General education, not legal or insurance advice. Your declarations page shows your actual deductibles.
How a percentage wind and hail deductible works
A percentage deductible is figured from the dwelling coverage on your declarations page, often called Coverage A, not from the size of the claim. Multiply the coverage by the percentage and that is your share of a wind or hail loss. The insurer pays the covered amount above it.
Two things catch people off guard. First, the deductible grows when your coverage grows, so a home insured for more at renewal carries a larger wind and hail deductible even if the percentage did not change. Second, many policies have a separate, smaller flat deductible for other kinds of damage, so the number you remember from a past plumbing claim may not be the one that applies to hail. The Texas Department of Insurance suggests asking your agent whether your wind and hail deductible differs from the others (TDI, Insurance and your roof).
To find yours, look on the declarations page for a line that mentions wind, hail or windstorm, and note whether it shows a percentage or a flat amount.
Worked examples
The arithmetic is simple, and doing it before a storm takes the surprise out of the claim. The figures below are hypothetical round numbers chosen to show the math, not quotes, prices or typical values for any house. Swap in your own dwelling coverage and percentage from your declarations page to find your number.
Deductible at different coverage amounts (examples only)
| Dwelling coverage (example) | 1% deductible | 2% deductible | 3% deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200,000 | 2,000 | 4,000 | 6,000 |
| 300,000 | 3,000 | 6,000 | 9,000 |
| 400,000 | 4,000 | 8,000 | 12,000 |
How it comes off a claim (example only). Say a home is insured for 300,000 with a 2% wind and hail deductible, and the insurer’s approved replacement cost for the roof is 18,000. The deductible is 6,000, so the insurer’s share is 12,000 and the homeowner pays 6,000 toward the job. On a replacement cost policy, that 12,000 often arrives in two checks; see ACV vs. replacement cost.
When the damage is smaller than the deductible (example only). Same home, but the storm only damaged a few shingles and a vent, a 4,000 repair. That is below the 6,000 deductible, so the claim would pay nothing. This is why we tell you what the repair is likely to involve before you decide whether to file.
Texas law: the homeowner pays the deductible
Texas Insurance Code Chapter 707 says a person insured under a property policy must pay any deductible that applies to a claim. Business and Commerce Code §27.02 makes it an offense for a contractor to waive, absorb or rebate that deductible, or help you avoid paying it, on work paid from an insurance claim.
Both rules came from House Bill 2102, which took effect September 1, 2019. What it means in practice:
- For the contractor: advertising, promising or providing a deductible waiver, rebate or offsetting credit is a Class B misdemeanor under §27.02.
- For the contract: any contract of 1,000 dollars or more that is expected to be paid from insurance proceeds must include a notice, in at least 12-point bold type, that Texas law requires you to pay your deductible.
- For your insurer: under Insurance Code §707.004, an insurer can hold back recoverable depreciation until you show reasonable proof that you paid the deductible.
The Texas Department of Insurance summarizes the same rules on its page Can a contractor waive my deductible?
How a waived deductible gets hidden, and why we never do it
Deductible waivers rarely come labeled that way. The Texas Department of Insurance describes the usual disguises: padding the estimate so the insurer’s payment covers your share, or offering a rebate or credit that happens to match your deductible. Each one is illegal, and each one leaves the homeowner exposed too.
Other versions we hear about after DFW hailstorms: an “advertising discount” for a yard sign, a “referral fee” for sending the neighbors, or a promise to “work with” whatever the insurer pays. If the effect is that you do not pay your deductible, the label does not matter.
We put the deductible notice in our contracts, we collect the deductible like any other part of the price, and we do not discuss ways around it. A contractor willing to bend this rule has shown you how it treats the rest of the job. Report offers to the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hotline at 800-621-0508.
Planning for a deductible you can’t cover all at once
If the deductible is more than you can pay in one go, talk to us before work starts. We offer in-house financing for specific situations and third-party financing, and a signed payment plan is one of the forms of proof the law accepts. What you cannot do is skip the deductible.
Some practical steps:
- Read the declarations page now, before storm season, so the number is not a surprise.
- Ask your agent at renewal what other deductible options your insurer offers and what each would cost.
- Get the roof inspected before filing. If the damage is close to or below the deductible, you will know before a claim is opened.
Payment options are on our payments page. For the rest of the claim process, start with the roof insurance claim guide, or call (817) 754-9484 for a free storm inspection.
Sources
- Texas Legislature, HB 2102 (86th Legislature), enrolled text
- Texas Insurance Code, Chapter 707 (payment of insurance deductible)
- Texas Business and Commerce Code, Chapter 27 (Section 27.02)
- Texas Department of Insurance, Can a contractor waive my deductible?
- Texas Department of Insurance, Roofing and insurance: Know the law
- Texas Department of Insurance, Insurance and your roof
- Texas Department of Insurance, Steps to getting your home or car insurance claim paid