Learning Center · Claims
Date of Loss vs Date of Discovery: Reporting Roof Storm Damage in Texas
The day a storm damaged your roof and the day you noticed it are often months apart. Your insurer works from the first, your policy sets how long you have to report, and one common source of the two years people quote is a different clock: the time to sue.
Updated November 2, 2026
Read This First
The short version
- The date of loss is the day the storm caused the damage; the date of discovery is the day you found it.
- Your insurance company determines the date of loss from the evidence; a roofer should never pick one for you.
- Most Texas homeowner policies give you about one to two years from the date of loss to report a claim, and your policy wording decides.
- TWIA wind and hail policies on the coast allow one year from the date of the damage, and the insurance commissioner may extend that up to 180 days for good cause.
- Texas law does not let a contract cut the time to sue below two years, one common source of the two years people mention.
Found damage and want it documented? Use Get Help or call or text 512-575-5052.
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Definitions
Two dates, and why both matter
The storm date and the day you found the damage are different, and both belong on the record.
Date of loss
The date of loss is the day the storm caused the damage. Your insurer asks for it because the storm has to fall inside a period your policy covered. Your insurance company determines it from the evidence: the roof, the storm records for your area and what you tell them.
Date of discovery
The date of discovery is the day you first noticed a problem, such as a leak, a stain or shingles in the yard. Write it down along with how you found it. Hail damage often shows no sign from the ground, so months can pass between the two dates. See what a storm leaves behind.
Report both, honestly
Give your insurer the facts as you know them: when you noticed the damage and how. Do not guess a storm date to fit a deadline. If a claim form asks for a date of loss you do not know, say so, give the date you found the damage labeled as that, and share storm records only as background for the insurer.
Time Limits
How long you have to report, and the clock people confuse it with
Most policies allow about one to two years to report; the two year suit rule is a separate clock.
Your policy sets it
Most Texas homeowner policies give you about one to two years from the date of loss to report a claim. Some say one year, some have allowed two, and some say “prompt notice” with no fixed number. The wording in your own policy is what counts, so read it rather than relying on a rule of thumb.
Coastal wind and hail
A TWIA policy requires a claim within one year of the date the damage occurred, and the insurance commissioner can extend that by up to 180 days for good cause (Insurance Code 2210.573 and 2210.205). Private insurers writing wind and hail in the coastal catastrophe area may use a one year filing clause that must allow a late claim for good cause (Insurance Code 2301.010).
The lawsuit clock
Texas law voids a contract term that limits the time to sue to less than two years (Civil Practice and Remedies Code 16.070). That is one common source of the “you have two years” line. It is about filing suit over a claim, not about reporting the damage to your insurer, and when it starts depends on the facts and your policy, so a licensed attorney is the person to ask.
Your Policy
Where to find your reporting window in your policy
The Duties After Loss section and any wind or hail endorsement hold the answer for your home.
Four steps
Get a full copy of your policy from your agent or your insurer’s app. The declarations page lists the forms that make it up. Open the property section’s Conditions and find Duties After Loss. Then look for any endorsement titled Windstorm or Hail, or a notice about filing a claim.
Ask for it in writing
If you cannot find the clause, ask your agent to point to it in writing. The answer for your home is in your policy, not in a general article, including this one. How roof age and depreciation affect a claim is in roof age, ACV and deductibles.
Late Discovery
You just found damage from a storm months ago
Read your clause, gather dated proof of when you noticed, check storm records and report honestly.
Gather what you have
Collect dated photos and anything that shows when you first noticed a problem, such as a repair request or a text about a leak. Protect the home from more damage, such as covering an opening, and keep the receipts; your policy expects it (see roof leak first steps). Photograph before and after, and hold off on permanent repairs until the insurer can inspect, unless waiting would make the damage worse.
Look up the storms
Public records such as the NOAA Storm Events Database show the hail and wind reported near your home and when. Weather records describe an area, not your roof, so they help your insurer; they do not settle the date on their own. Our hail history page shows the records for your area.
If the adjuster says it is old
That is a disagreement about which storm caused the damage. Ask the insurer in writing for its reason and any report it relied on. Your policy’s appraisal clause settles the amount of a loss and may not settle which storm caused it; our hail and insurance guide explains appraisal. A complaint to the Texas Department of Insurance, or advice from a licensed attorney or licensed public adjuster, are other routes.
Our Role
Who decides the date, and what we do
Your insurer determines the date of loss; our report records what we found and the storm history.
The insurer decides
The date of loss is for your insurance company to determine. We never suggest one. Our written report records what we found on the roof, when you told us you first noticed the damage, and the storm reports recorded near your address, so the insurer has the facts in front of it.
What we do for you
We inspect, photograph and document your roof and give you a report you keep. We advise and educate you on your options and rights, document the roof, and submit documented supplements. We are not a public adjuster and never negotiate or settle a claim for you. We never waive or cover a deductible.
Common Questions
Questions homeowners ask
What is the date of loss on a roof claim?
It is the day the storm caused the damage, not the day you noticed it. Your insurance company determines it from the roof, the storm records for your area and what you tell them.
How long do I have to file a roof claim in Texas?
Most Texas homeowner policies give you about one to two years from the date of loss to report a claim, and your policy wording decides. TWIA wind and hail policies on the coast allow one year from the date of the damage, which the insurance commissioner may extend up to 180 days for good cause.
Does the clock start when I found the damage?
Usually not. Most policies count from the date of loss. Policies that ask for prompt notice set no fixed number of days, so report as soon as you know about the damage. Read the Duties After Loss section of your own policy.
Is the two year deadline for reporting or for suing?
One common source of the two years people mention is the time to file a lawsuit. Texas law voids a contract term that sets less than two years to sue. Reporting the damage to your insurer is a separate window set by your policy.
Will a roofer tell me which storm date to use?
A roofer should not. The date of loss is for your insurance company to determine. We record what we found, when you first noticed the damage and the storm reports recorded near your address, and leave the date to the insurer.
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