Getting Home Insurance in Arkansas With Recent Claims
Using your policy is what it is for, so a surcharge or a nonrenewal afterward can feel unfair. The good news is that insurance companies read the same claim history very differently. Here is what they look at, what your claims report says, and how Arkansas law treats storm claims.
How do insurance companies judge a home with recent claims?
They ask whether the same thing is likely to happen again. Three questions do most of the work, and every company answers them a little differently.
The type of loss
A water loss from failed plumbing can point to a condition in the house; hail on a roof points to weather. Water, fire and liability claims often draw more attention than a single storm claim, because they can suggest a repeatable risk.
How many, and how recent
Two or three modest claims in a few years can read worse than one large one. Underwriters often treat frequency as a predictor. A single large loss from a one-time event often is not.
Whether the cause was fixed
A claim followed by a documented repair reads differently from a claim followed by nothing. New supply lines, a water shutoff valve, leak sensors or a new roof change the risk, and this is the part you control.
Already received a nonrenewal?
Start with our guide to being dropped by your home insurance company in Arkansas. It covers the notice you are owed and the order to work in, then come back here.
What is a CLUE report and how long do claims stay on it?
CLUE, the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, is a claims history report produced by LexisNexis, a consumer reporting agency. Many insurers check it when you apply.
Up to seven years of history
State insurance regulators describe the report as generally holding up to seven years of personal auto and personal property claims history. That is why a claim from several years ago can still come up on a new application.
It can follow the address too
Insurers may check a property’s claims history as well as yours. A buyer who wants the history on a house generally needs the current owner to request it, so ask the seller before closing on a home in Bentonville, Rogers or Springdale.
A free copy every 12 months
Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681j, a nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency, including one that keeps insurance claims files, must give you your file once in any 12-month period on request, at no charge. LexisNexis takes requests online, by mail or by phone.
Errors can be disputed
Claims that belong to a prior owner, a withdrawn claim recorded as paid or a wrong payout figure can all be disputed. Washington’s insurance regulator says LexisNexis verifies the item with the reporting insurer and reports back within 30 days, and you can add a short explanation to your file.
How does each type of claim history affect your options?
These are general patterns, not rules. Every insurance company underwrites individually, and Arkansas’s storm-claim rule sits on top of all of them.
| Your situation | What the market often looks like |
|---|---|
| One weather claim | Usually the mildest case. Arkansas law bars a nonrenewal based solely on claims from natural causes, and a documented roof repair helps. |
| One water, fire or liability claim | More underwriting attention. Proof of the completed repair does real work, and company appetite varies widely. |
| Two claims in a few years | The market narrows and frequency becomes the question. Compare well before renewal and review your deductible. |
| Three or more, or an active nonrenewal | Standard companies thin out and surplus lines may be the route for a time. Claim-free years and a fixed cause can reopen the standard market. |
Do storm claims count against you in Arkansas?
Not as the only reason to drop you. Arkansas has three rules that change how a claim history can be used.
Natural-cause claims cannot be the sole reason
Ark. Code § 23-63-109 says a property policy may not be cancelled, and its renewal may not be denied, solely because of claims arising from natural causes, meaning damage caused only by the violence of nature. A roof that no longer meets guidelines is a separate condition, so the rule protects you from the claim being the trigger, not from every roof-related decision.
Claims with no loss to the insurer
Under Ark. Code § 23-63-110, an insurer may not cancel a policy or raise its premium solely because of claims that resulted in no loss to the insurer. The statute also says a request for policy information is not a claim, and neither is a discussion about whether an event is covered, as long as the event does not materially increase the insured risk.
A free loss history after an adverse notice
Ark. Code § 23-66-318 entitles you to your loss history report at no charge, from the company that compiles it, if you ask within 30 days of receiving a notice of declination, cancellation, nonrenewal or reduction in coverage on a personal policy.
Asking a question is not filing a claim
Regulators in Washington and Tennessee report that LexisNexis advises insurers not to report claim information when you only ask about coverage. A formally reported loss is different: it can appear on your report even if nothing was paid. If you are unsure, talk with your agent before you report.
How can you improve your chances of getting coverage after claims?
A claim history is not fixed. Some of what an underwriter sees is in your hands, and the difference shows up in the answers you get.
- Pull your own report
Request your free CLUE file and read it line by line. Look for prior-owner claims, withdrawn claims shown as paid and payout figures that do not match what you received.
- Dispute anything wrong, early
A correction takes time. A quote built on a report you have already cleaned up is better than one you have to revisit.
- Document what you fixed
Keep invoices and photos for new plumbing, a shutoff valve, water sensors or a replaced roof. A claim with a documented fix behind it is a different risk.
- Rethink the deductible
A higher all-peril deductible lowers premium and keeps small losses off your record. Choose an amount you could pay tomorrow. Our wind and hail deductible guide covers the separate storm deductible.
- Shop once, through one agency
One independent agency can compare multiple insurance companies in a single submission, which is cleaner than applying to several companies on your own.
- Be careful with small claims
If a repair is only slightly above your deductible, paying it yourself often protects more over the next few years than the claim recovers. Do the arithmetic first.
Tell us what happened. We will tell you how it is likely to read.
Cribb Insurance Group is an independent agency in Bentonville serving Northwest Arkansas. Send your declarations page and a short note on each claim. We will explain how the history is likely to read to an underwriter, what is worth documenting before the file goes out, and compare options from multiple insurance companies. If waiting a year and cleaning up the record is the smarter move, we will say so.
Ask Cribby about your claim history
Cribby is Cribb Insurance Group’s AI assistant for general insurance questions. Start with one of these, or ask your own. For your own policy, talk with our team.
Want to see what your current policy says? Upload your homeowners declarations page to Coverage Compare. It lays out your deductibles and coverages so you can see what a higher deductible or a new policy would change before you talk with us.
Use Coverage CompareHome insurance and claim history questions
Can I get home insurance in Arkansas after recent claims?
Usually, yes. Insurance companies weigh claim history very differently, so a home one company declines is often written by another. What matters most is the type of claim, how many there are, how recent they are, and whether the cause was fixed and documented. If standard companies decline for now, surplus lines coverage may be available through a licensed surplus lines broker.
How long do claims stay on a CLUE report?
State insurance regulators describe the CLUE report as generally holding up to seven years of personal auto and personal property claims history. CLUE is the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, a report produced by LexisNexis as a consumer reporting agency. Insurers often check it when you apply for a new policy.
Can I see my own CLUE report for free?
Yes. Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1681j, a nationwide specialty consumer reporting agency that keeps insurance claims files must give you your file once in any 12-month period on request, without charge. In Arkansas, Ark. Code § 23-66-318 also gives you a free loss history report, from the company that compiles it, if you ask within 30 days of a declination, cancellation, nonrenewal or reduction in coverage.
Does asking my insurer a question count as a claim?
Under Ark. Code § 23-63-110, a request for policy information is not a claim, and neither is a discussion about whether an event is covered, as long as the event does not materially increase the insured risk. Regulators report that LexisNexis advises insurers not to report claim information for a simple coverage question. Formally reporting a loss is different, even if nothing is paid.
Do hail and storm claims count against me the way other claims do?
Not in the same way. Ark. Code § 23-63-109 says a property policy may not be cancelled, nor its renewal denied, solely because of claims arising from natural causes. The protection has a limit: if the roof’s condition no longer meets an insurer’s guidelines, that is a separate ground. Storm claims can still appear on your claims report.
How much will one claim raise my premium?
It depends on the claim type, the amount paid, the insurance company and the rest of your file, so no single figure is honest. The direction is more predictable than the size: water, fire and liability claims often draw more attention than a single storm claim, and several claims usually weigh more than one.
Should I file a small claim or pay for the repair myself?
Do the arithmetic first. If the repair is only slightly above your deductible, the recovery is small and the record can last for years, so paying it yourself often protects more than the claim collects. Ask your agent to walk through the numbers before you report a loss.
Sources we checked for this guide:
- Ark. Code § 23-63-109, claims from natural causes
- Ark. Code § 23-63-110, claims without loss to the insurer
- Ark. Code § 23-66-318, loss history reports
- 15 U.S.C. § 1681j, free annual file disclosures
- Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner, CLUE reports
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, CLUE reports
- LexisNexis consumer disclosure requests
Insurance answers you can understand. From a local agency you can know.
We believe good insurance decisions start with clear information. Our Northwest Arkansas insurance guides explain coverage, pricing considerations and policy differences in everyday language, so you can shop with greater confidence.
One claim should not decide where you can buy insurance.
Bring your declarations page and your claim details. Our Northwest Arkansas team will read your history the way an underwriter will and compare options from multiple insurance companies.
A quote is an estimate. It is not a guarantee of final premium, coverage or eligibility. The insurance company sets the actual rate and the actual coverage terms after its underwriting review, and they may differ from any figure shown here. Cribb Insurance Group Inc is an independent insurance agency, not an insurance company. Your insurance company issues the policy and pays covered claims. Coverage cannot be bound, changed or cancelled through this website, email, social media or voicemail, and is not in force until Cribb Insurance Group Inc or the insurance company confirms it in writing. Coverage, eligibility, discounts and prices vary by insurance company, policy and individual situation. Cribb Insurance Group Inc, 1601 SW Regional Airport Blvd, Bentonville, AR 72713, (479) 286-1066.