Ali is right on, hgarnett.

The good news is that your claim should not last more than three years on your insurance claims record (known as a CLUE report). So, pretty soon you should have a clean record, and be able to reinsure elsewhere at lower rates.

I realize this doesn't help solve your immediate problem, but your case illustrates why it is generally a sound practice to chose high deductibles on homeowners insurance. Over time, the money you save with the higher deductible can (among other things) boost your savings, which can then be drawn upon to pay that higher deductible should you ever need to make a claim. This is why I deliberately chose the highest deductible available on all my propery policies (generally $1,000 to $2,500), and only file claims when they are truly significant.

I'm sorry I don't have the time to answer questions privately -- I'm giving you a public answer in the hopes that you will check back and help somebody else.

Can they raise your insurance rates based on the fact that you've made a claim? Unfortunately, they can. The best way to keep your costs down is to take a higher deductible on your next policy.

I realize that hurts your wallet too, but that's probably what you're stuck with!