Quick answer: Many Texas home insurance policies carry a separate wind and hail deductible written as a percentage of your Coverage A dwelling limit — commonly 1% or 2%, sometimes higher — instead of the flat $1,000 most homeowners assume applies. That percentage applies to wind and hail losses only. On a $400,000 dwelling limit, a 2% wind/hail deductible is $8,000 out of pocket on a roof claim, not $1,000.
The conversation almost always goes the same way. A North Texas homeowner calls after a hailstorm, the adjuster has been out, and the roof estimate came in around $18,000. They expect a check for about $17,000 after their $1,000 deductible. Instead the settlement letter shows something much smaller, and the reason is one line on the declarations page they had never read closely: Windstorm and Hail Deductible: 2% of Coverage A.
Nothing went wrong — the policy did exactly what it said it would do. But the gap between what people assume and what they actually own is one of the most expensive misunderstandings in Texas homeowners insurance, and it is avoidable if you know where to look.
Two Deductibles, Not One
Most Texas home policies carry two separate deductibles that operate side by side:
- All-other-perils (AOP) deductible. A flat dollar amount — often $1,000, $1,500, or $2,500. It applies to fire, theft, a burst supply line, a tree through the living room, and essentially every covered loss that is not wind or hail.
- Wind and hail deductible. Usually a percentage of your Coverage A dwelling limit. It applies only to losses caused by wind or hail — which in practice means almost every roof claim in Texas.
The word "percentage" is where people get tripped up. It is a percentage of your dwelling coverage limit, not a percentage of the damage and not a percentage of your home's market value. If your dwelling limit is $400,000, a 1% wind/hail deductible is $4,000 whether the hail did $6,000 of damage or $60,000 of damage.
The Texas Department of Insurance puts it plainly in its consumer guidance on roofs: "Ask your agent if the deductible for wind and hail damage is different than the deductible for other types of damages. If it is, you might pay more out-of-pocket if your roof is damaged in a storm."
What the percentages actually cost
Example (illustrative numbers). The table below shows what common wind/hail percentages work out to at three dwelling limits, against a $1,000 AOP deductible for comparison. These are arithmetic illustrations, not quoted rates — your own figures depend entirely on your dwelling limit and the deductible on your policy.
| Coverage A (dwelling limit) | AOP deductible | 1% wind/hail | 2% wind/hail | Extra out of pocket at 2% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $1,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $5,000 more than the AOP |
| $400,000 | $1,000 | $4,000 | $8,000 | $7,000 more than the AOP |
| $600,000 | $1,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 | $11,000 more than the AOP |
Two things fall out of that table. First, the wind/hail deductible is often three to twelve times the flat deductible people have in mind. Second, it grows on its own: as rebuilding costs push your dwelling limit up through inflation-guard provisions, your percentage deductible rises with it, even in a year you changed nothing.
Why Texas Carriers Structure It This Way
Texas sits in the most active convective storm belt in the country, and hail is the expensive part. According to State Farm's newsroom release on 2025 hail claims, the company paid more than $5.6 billion in hail claims nationally in 2025, and Texas ranked first in the nation at $1.4 billion — ahead of Missouri and Illinois.
That is one carrier, in one year, in one state. Percentage deductibles are how carriers keep writing homes in high-frequency hail territory: the homeowner absorbs a larger share of each roof loss, which holds down claim frequency and severity and keeps the market open. It is a real trade — worth understanding rather than resenting, but only if you know you made it.
The Roof Settlement Trap That Compounds It
The percentage deductible is only half the story. The other half is how your roof gets valued at claim time.
A roof settled on a replacement cost basis is paid at today's cost to install a comparable new roof, less your deductible. A roof settled on an actual cash value basis is paid at replacement cost minus depreciation for age and wear, less your deductible. TDI's own explanation of the difference is that actual cash value coverage will "pay less if the roof is older or showing wear," and it notes that as roofs age, some companies will switch to actual cash value.
Some carriers go further and attach a roof payment schedule (sometimes called a roof surfacing payment schedule or windstorm/hail loss settlement endorsement), which pays a declining percentage of replacement cost based on the roof's age and material. A 15-year-old composition shingle roof may settle at a fraction of what a 3-year-old one would.
Stack the two together and the arithmetic gets uncomfortable. Example (illustrative numbers): a $400,000 dwelling limit, a 2% wind/hail deductible ($8,000), an $18,000 roof replacement, and an older roof depreciated by roughly half under an ACV settlement. The claim pays about $9,000 of actual cash value, minus the $8,000 deductible, leaving a net payment near $1,000 against an $18,000 job. Recoverable depreciation may be available later on a replacement cost policy once the work is completed, but on a true ACV roof endorsement, it is not.
This varies enormously by carrier, policy form, roof age, and roof material. That is exactly why it needs to be checked on your policy rather than assumed.
Not sure what your wind/hail deductible and roof settlement actually say? Send us your declarations page and we'll read it back to you in plain English — and compare the same coverage across 22+ carriers. Free, no obligation.
How to Check Your Own Policy in Five Minutes
Pull up your declarations page — the one- or two-page summary at the front of your policy packet, usually re-issued at every renewal. Here is what to find:
- Coverage A — Dwelling. The dollar limit on the structure. This is the number your percentage multiplies against.
- The deductibles block. Look for two entries. One will read something like "All Other Perils: $1,000." The other will read "Windstorm and Hail," "Wind/Hail," or "Named Storm" followed by a percentage, or by a dollar figure with the percentage in parentheses.
- Do the multiplication yourself. Coverage A × the percentage. Write the number down. That is your real roof-claim exposure.
- Endorsements and forms list. Scan for anything referencing roof surfacing, windstorm or hail loss settlement, actual cash value roof, or a payment schedule. If you see one, ask your agent to explain how it settles at your roof's current age.
- Confirm wind/hail is covered at all. On some coastal policies it is excluded from the homeowners form and written separately.
If any of that reads like a foreign language, our line-by-line walkthrough of a home insurance declarations page covers each section in plain English.
Choosing a Deductible Deliberately
A lower percentage means a higher premium and a smaller bill after a storm. A higher percentage means a lower premium and a much larger bill after a storm. Neither is universally right. Three honest inputs:
- Cash reserves. Could you write a check today for 2% of your dwelling limit without borrowing? If not, the premium savings from a higher percentage are a deferred problem, not savings.
- Roof age and material. A new impact-resistant roof changes both your claim likelihood and, with many carriers, your available credits. An aging roof raises the odds you will meet that deductible sooner.
- How often your area actually gets hit. Hail frequency is not uniform across Texas, and neither is what carriers will offer you.
What options exist for your home depends on the carrier, the county, your roof, and your claim history. Some carriers offer a flat-dollar wind/hail deductible in lower-hail parts of the state or on newer roofs; others offer percentages only. Comparing across markets is the only reliable way to see the real menu.
Regional Notes Across Texas
North Texas and DFW. The Dallas–Fort Worth corridor sits squarely in the hail belt, and percentage wind/hail deductibles are the norm rather than the exception on policies in Fort Worth, Plano, Frisco, McKinney, and Arlington. If you are moving here from a state where a flat $1,000 covered everything, read the deductible block before you sign — our Texas home insurance guide for Midwest transplants covers the other surprises too.
Central Texas. Austin, Round Rock, Georgetown, San Antonio, and New Braunfels see meaningful hail too, and carrier appetite shifts by county and roof age more than most homeowners expect.
Greater Houston. Wind exposure joins hail in the equation for Katy, Sugar Land, and Houston, and some carriers apply a separate named-storm or hurricane deductible in addition to a general wind/hail deductible. Check whether your policy has one, two, or three deductibles.
The coast. Along the immediate coast, wind and hail is often carved out of the homeowners policy entirely and written separately. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) serves as an insurer of last resort for windstorm and hail coverage, and per TWIA's own coverage and eligibility page it writes in "all 14 first-tier coastal counties (Aransas, Brazoria, Calhoun, Cameron, Chambers, Galveston, Jefferson, Kenedy, Kleberg, Matagorda, Nueces, Refugio, San Patricio and Willacy) and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146." Applicants must have been denied coverage by at least one authorized insurer writing windstorm and hail in the designated area, and properties must carry a windstorm certification (WPI-8, WPI-8-E, or WPI-8-C). None of the cities we serve in Texas are in the TWIA area — they are all inland — but it is worth knowing the line exists if you own a second property near the water.
What to Do After a Hailstorm
- Document before anything is touched. Photos and video of the roof, gutters, screens, fencing, siding, AC condenser fins, and any interior water intrusion. Date-stamped is better.
- Make reasonable temporary repairs to prevent further damage, such as tarping, and keep the receipts.
- Do not sign a contractor's contingency agreement or assignment of benefits without reading it. These documents can transfer control of your claim, your settlement funds, or both. Take it home. Have your agent look at it.
- Know that deductible "waivers" are illegal in Texas. Texas Insurance Code Chapter 707 requires the policyholder to pay the deductible and allows the insurer to request proof of payment; TDI states that it is illegal for a contractor to offer to waive, rebate, or absorb your deductible. A roofer offering to "eat the deductible" is offering to break the law with your name on the claim.
- File promptly. TDI notes the company must approve or deny your claim in writing within 15 business days after it receives all the information it needs, with an extension of up to 45 days if it explains why. Waiting months makes it harder to establish that the damage came from a specific storm.
- Run the numbers before you file on a marginal loss. Estimated repair cost, minus your percentage deductible, minus any depreciation. If the net is near zero, filing may add little.
Our step-by-step guide to the home insurance claim process walks through the rest, from first notice of loss through the final payment.
The Bottom Line
A percentage wind and hail deductible is not a trick — it is a disclosed term that most Texas homeowners simply never multiply out. Do the multiplication once, today, on your own declarations page. If the number is bigger than you can comfortably absorb, that is a fixable problem while the sky is clear and an unfixable one after the storm. Have us review your Texas policy or call (847) 908-5665, and we will tell you exactly what your deductible block and roof settlement really say.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a wind and hail deductible in Texas?
It is a separate deductible that applies only to losses caused by wind or hail, and on most Texas home policies it is written as a percentage of your Coverage A dwelling limit rather than a flat dollar amount. Every other covered loss, such as a kitchen fire or a burst pipe, still uses your all-other-perils deductible. The Texas Department of Insurance specifically advises homeowners to ask whether the deductible for wind and hail damage is different from the deductible for other types of damage, because if it is, you might pay more out of pocket when your roof is damaged in a storm.
How much is a 1% wind and hail deductible?
One percent of your dwelling limit, not one percent of the damage or of your home's market value. Using illustrative numbers, a $300,000 dwelling limit produces a $3,000 deductible, a $400,000 limit produces $4,000, and a $600,000 limit produces $6,000. At 2%, those same limits produce $6,000, $8,000, and $12,000. Check the dwelling limit on your own declarations page and multiply, because that is the exact figure your carrier will subtract from a hail claim.
Can I get a flat deductible for wind and hail in Texas?
Sometimes, but it depends on the carrier, the county, the age and condition of your roof, and your claim history. Some carriers offer a flat-dollar wind and hail deductible in lower-hail parts of Texas or on newer roofs, usually at a higher premium. Others only offer percentage options, and in hail-heavy areas the lowest percentage available may be capped at 1% or 2%. An independent agent can tell you which of your available markets will write a flat or lower-percentage option on your specific home.
Does my Texas home insurance cover roof damage from hail?
Standard Texas homeowners policies generally cover sudden hail damage to the roof, subject to your wind and hail deductible and the settlement basis on your policy. Two things limit what you actually receive: the percentage deductible comes off the top, and if your roof is settled on an actual cash value basis or under a roof payment schedule, depreciation for the roof's age is subtracted as well. The Texas Department of Insurance also notes that your insurance company will not pay for a new roof just because it is old or worn out.
Should I file a hail claim on an old roof?
Run the math before you file. Estimate the repair cost, subtract your percentage wind and hail deductible, and then subtract any depreciation if your roof is settled on an actual cash value basis or under an age-based payment schedule. If the expected net payment is small or zero, a claim may add little while still appearing on your loss history. If the damage is significant, or you are unsure whether it is covered, get an inspection and talk to your agent before deciding, and file promptly if you do move forward.
Sources
- Texas Department of Insurance — "Insurance and your roof: What to know when buying a policy or filing a claim": tdi.texas.gov/tips/replacing-your-roof.html
- Texas Department of Insurance — Home insurance guide (deductibles, windstorm coverage, TWIA): tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb025.html
- Texas Department of Insurance — "Roofing and insurance: Know the law" (Insurance Code Chapter 707): tdi.texas.gov/consumer/storms/roofing-and-insurance-know-the-law.html
- Texas Department of Insurance — "Insurance companies must meet deadlines to respond to Texas claims": tdi.texas.gov/blog/insurance-claim-deadlines.html
- Texas Windstorm Insurance Association — Coverage & Eligibility: twia.org/coverage-eligibility/
- State Farm Newsroom — "State Farm Paid Over $5.6 Billion in Hail Claims in 2025" (April 2026): newsroom.statefarm.com/state-farm-paid-over-56-billion-in-hail-claims-in-2025/
Related Reading
- Texas Home Insurance: What Midwest Transplants Need to Know
- Understanding Your Home Insurance Declarations Page
- What to Do After a Home Insurance Claim: Step-by-Step
- Replacement Cost vs. Actual Cash Value
- The Hidden Risks of Being Underinsured
About the author
Joseph Rivera — New Business Advisor at Better Choice Insurance Group, an independent insurance agency in St. Charles, Illinois. This article was reviewed by Evan Larson, Licensed Insurance Agent.
Last reviewed: August 2026