The September 2009 issue of Consumer Reports Magazine has a report rating homeowners’ insurance. The three top rated companies were Amica, USAA, and Chubb. USAA is limited to people who have a connection to the military. All three carriers were rated highly for paying claims in a timely matter and the amount of the settlement.
Popular carrier State Farm was rated mid-pack and Allstate was near the bottom of the rankings.
The article has some great advice about raising your deductibles to save money, avoiding small claims which could raise your rates or get your dropped, and checking rates every few years.
You can read the article at www.consumerreports.org/ (online subscription required)