# How long should it take to preocess a homeowners insurance claim?? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 12, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848 "2010-04-12T15:48:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/1 "2010-04-12T15:48:34Z")
I had an event occur on Feb 26 - over 6 weeks ago. No word from the adjuster (who came out to the property on 3/1 or 3/2). I just sent him an email politely asking for status. It seems like this is taking way longer than it should. Am I just being impatient? ---
**Author:** ![Moonlitherial](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4bbf92/32.png) [@Moonlitherial](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moonlitherial)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/2 "2010-04-12T15:55:16Z")
That seems long. ---
**Author:** ![EmAnJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d2c977/32.png) [@EmAnJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmAnJ)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/3 "2010-04-12T16:36:44Z")
It does seem long. We had a claim a few years ago and it took about two weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/4 "2010-04-12T16:45:16Z")
You should be after them about this. It’s been a long time. ---
**Author:** ![Baracus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/2bfe46/32.png) [@Baracus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baracus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/5 "2010-04-12T17:08:51Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > You should be after them about this. It’s been a long time. And if you have a phone number, call it. Emails are so much easier to blow off. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/6 "2010-04-12T17:19:57Z")
I emailed the guy right before I posted this thread - 11:45 Eastern. He replied at 12:40, thanked me for my patience, and told me I was one of the next few he’d be writing up, and he’d get back to me with numbers later this week. If I haven’t heard back from him by Friday, I’m totally gonna go Red Swingline Stapler on his ass. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/7 "2010-04-12T17:30:20Z")
That is a long time to process, but IIRC, you’re in Boston? He’s probably been dealing with hundreds of people who are trying to make homeowners claims based on the recent rains, and explaining over and over and over that their policy doesn’t cover flooding. Not that that excuses him, but at least it’s better than him just being lazy. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/8 "2010-04-12T17:34:13Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > That is a long time to process, but IIRC, you’re in Boston? He’s probably been dealing with hundreds of people who are trying to make homeowners claims based on the recent rains, and explaining over and over and over that their policy doesn’t cover flooding. Not that that excuses him, but at least it’s better than him just being lazy. Yeah, that’s why I’ve cut him so much slack. The wind storm that caused my loss was a devestating storm, followed by two more devestating storms. I hope I get a decent settlement for all the time it’s taken. ---
**Author:** ![pbbth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f9ae1b/32.png) [@pbbth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pbbth)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/9 "2010-04-12T18:58:43Z")
I will also warn you that if you had more than 1 red flag issue that can significantly impact the time it takes to process a claim. For instance, if you just bought your policy last month and you’ve had several major claims in the past they may require an extensive amount of research before they can write you a check. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/10 "2010-04-12T19:08:03Z")
> [@Baracus](#): > > And if you have a phone number, call it. Emails are so much easier to blow off. I’ve been dealing with a claims adjuster for an auto claim for about a month, and I assure you he’s had no problem ignoring my (thoroughly polite, not overly frequent) voice mail pleas to return my call. Actually answering the phone? Surely you jest. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2010, 7:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-long-should-it-take-to-preocess-a-homeowners-insurance-claim/535848/11 "2010-04-12T19:51:47Z")
I had a claim on my homeowner’s insurance last summer, but I’ve been with them for 5 years. I hope two legit claims in 5 years isn’t enough to make them go to defcon 5. In addition to the homeowner’s ins. claim, I had two auto claims come out of this same event, and both were paid pretty quick - one within a week, the other (a total loss on an auto) took about three weeks.