My Home Insurance Was Canceled After a Claim - What Now?

Getting a homeowners insurance cancellation or non-renewal notice after a claim feels personal—but in Georgia, it’s usually about risk models, not your character.

If your insurer (like Travelers, Mercury, or Progressive) dropped you after a claim, here’s what’s really happening behind the scenes—and how a broker can still get you insured.

Why Georgia Homeowners Get Dropped After a Claim (The Real Reasons)

Georgia is considered a “borderline catastrophe state.” That means carriers treat many areas, especially South and Coastal Georgia - almost like Florida when it comes to underwriting.

Common triggers include:

🔹 1. Roof Age + Claim = Automatic Review

In Georgia, many carriers flag:

• Roofs over 10–12 years old

• Any wind or water claim

• Homes without proof of full roof replacement

Even if your claim wasn’t roof-related, the inspection may reveal:

✔ Granular loss

✔ Soft decking

✔ Outdated shingles

Some carriers use aerial imagery vendors (EagleView, Hover, or similar) and cancel without ever visiting your home.

🔹 2. Water Claims Are the #1 Non-Renewal Driver in GA

Georgia insurers track:

• Water heater leaks

• Washing machine hose failures

• Slow plumbing leaks

One water claim = warning

Two water claims = likely non-renewal

Why? Because actuarially, water losses reoccur more than fire losses in GA housing stock, especially in homes built between 1995–2010 with CPVC plumbing.

🔹 3. Georgia’s “Quiet” CAT Zones

Carriers don’t just rate by ZIP code—they use micro-territories.

You can get flagged for:

• Being 25+ miles inland from the coast

• Being in a pine-dense wildfire corridor

• Being near a FEMA flood overlay

• Being in a high litigation county

Some counties now flagged internally by carriers:

• Glynn

• Camden

• Chatham

• Lowndes

• Ware

• Houston

• Baldwin

(These are not public lists—this comes from underwriting appetite shifts.)

🔹 4. Repairs Not Verified = Auto Termination

If your claim involved:

• Roof

• Siding

• Plumbing

• Electrical

• Structural damage

And you didn’t send proof of repair, the carrier may:

❌ Assume the risk still exists

❌ Cancel for “hazard not corrected”

❌ Flag you as unresolved loss

This is one of the most common preventable cancellations in Georgia.

Your roof is one of the most important aspects of your home

Georgia Law: What Your Insurer Must Do

In Georgia:

✔ Cancellation = minimum 30 days’ notice

✔ Non-renewal = minimum 30 days before expiration

✔ They do not need your permission

✔ They do not have to offer you another option

This is why timing is critical. Once you hit your last insured day, your mortgage lender can:

⚠ Force-place coverage

⚠ Triple your premium

⚠ Remove personal property & liability

⚠ Add it to your escrow

And lender-placed insurance does not cover:

• Theft

• Liability

• Living expenses

• Most personal property

How Major Carriers Look at You After a Claim (GA Reality)

Travelers

✔ Likes: newer roofs, one-time claims, completed repairs

❌ Dislikes: multiple water losses, unrepaired damage

⚠ Tightened in South GA & coastal wind zones

Mercury

✔ Flexible on prior claims

✔ Will write after cancellations

❌ Very sensitive to roof condition

⚠ Often requires 4-point or roof cert

Progressive (ASI/HO Program)

✔ Good for remarketing after non-renewal

✔ Accepts prior claims in many cases

❌ Rates surge in wind/hail counties

⚠ May exclude cosmetic roof damage

(These change quarterly based on loss ratios.)

What You Should Do Immediately

If your Georgia home policy was canceled:

✅ Finish all repairs

✅ Get contractor invoices

✅ Take photos of completed work

✅ Request a roof certification (if applicable)

✅ Gather your claim history (CLUE report)

✅ Contact a broker who shops multiple carriers

Do not wait until the last week. Many carriers won’t bind within 3–5 days of cancellation.

How a Broker “Re-Markets” a Georgia Risk

This is not just quoting—it’s underwriting strategy.

A broker can:

✔ Choose carriers that tolerate prior claims

✔ Adjust deductibles strategically

✔ Add wind/hail or water loss mitigation credits

✔ Use specialty markets if standard carriers decline

✔ Avoid force-placed insurance

✔ Rebuild eligibility for preferred carriers in 12–24 months

We don’t just send your application—we position the risk.

Example: Instead of: “Homeowner had water claim”

We submit: “Loss due to supply line failure; full plumbing replaced; mitigation installed; no ongoing damage.”

That phrasing alone can change underwriting outcomes.

Having the right policy in place can mitigate the woes of coverage questions and gaps.

Will It Cost More?

Sometimes—but not always.

Premium depends on:

• Claim type

• Claim frequency

• Roof age• County

• Replacement cost

• Wind exposure

Many Georgia homeowners:

✔ Save money by switching carriers

✔ Avoid lender-placed insurance

✔ Get better coverage than before

✔ Regain preferred status later

The Bottom Line for Georgia Homeowners

A cancellation after a claim does not mean:

❌ You’re uninsurable

❌ You did something wrong

❌ You must take lender coverage

It usually means:

✔ Your carrier’s appetite changed

✔ Your risk profile no longer matches them

✔ Another company may still want you

And with the right broker, most Georgia homeowners do get placed successfully.

Need Help Replacing Your Georgia Home Policy?

If your homeowners insurance was canceled or non-renewed after a claim:

✔ We shop multiple Georgia-approved carriers

✔ We handle prior claims properly

✔ We prevent gaps in coverage

✔ We protect your mortgage

✔ We avoid force-placed insurance

Don’t wait for your lender to act. Get help now and protect your home the right way. Call us today at (770) 755-1775 and we would be glad to help.