43%
- Water damage and freezing 23%
- Fire and lightning 22%
- Other property damage 10%
- Liability 2%
- Theft, credit card and other 1%
14. Liability’s share of losses fell to 2.1%
Liability claims made up just 2.1 percent of homeowners losses in 2023, down from 3.3% in 2019, while property damage rose to 97.3%. The shrinking share says more about soaring property losses than about lawsuits getting cheaper, since the dog bite data that follows shows individual liability claims still climbing. For homeowners, the takeaway is that nearly every premium dollar now funds physical repairs.
15. Dog bite claims cost insurers $1.86 billion in 2025
Dog bites are the best-tracked liability claim in homeowners insurance. Insurers paid on 28,450 claims in 2025, up 25.6% from 22,658 in 2024, at a total cost of $1.86 billion, according to Triple-I and State Farm. The average claim was $65,450, and the average cost per claim has risen 97.0% since 2016 as medical costs and jury awards grew. A single bite can therefore cost more than three times the average homeowners claim.
The catastrophes behind the biggest losses
16. Natural catastrophes caused $103.1 billion in insured losses in 2025
U.S. natural disasters produced $103.1 billion in insured losses across 84 events in 2025, according to Aon data published by Triple-I. That made 2025 the third year out of the last four with insured catastrophe losses above $100 billion, after $108.6 billion in 2022 and $115.6 billion in 2024. These totals include losses paid by private insurers and by government programs such as the National Flood Insurance Program.
17. Severe convective storms caused half of 2025’s insured losses
The biggest catastrophe peril is not hurricanes. Severe convective storms, the hail, tornado, and straight-line wind events of spring and summer, caused $52.3 billion in insured losses from 52 separate events in 2025, about half of the year’s total. Wildfire, drought, and heat waves added $43.0 billion. A single landfalling tropical cyclone produced just $188 million, which shows how much a quiet hurricane season can shift the picture.
18. The Los Angeles wildfires have produced $25.2 billion in paid claims
The January 2025 Eaton and Palisades fires show what a modern urban wildfire costs. Insurers had paid $25.2 billion on 41,727 claims as of July 6, 2026, according to the California Department of Insurance. The total covers homes, businesses, living expenses, and autos, and the department notes payments will keep growing as rebuilding progresses. Some 18 months after the fires, claims are still being paid.
19. State Farm alone paid $5.6 billion in hail claims in 2025
Hail is a relentless, high-volume peril. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged 5,432 hail events with stones one inch or larger in 2025, led by Texas with 902. One insurer’s claims show the scale: State Farm paid more than $5.6 billion in hail claims in 2025, according to its April 2026 analysis cited by Triple-I. Hail damage concentrates on roofs, siding, and windows, and a single storm can damage thousands of homes in one afternoon.
20. The 2021 Texas freeze was the costliest winter event on record
Freezing is the catastrophe version of a burst pipe. The February 2021 polar vortex and Texas freeze caused $15 billion in insured losses when it occurred, about $18.5 billion in 2025 dollars, making it the costliest U.S. winter event since 1950. Freeze events reach into homes through frozen and burst pipes, which is how a single cold snap can generate water claims across an entire region. By contrast, winter storms caused about $1.4 billion in insured losses in 2025.
21. Roofs account for 70% to 90% of insured catastrophe losses
The roof is where most catastrophe claims begin. Roof-related damage is responsible for an estimated 70 to 90 percent of total insured residential catastrophe losses in most years, according to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety. Once a roof fails, rain and debris follow, turning a roofing claim into an interior water, drywall, and contents claim. That is why IBHS builds its mitigation strategy around the roof.
Why claims keep getting more expensive
22. Residential rebuilding costs rose 3.8% in the past year
Claim severity tracks what it costs to rebuild. Verisk reports total U.S. residential reconstruction costs rose 3.8 percent from July 2025 to July 2026. Labor is the bigger driver: hourly billable labor costs rose 4.69% over the same period, while materials rose 2.05%. Slower growth than the post-pandemic spike is still growth, and every increase flows into what an insurer pays when a home is damaged.
23. High-risk ZIP codes see bigger claims and more nonrenewals
Where you live shapes both the size of your claim and your access to coverage. A U.S. Treasury Federal Insurance Office analysis of more than 246 million policies from 2018 to 2022 found average claim severity of about $24,000 in the highest climate-risk ZIP codes, versus about $19,000 in the lowest-risk areas. Nonrenewal rates in the riskiest ZIP codes ran about 80% higher, and premiums averaged $2,321, 82% more than in the safest areas.
24. The average HO-3 premium reached $1,737 in 2023
Claims costs eventually show up in premiums. The average HO-3 premium was $1,737 in 2023, according to the NAIC’s report released in July 2026, with all owner-occupied forms averaging $1,731. Over the longer run, the Insurance Research Council found homeowners insurance spending grew 5.3 percent a year from 2000 to 2022, roughly double the 2.6% annual growth in median household income. For premium trends in more depth, see our homeowners insurance statistics.
25. Two nonweather claims can raise your rate in Texas
Your own claims history follows you, too. Under Texas rules, an insurer can raise your rate if you file two nonweather claims, and can refuse to renew if you file three or more nonweather claims in three years, according to the Texas Department of Insurance. Insurers check that history through shared databases such as LexisNexis C.L.U.E., which draws on claims data from more than 90% of insurers that write homeowners coverage. Rules vary by state, but a claim filed today is visible to the next insurer you shop.
How to protect your claims record and your premium
The claims data points to a short list of moves that reduce both the odds of a loss and the cost of the next renewal:
- Strengthen the roof first. In Hurricane Sally, homes built to the IBHS FORTIFIED standard had 55 to 74 percent lower loss frequency than standard construction, and roofs drive most catastrophe losses.
- Weigh small claims against your record. With two nonweather claims enough to trigger a rate increase in Texas, a loss barely above your deductible may cost more in future premiums than it pays today.
- Insure to today’s rebuilding cost. With labor costs up 4.69 percent in a year, review your dwelling limit at every renewal so a total loss is fully covered.
- Close the flood gap. Standard policies exclude outside flooding, so price separate flood insurance if water is a risk where you live.
- Compare insurers before and after a claim. Underwriting rules differ by company, so start with our carrier comparison and compare quotes for your home.
- Check our sources. We explain how every figure is gathered and verified on the methodology page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often do homeowners file insurance claims?
Not often. Only 5.3 percent of insured homes had a claim in 2023, down from 6.4% in 2020. In a 2024 Philadelphia Fed survey, 9.8 percent of home insurance holders reported filing a claim in the prior year, most of them weather-related.
What is the most common homeowners insurance claim?
Wind and hail. The peril produced 2.80 claims per 100 insured homes a year from 2019 to 2023, about half of all claims, and 42.5 percent of homeowners losses in 2023. Water damage and freezing ranks second.
What is the most expensive type of home insurance claim?
Fire. Fire and lightning claims averaged $88,170 from 2019 to 2023, and non-catastrophe fire claims averaged $173,111 in 2024. Liability claims are next, with bodily injury and property damage claims averaging $37,174.
Will filing a claim raise my homeowners insurance premium?
It can. In Texas, an insurer may raise your rate after two nonweather claims and decline to renew after three in three years, and that rule counts only nonweather-related claims. Insurers see your history through databases fed by more than 90% of homeowners insurers, so shop with your claims record in mind.
Does homeowners insurance cover water damage?
Sudden, accidental water damage such as a burst pipe is generally covered, and those claims averaged $15,400 from 2019 to 2023. Flooding from outside the home is excluded and requires a separate flood insurance policy.