July 28, 2026 · ACI Adjustment Group
If you have filed a property insurance claim in Pennsylvania and are waiting, some of the periods involved are fixed by regulation rather than left to the insurer. Others are set by your own policy. This page separates the two, and quotes the regulation for each figure so you can check it yourself.
The relevant rules are in Title 31 of the Pennsylvania Code, Chapter 146, Subchapter A — Unfair Claims Settlement Practices. They apply to insurers, and they are administered by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.
Acknowledging your claim: 10 working days
31 Pa. Code § 146.5(a) requires that an insurer, on receiving notice of a claim, must "within 10 working days, acknowledge the receipt of the notice unless payment is made within the period of time".
Note the unit: working days, not calendar days. Section 146.5(c) applies the same 10-working-day period to other pertinent communications about the claim, and § 146.5(d) to notification of a claim.
This is an acknowledgement requirement only. Acknowledging a claim is not accepting it, and it says nothing about what your policy covers.
Investigating your claim: 30 days, then a written explanation
31 Pa. Code § 146.6 requires that "Every insurer shall complete investigation of a claim within 30 days after notification of claim, unless the investigation cannot reasonably be completed within the time. If the investigation cannot be completed within 30 days, and every 45 days thereafter, the insurer shall provide the claimant with a reasonable written explanation for the delay and state when a decision on the claim may be expected."
So the 30 days is not an absolute deadline to finish — it is the point at which, if the insurer has not finished, you become entitled to a written explanation of the delay and an expected decision date.
One thing to be aware of rather than to resolve here: the update cadence is described slightly differently in two places. Section 146.6 states 30 days and "every 45 days thereafter", while § 146.7(c)(1) describes notice within 15 working days of proofs of loss followed by letters at 30 days and then every 45 days. We are not going to pick one reading for you. What the regulation guarantees either way is that a delay past 30 days entitles you to a reasonable written explanation and a stated expected decision date — so check the dates on the letters you have actually received against the letters you should have received.
Deciding your claim: 15 working days after proofs of loss
31 Pa. Code § 146.7(a)(1) requires that "Within 15 working days after receipt by the insurer of properly executed proofs of loss, the first-party claimant shall be advised of the acceptance or denial of the claim by the insurer."
The clock here starts on receipt of properly executed proofs of loss — not on the date of the loss, and not on the date you first reported it. That distinction is where most confusion about "how long they have" comes from: the acknowledgement clock (§ 146.5) and the decision clock (§ 146.7) start at different moments and are counted in different periods.
Under § 146.7(c)(1), if the insurer needs more time to decide, it must tell you within that same 15 working days and give the reasons.
A claim denial must be in writing and, under § 146.7(a)(1), must reference the specific policy provisions relied on.
Notice before a deadline expires: 30 or 60 days
31 Pa. Code § 146.7(e) requires written notice before a statute of limitations or a contractual time limit in the policy expires — 30 days in advance for a first-party claimant, and 60 days in advance for a third-party claimant.
This one matters because it concerns your own deadline rather than the insurer's. If you receive such a notice, the date on it is the thing to act on.
What is NOT fixed by regulation
How long payment takes after a claim is accepted is not fixed by Chapter 146. Chapter 146 governs acknowledgement, investigation and the communication of a decision. Payment timing after acceptance is governed by your policy.
How much you are paid, what is covered, your deductible, and any time limit for suit are all set by your individual policy — not by these regulations. Only your policy documents and, where relevant, a licensed adjuster reviewing your specific claim can tell you what applies to you.
The overall duration of a claim is not fixed at all. A claim with a clear cause and an agreed scope resolves faster than a disputed one, and nothing in Chapter 146 caps total elapsed time.
Where to check and complain
The regulation itself is published by the Commonwealth at pacodeandbulletin.gov under Title 31, Chapter 146. If you believe an insurer has not met these requirements on your Pennsylvania claim, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department accepts consumer complaints.
ACI Adjustment Group is licensed in Pennsylvania. Nothing on this page is legal advice, and it does not describe the law of any other state.