How to File a Hail Damage Claim: Step-by-Step Guide

To file a hail damage claim, call your insurer or agent as soon as you can, photograph and list every damaged item, and make only temporary repairs. The Texas Department of Insurance says to wait on permanent repairs, because the insurance company might deny your claim if you make them before it sees the damage. Once the claim is moving, get your own estimates from contractors you choose and compare them with the adjuster’s report before you settle.

For the physical side of the job, read the hail damage step-by-step guide alongside this claim checklist.

What is a hail damage claim?

A hail damage claim is your request that your insurance company pay for hail damage your policy covers. The Texas Department of Insurance says home insurance can protect you financially when your house or property is damaged by something your policy covers, such as a fire or storm.

Hail is what makes these claims. The NOAA hail basics page from the National Severe Storms Laboratory says hail “is a form of precipitation consisting of solid ice that forms inside thunderstorm updrafts” and that hail “can damage aircraft, homes and cars.” NOAA calls quarter-size hail or larger severe, and says Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming usually have the most hailstorms.

Does your policy cover hail damage?

Policies and state rules vary, so the wording of your own policy decides what is covered; the examples here come from Texas, Missouri, Colorado and Virginia.

The Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Virginia homeowners insurance guide explains that a named-peril policy covers losses caused by perils named in the policy. Its list of named perils for the HO-2 policy includes hail. The Texas Department of Insurance lists windstorm and hail among the risks most policies cover, with an exception for the Gulf Coast, and lists wind or hail damage to trees and shrubs among the risks most policies do not cover.

On the Texas coast, the Texas Department of Insurance says your home policy might not cover wind and hail, and the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association sells that coverage. Its claims have a one-year deadline from the date of damage.

Your declarations page is the first page of your policy. The Texas Department of Insurance says it lists your coverages, dollar limits and deductibles, so find it before you call.

How do you file a hail damage claim, step by step?

1. Call your insurer right away. The Texas Department of Insurance says to call your agent or company as soon as possible to report property damage, and to keep a record of everyone you talk to. Missouri’s Missouri Department of Insurance claim tips say the same: contact your agent or your company’s toll-free claims number as soon as possible.
2. Photograph and list the damage. Texas says to take pictures and video, and not to throw anything away until your adjuster tells you to. For a way to organize photos, estimates and calls, read about home insurance repair claims.
3. Make temporary repairs and keep receipts. Missouri’s department says a hole in the roof should be covered by a tarp or other materials to keep out rain, and that further damage will likely not be covered without that step. Texas suggests boarding up broken windows or putting a tarp over a damaged roof. Keep the receipts for every material you buy so you can be reimbursed.
4. Hold off on permanent repairs. Texas says don’t make permanent repairs before the adjuster sees the damage. Missouri adds that if you do, your company may not reimburse you.
5. Ask about an advance and living expenses. The Texas Department of Insurance says to ask about an advance payment if you need help quickly, and to ask about living expenses if you cannot stay in your home. Keep those receipts too. If you need shelter or emergency food or water, Texas points to the Red Cross at 800-733-2767.
6. Get your own estimates from contractors you choose. Missouri says to get estimates from contractors known to you or recommended by someone you trust. Texas says to get multiple bids and compare them with the adjuster’s report before you settle the claim.
7. Call the regulator if the claim stalls. Use the help line in the table below. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners says you can file a complaint against an insurer with your state department of insurance, and its NAIC consumer resources page helps you find yours.

What should your claim log look like?

Keep one log for the whole claim. Write down every call, every visit and every receipt, with the date. The Texas Department of Insurance advises keeping a record of everyone you talked to at your company, and it asks you to be ready to answer questions about the damage.

What does a hail damage claim cost you?

Your out-of-pocket cost starts with the deductible. The Texas Department of Insurance says a deductible is the amount of a claim that you must pay yourself. Virginia’s State Corporation Commission notes that many insurers have a separate deductible for wind, hail or named storms, written either as a flat amount or as a percentage of your dwelling coverage. Its example: on $5,000 of damage to a house insured for $200,000 with a 2% wind deductible, you pay the first $4,000 and the company pays $1,000.

The type of policy changes the math. The Texas Department of Insurance explains that replacement cost coverage pays to repair or replace at current prices, while actual cash value subtracts depreciation. Its example uses a roof with a $10,000 replacement cost and a $2,000 deductible.

The Texas Department of Insurance says that to be fully protected, your policy should have replacement cost coverage. Ask your agent which type you carry before the storm, not after.

Public adjusters are optional. The Texas Department of Insurance says they work for you, charge fees and must be licensed by TDI, and that you should understand their fees before you hire one. Get written bids from contractors you choose and compare them with the adjuster’s report.

Roof hail damage: should you file?

Start by comparing the repair estimate with your deductible. Compare the estimated covered repair cost with your deductible, then review your policy and ask your insurer how filing could affect your coverage or premium. The Colorado Division of Insurance explains in its Colorado insurance FAQs after hail that there are no laws requiring a company to match undamaged sides of a house, and that the company is only required to repair or replace the actual damage caused by the covered event.

Car hail damage claim: what happens next?

The Colorado Division of Insurance answers several questions about Colorado auto claims in its Colorado insurance FAQs after hail.

• A second storm. For Colorado auto claims, the Division of Insurance says the insurer assesses the new damage and pays the new damage less the first hail payment and deductible. The comprehensive deductible applies to both hail losses.
• Payment amount. In Colorado, the Division of Insurance says the insurer pays based on the market value of the vehicle at the time of the loss. If that does not cover your loan, you owe the difference, unless you bought GAP protection.
• Salvage title. Colorado’s motor vehicle law defines a salvage vehicle, and that definition specifically exempts a total loss from hail. This rule is specific to Colorado.
• Total loss. In Colorado, the insurer decides whether a car is a total loss under its procedures; the Division says Colorado has no law setting a threshold.

Will a hail claim raise your insurance rates?

It can. The Texas Department of Insurance explains that most companies use the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) to learn your claims history, that CLUE reports cover the last seven years, and that a company “can charge you more or refuse to sell you a policy based on the information in your CLUE report.” Companies can report information to CLUE only if you filed a claim.

The Colorado Division of Insurance says there are no laws that address non-renewing a homeowner policy because of a hail storm, but that if you have had multiple losses, including hail, an insurer may consider non-renewing it. Ask your agent how a claim would be rated before you file.

How long does a hail damage claim take?

For Texas home-insurance claims, the Texas Department of Insurance gives the following timeline; check your policy and state-specific rules first:

• Filing deadline: Some policies have a one-year deadline unless you can show good cause for the delay.
• Acknowledgment: The company must tell you it got your claim within 15 days.
• Decision: The company must accept or deny your claim within 15 business days of getting all the information it needs. The deadline may be longer after major disasters.
• Payment: A check is due within five business days after the company agrees to pay.
• Extra time: A company that needs more time can take 45 days to decide, and must tell you the reason.

What should contractors do, and what should they not do?

Missouri’s Department of Insurance gives the clearest rules. Be suspicious of strangers who offer to do repairs for you. Don’t let contractors inspect your property if you’re not watching, because some will cause damage to drive up the repair cost. Don’t pay the whole repair bill in advance; pay in full only when the work is completed according to your agreement.

The Texas Department of Insurance says state law makes it illegal for contractors or roofers to offer to waive your deductible or promise a rebate for it. Your insurer can ask you for proof that you paid the deductible, such as a receipt or canceled check, so keep it.

Colorado’s Division of Insurance points to the #NoRoofScams campaign, which has suggestions for choosing a contractor after a hail storm, when contractors flock to the area.

What if your claim is denied or too low?

The Texas Department of Insurance says to tell your company why you disagree. If that does not resolve it, you can ask for an appraisal, which settles disputes about the amount of the claim, not whether it is covered. You can also file a written complaint through the Texas Department of Insurance’s online complaint portal. For disaster damage, Texas generally requires written notice to the insurer at least 61 days before you sue, unless waiting would make you miss the filing deadline. For a claim under $20,000, Texas Justice Court is available, and you do not need an attorney there.

Who should you call, and when?

The NAIC’s NAIC consumer resources page lists every state’s department of insurance so you can find yours.

Before you file: a quick checklist

• Find your declarations page and write down your coverages, deductibles, and any filing deadline stated in your policy; add the claim number after you file.
• Confirm whether your wind or hail deductible is a flat amount or a percentage.
• Ask your insurer whether your policy pays replacement cost or actual cash value.
• Ask your agent how a claim would affect your premium.

Ready to start? Make the call to your insurer today, then work through the hail damage step-by-step guide while you wait for the adjuster.

By HomeRemodelingAndRepairs.net Home Research & Editorial Team