The Hartford Home Insurance Review (2023) – Pas Trusted News

Our rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Year founded: 1810

AM Best rating: A+*

J.D. Power rating: 839 out of 1,000

State availability: 37 (excludes Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Iowa, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Wyoming and Washington, D.C.)

*AM Best rating is accurate as of July 2023.

The Hartford offers customizable insurance coverage for homeowners, with varying options for coverage limits and deductibles. Once you receive an online quote, you can adjust coverage levels — within predefined limits — to meet your needs and budget. The Hartford’s homeowners insurance policies provide the following standard coverage options:

• Dwelling: This type of coverage pays for damage to your home and attached structures, such as your garage and roof. It also covers damage to your electrical, plumbing and HVAC systems. It will only pay for repairs or replacements for covered perils. Like other homeowners insurance companies, The Hartford will pay for structural damage due to wind, smoke, fire, falling objects, vandalism or theft. Most standard home insurance policies do not cover flood or earthquake damage.
• Other structures: If your home’s property contains detached structures, such as a garage or barn, The Hartford pays for damage due to covered perils.
• Personal property: HO-3 insurance products cover your personal belongings, whether inside or outside your home. Personal property includes items such as clothing, furniture, decorations, electronics, appliances and houseware. Hartford allocates 70% of dwelling coverage to your belongings, but you may need more coverage to pay for everything in your home if you experience a total loss. As an added benefit, The Hartford includes replacement cost protection for personal property with all homeowner policies.
• Loss of use: If a covered peril causes your home to become unlivable, home insurance can help pay for added living expenses if you need to relocate to a hotel or rental while your home is repaired or rebuilt.
• Personal liability: Liability coverage offers protection if someone files a personal injury lawsuit against you for injuries sustained on your property. The Hartford’s personal liability insurance pays legal fees and court-awarded damages up to your policy limits.
• Medical payments: When a non-household member sustains injuries on your property, a standard policy includes medical expense coverage up to your policy limits. It will also pay for injuries caused by your pet(s), regardless of whether they occur on your property.

Additional Coverage

A standard homeowners insurance policy might not provide enough financial protection for the risks you face or the property you own. Hartford offers numerous add-ons, allowing you to tailor coverage to suit your specific requirements.

• ProtectorPLUS Zero Deductible: This coverage can protect you if your home sustains damages exceeding $27,500 from a covered peril. ProtectorPlus waives the deductible — up to $5,000 — for qualifying damages.
• Additional limits: Additional limits protection pays up to 125% (or up to 150% in some areas) of policy limits to cover the cost of rebuilding your home if you experience a total loss from a covered peril.
• Disappearing deductible: This add-on lowers your deductible if you remain claims-free for three years.
• Green rebuilding: This endorsement raises your policy limits by as much as 10% when you use approved environmentally friendly materials to rebuild or repair covered damages.
• Water backup and sump pump overflow: The protection pays for damages from a backed-up or overflowing sump pump. However, it won’t cover damage from surface water or flooding.
• Identity theft protection: If you are a victim of identity fraud or theft, this additional coverage helps you recover out-of-pocket expenses.
• Equipment breakdown: This add-on will replace or repair equipment that breaks down from causes other than normal wear and tear.
• Scheduled property: If the cost to replace your belongings exceeds standard policy limits, this endorsement ensures you receive 100% of the value of identified personal property.
• Lock replacement reimbursement: This coverage pays up to $500 if you need to replace the locks on your home or other structures.
• Valuable items blanket: The Hartford will pay up to $10,000 per item for valuables such as jewelry and art that is stolen, damaged or lost.
• Replacement plus: If you rebuild your kitchen or bathroom to meet Universal Design standards, this endorsement pays extra to help you cover the costs.

Flood Insurance

If you want flood insurance, you will need to obtain a separate policy. Many insurance providers offer coverage through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP), including The Hartford.

Unlike other homeowners policies, all companies providing NFIP coverage charge rates established by the federal government. Though your premium may vary based on where you live, your flood risk and your home’s characteristics, your rate will not change no matter which provider you choose.

You don’t need to live near water to benefit from flood protection. Between 1996 and 2019, 99% of counties in the U.S. experienced a significant flooding event. Even California, which experiences severe droughts, was inundated with 12 atmospheric rivers between December 2022 and May 2023. Most counties in the U.S. are eligible for NFIP coverage.

We recommend obtaining a quote to estimate the cost of NFIP flood insurance policies in your area.

According to information from Quadrant Data Services, the average annual cost of home insurance with The Hartford is $2,495 for a policy with $300,000 in dwelling coverage. However, the price you pay may vary. Providers consider several factors when determining homeowners insurance rates, including:

• Your geographic location and risk exposure
• Your selected coverage limits and deductible
• Your home demographics
• Your credit rating and insurance claims history

Your rate will also depend on the discounts you qualify for, which can help lower your premium.

The Hartford Discounts

The Hartford offers fewer homeowners insurance discounts than some other providers, and only some deals are available in every state. Generally, the company’s list of saving opportunities includes:

• AARP members discount
• Retiree credit
• Claims-free
• Fire protection
• Home security
• Multi-policy bundling

One of the most significant savings on insurance rates comes from bundling your Hartford auto insurance and homeowners insurance. Combining both coverage can provide a 20% discount on your home insurance.

You also save on your car coverage by bundling insurance products. In addition to auto insurance discounts such as maintaining a safe driving record and benefits like accident forgiveness, you receive an additional 5% off your car insurance.

As part of our homeowners insurance review process, we evaluate online reviews for indications of customer satisfaction.

Reviews of The Hartford on Trustpilot and the Better Business Bureau (BBB) show a number of complaints, which is not uncommon for insurance providers. Most customer reviews on these sites are for car insurance, but we’ve included a few samples below for insights into general customer service and the claims process.

“…my claim through The Hartford has been handled with the utmost professionalism and compassion. I can’t say enough good things about [my customer service representative]”. —Harry T. via Trustpilot

“I have dealt with nothing but the best, compassionate and understanding customer service. Even during a hardship, [The Hartford] was very compassionate and if [a representative] made a mistake, they own up to the error they made. I’m truly happy with the qualities of customer service and service [The Hartford] offers me.” —Michelle M. via the BBB

“Filing the claim in the first place was very frustrating. …[The Hartford] delays, demands more documentation and there is always a problem.” —Vince W. via Trustpilot

“Terrible response time from the adjuster. I had three different adjusters [and] the third one never returned my email.” —Joseph via Trustpilot

With more than 200 years of providing insurance in the U.S., The Hartford is a solid homeowners insurance company. It offers standard home coverage and a variety of add-on options, though its premiums are slightly above average.

The company receives mixed reviews on Trustpilot and BBB. However, it ranks higher than average for customer service on J.D. Power’s customer satisfaction survey, sitting in third place in the company’s September 2022 rankings.

As AARP’s exclusive insurance partner, The Hartford may be a good option for members over 50 years old. However, there is no age minimum to join the AARP. In some states, AARP membership is required to purchase an insurance policy with The Hartford.

We recommend comparing home insurance rates from multiple other providers to determine which policy is right for you.