Roof Insurance Claims in Texas: A Homeowner's Step-by-Step Guide
What to do after hail or wind damages your roof, in the order that matters, with the rules from the Texas Department of Insurance.
After roof damage, protect your home, photograph everything, report the damage to your insurance company, meet the adjuster, compare more than one bid, then repair. The claim is between you and your insurer, and you are the one who talks to them. What NHRS does is the roof side: a free roof inspection and estimate, then the repair or replacement you choose. This guide follows the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) consumer advice, linked in each step.
Before You File: What to Check in Your Policy
Pull out your policy, or ask your agent, and look for three things. First, your deductible, and whether wind and hail carry a separate deductible from other damage. TDI suggests asking your agent exactly that. Second, whether you have replacement cost coverage, which pays up to the full cost of the repair at current prices, or actual cash value coverage, which can pay less if the roof is older or worn. Third, whether you have wind and hail coverage at all. TDI notes that if you do, your company should pay for hail damage.
Source: TDI, Insurance and your roof and TDI, after hail or windstorms.
Step by Step: A Texas Roof Claim
These steps follow the order TDI recommends. Keep a notebook or a note on your phone the whole way through.
Step 1: Stay safe and stop more damage
Remove standing water and cover broken windows and holes to keep rain out, if you can do it safely. Stay off a wet or damaged roof. Keep a list of what you do and save every receipt, because TDI notes your policy may pay for temporary repairs. If water is coming in right now, see our emergency roof repair page for first steps.
Step 2: Photograph and document
Take photos and video of the damage outside and inside: the roof from the ground, the gutters, ceilings, walls and anything that got wet. TDI also says not to throw anything away until your adjuster tells you it is fine to do so.
Step 3: Report the claim
Call your insurance agent or company as soon as possible to report the damage. Most companies take claims by phone, email, online or in an app. If you cannot find your company's number, TDI's Help Line is 800-252-3439, Monday to Friday.
Sources: TDI, after hail or windstorms; TDI, help after a storm.
Step 4: Know the insurer's deadlines
Texas sets deadlines for your own insurance company once you file. Keep notes on every call so you can see where the claim stands.
| What happens | Deadline TDI lists |
|---|---|
| Company says it received your claim | 15 business days |
| Company decides whether it will pay | 15 more days after it has all the information it needs |
| If the claim is rejected | The company must explain why |
| Company agrees to pay | Five business days to get at least part of the payment to you |
Source: TDI consumer column, steps to getting your insurance claim paid. Rules change: confirm current deadlines at tdi.texas.gov.
Step 5: Meet the adjuster
Try to be home when the adjuster visits and point out all the damage, inside and out. Write down the adjuster's name and phone number. TDI advises not to make permanent repairs before the adjuster has seen the damage. Temporary fixes to stop more water are fine.
Step 6: Get more than one bid
TDI recommends getting bids from several contractors and comparing them with the adjuster's report before you settle the claim. More than one bid helps you spot offers that are too high, or too good to be true. Check references, never sign a contract with blank spaces, and do not pay in full up front.
Step 7: The deductible rule (read this one twice)
You owe your deductible. TDI says state law makes it illegal for contractors or roofers to offer to waive a deductible or promise a rebate for it, and your insurance company may ask for proof that you paid it. Keep that proof. NHRS will not offer to waive or rebate a deductible.
Step 8: Repairs and payment
Once the claim is settled, schedule the work. Do not make your final payment until the work is done. If the roof needs a full roof replacement, ask your agent how your coverage pays, because replacement cost and actual cash value policies work differently.
Sources: TDI, help after a storm; TDI, after hail or windstorms.
What a Roofer Can and Cannot Do in a Claim
A roofer can inspect the roof, show you what is damaged and why, give you a written estimate and do the repair or replacement you choose. A roofer cannot decide your claim. That decision belongs to your insurance company.
NHRS does not file claims, negotiate with insurance companies or speak for homeowners with adjusters. You stay in charge of your claim, and we stay in charge of your roof. If a contractor tells you they will "handle the insurance" or that your roof is free, read Step 7 again.
If You Disagree With Your Insurer
Start by asking your company to explain its decision, in writing if it rejected the claim. If you still have questions, call TDI's Help Line at 800-252-3439, Monday to Friday, or see TDI help after a storm for how to get help.
Get the Roof Looked At: Free Inspection
Before you call your insurer, it helps to know what is actually wrong with the roof. Our free roof inspection tells you whether the roof needs a repair, a replacement, or nothing at all, and you decide what to do with that. If the damage came from a storm, our storm and hail damage repair page explains what we look for. If the problem is a leak, see roof leak repair, and if you are weighing new shingles, read about impact-resistant shingles.
Call 281-489-1717, Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm, from our office in Pearland.
Roof Claim Questions
How long do I have to file a roof insurance claim in Texas?
The Texas Department of Insurance advises reporting damage to your insurance company as soon as possible. Your policy may set its own time limits for filing, so read it or ask your agent. Filing early also helps because the adjuster can see the damage before weather makes it worse.
How long does the insurance company have to respond?
TDI says your company has 15 business days to say it received your claim, then 15 more days after it has all the information it needs to decide. If it agrees to pay, it has five business days to get at least part of the payment to you. Confirm current rules at tdi.texas.gov.
What kind of roof damage is covered by insurance?
It depends on your policy and on what caused the damage. If you have wind and hail coverage, TDI says your company should pay for hail damage. Wear and age are a different matter. Some policies pay less for an older roof. Read your policy or ask your agent.
Can a roofer waive my insurance deductible?
No. TDI says state law makes it illegal for contractors or roofers to offer to waive a deductible or promise a rebate for it, and your insurer may ask for proof that you paid it. NHRS does not offer to waive or rebate deductibles.
Will NHRS deal with my insurance company for me?
No. The claim is between you and your insurance company, and you make the calls to your insurer. What we do is the roof work: a free inspection, a written estimate if you want one, and the repair or replacement you choose.
Is it smart to file an insurance claim for my roof?
Compare the likely repair cost with your deductible first, and ask your agent how a claim could affect your policy. A free inspection tells you what is actually wrong with the roof, which makes that decision easier. Whether to file is always your call.
Know What Your Roof Needs Before You File.
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