There is no nationwide percentage or standard timeframe for insurance rate increases in Canada following a claim. However, your premium may change when your home insurance policy comes up for renewal.
We looked at the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada’s claim guide, FCAC’s home-insurance guide, the Insurance Bureau of Canada’s home-rate guide and FCAC’s insurance-complaint process. FCAC and IBC’s guides helped us understand how a claim affects your premium as opposed to other factors that could be impacting your rate, such as higher rebuilding limits, lost discounts or overall premium changes in your area. FCAC’s insurance-complaint process helped us understand what steps to take if you do not understand why your home insurance went up at renewal.
Keep reading to separate claim-related changes from other renewal changes, consider when a small loss may not be worth claiming, and compare or challenge a renewal without dropping useful coverage.
How Much Does My Home Insurance Go Up After A Claim In Canada?
Although we can’t predict claim outcomes, keep in mind that making a home insurance claim could affect your premium, make you ineligible with that insurer, remove your claims-free discount, change your deductible, or, in some cases, have no distinct, noticeable effect.
There’s no reliable average or percentage increase after a claim in Canada. Think of hypothetical scenarios as questions to ask your insurer, not predictions. Only your broker or insurer can tell you how they’ll be calculating your renewal.
| Loss situation | What the insurer may examine | Question to ask |
|---|---|---|
| One small water loss | Where the water came from, whether the problem was fixed, the repairs and previous water history. | Was a claim surcharge applied, or did I only lose a discount? |
| Repeated theft losses | Frequency, circumstances, security changes and local loss patterns | What condition or protection would change eligibility at renewal? |
| A larger fire loss | Cause of incident; any rebuilding; updated dwelling value; other parts of your loss history. | Which part of the new price is tied to this claim? |
| A denied or zero-payment file | How the insurer records the notice, investigation and outcome | Will this appear in my loss history, and how should it be described on an application? |
What MyChoice Quote Data Shows After A Reported Claim
We analyzed thousands of home insurance quotes collected on our platform since the beginning of 2026. On average, premiums were about 32.5% higher for similar homes with one claim than for homes with no reported claims.
This analysis does not reflect a study that tracks premiums before and after a claim. This means that having a claim does not necessarily lead to a 32.5% price increase. Premium changes vary based on the type of claim, severity, whether repairs are completed, property characteristics, and each insurer’s approach. Ask for a written breakdown of your renewal and compare similar quotes for peace of mind.
How Are Home Insurance Premium Increases Calculated?
At renewal, compare your new and old declarations pages, including limits, deductibles, endorsements, and discounts.
It’s easy to look at a home insurance premium increase and blame a claim. However, the claim may not be responsible for the entire increase.
Your History Of Claims
Both FCAC and IBC identify previous claims as a factor that can affect pricing. It’s up to each insurer, though, how far back to ask about claims and how to factor in paid, denied, withdrawn or zero-payment claim files. Answer questions exactly as they’re asked and don’t assume all insurers will follow a five- to seven-year rule. Ask for clarification if necessary.
The Reason For Making A Claim
The reason you made a claim is important. Underwriters know a one-off event is different from repeated water entry or an unresolved maintenance problem.
While a claim doesn’t disappear from your record if you’ve put in a new roof or mended a burst pipe, you should send your underwriter proof of the completed repairs. Ask them how repairs affect your situation.
Your Home’s History
According to the IBC, insurance companies track the number of claims filed, the types of claims, and claim costs in an area. Your home’s past losses may be scrutinized for possible problems with electrical, heating, drainage, or home security.
Previous owners may have filed claims on a home. If a loss belongs to a previous owner or the record is incorrect, ask the insurer to identify the record and correction process in writing.
Insurance Company’s Policies
In addition, insurers may remove claim-free discounts, add surcharges, change deductibles, or decline to renew your policy.
Insurance rates are based on many different things. These include rising rebuilding costs and severe weather damage in certain areas, which means territory-wide increases can affect homeowners who have made no claims.
What Is Claim Forgiveness?
- Who and which claims are eligible for claim forgiveness?
- Does it prevent losing a discount, prevent a stated surcharge, or both?
- If you change insurers, what happens to claim forgiveness?
Claim forgiveness is optional and varies by insurer. Claim forgiveness doesn’t mean rates will not change, but it may protect a discount or prevent a defined first claim from triggering a stated surcharge. Changes in your dwelling limits, your area rates, and other rating factors can still affect your premiums.
Before Reporting: Ask What Will Be Recorded As A Claim
Simply having a coverage question is not necessarily the same as giving notice of a potential claim.
Giving notice of a potential claim doesn’t necessarily result in a claim number.
Having an open claim doesn’t necessarily result in a claim being paid.
If anyone is unsafe, water is still entering, or liability may be involved, focus on safety and minimizing further loss first. Then:
- Review the policy’s notice duty, claim deadline, deductibles and exclusions. If the policy requires notice, report the loss promptly.
- If there is an open claim, keep good records in case you are asked about the claim in the future when you apply for insurance: What is the claim number? Who is the adjuster? What was the outcome? How was it fixed?
Read More: See How Home Insurance Deductibles Work
How To Reduce The Risk Of Another Home Insurance Claim
Make sure any repairs you make not only correct the damage, but also address the cause. If your home suffered water damage, correct any plumbing or drainage problems. If your home was burglarized, consider new locks or better lighting.
Ask your insurer if it offers any discounts for safety and security improvements to your home. Don’t make any assumptions.
Read More: Use a Home-Maintenance Checklist to Reduce Future Losses
Consider Your Deductible
Should you make a small claim? FCAC says think about whether making a claim is really worthwhile. Will your insurer pay you much more than your deductible? And how might making a claim affect your renewal?
It’s not always wise to follow the rule of thumb that damage must be more than twice your deductible. Many factors matter, including possible third-party liability, duties to minimize losses, reporting deadlines, and potential hidden damage.
Compare The Repair Cost With The Deductible And Renewal Risk
Don’t avoid a claim solely to keep any discounts. First, confirm the cause and how much the needed repairs will cost. Then, compare the amount you’re likely to receive against your deductible. Also, ask the company how it’ll note the claim on your account.
How To Review The Renewal After A Claim
| Compare | Keep it like-for-like |
|---|---|
| Dwelling and detached-structure limits | Use the same reconstruction basis and extensions |
| Water protection | Match sewer backup, overland water and service-line options |
| Deductibles | Always compare equivalent deductibles, including the base deductible as well as separate deductibles that apply to water, wind, or earthquake coverage. |
| Settlement wording | Match replacement-cost and actual-cash-value terms |
| Discounts and surcharges | If the costs have gone up, which discount ended? Has a surcharge started? |
| Claims history | For each loss, verify the date, cause, amount and status. |
If the explanation or loss record is still incorrect, your next option is to use your insurer’s complaint process before taking it to the relevant ombudsman service or regulator. Ask for the insurer’s formal, final answer to your complaint in writing. Keep all documents and evidence relating to your complaint.
Read More: Review Your Options if a Home Claim Is Still Delayed