Education
What Actually Happens After Hail Hits Your Roof
The claim process, your policy type, how your insurer values a roof, and what to do when you disagree with what they offer. Plain language. No contractor sales pitch.
Updated November 1, 2026
Read This First
The short version
- Check your declarations page. Texas homeowner policies usually cover wind and hail, but only if the policy carries that coverage. What gets paid depends on your policy, how it values the roof, and your deductible.
- Many Texas policies now use a percentage wind-and-hail deductible. At 2 percent, a home insured for $400,000 carries an $8,000 deductible. Your declarations page shows yours.
- Document first, then call. Spend 30 minutes photographing gutters, vents, AC condenser tops, and fascia before anyone arrives.
- An RCV policy pays in two payments with a holdback. An ACV policy subtracts depreciation for good.
- Do not sign anything at the door, and never let a contractor offer to handle your claim or your deductible.
Photograph first, then call or text 512-575-5052 or use Get Help for a documented record you have in hand when the adjuster visits.
Short version: 5 min. Full page: 30 min. Want the detail? Each section below opens with a tap, or switch to Full at the top to open them all.
Coverage Basics
Does insurance cover hail damage on a roof?
Most Texas policies cover wind and hail, but the payout depends on roof value, exclusions, and your deductible.
What wind and hail coverage means
It depends on your policy. Texas homeowner policies usually cover wind and hail when the policy carries that coverage. What gets paid depends on how the policy values the roof (RCV or ACV), any exclusions, and your wind-and-hail deductible, which is often a percentage of the dwelling amount (TDI's example uses 2 percent). Your own documentation is what lets you evaluate the outcome.
Before anything else
Document first. Call second.
Take 30 minutes of photos of soft metals and the roof first, then email your insurer for a timestamp.
What that instinct costs
Every homeowner instinct after a storm is to call someone, a contractor, a neighbor, the insurance company. The problem with calling first is that anyone who shows up before you have your own documentation is now ahead of you in the process. The contractor wants the job. The adjuster works for the insurer. Neither of them is making a record for you.
Thirty minutes that protect you
Spend 30 minutes photographing gutters, downspouts, AC condenser tops, vent caps, fascia, and any visible roof surface before a single person arrives. That record, timestamped by your phone, is the only documentation in the entire process that belongs solely to you. Everyone else who looks at the roof after that has an interest of their own, this company included, which is exactly why a record you made yourself is worth having.
Then notify your insurer. Email works better than a phone call because it creates a timestamp and a written record of what you reported and when.
Before You Call Anyone
How to check your own property first
Check soft metals first, then the roof, perimeter and vehicles, since gutters and vents dent before shingles do.
The order that holds up
Hail documentation follows a systematic sequence. Gutters and vents first, they dent at lower impact thresholds than shingles and provide the first confirmation of hail size and density.
Start with the soft metals
Gutters, downspouts, AC fins, vent caps, drip edge, and ridge vents. Photograph each impact with a scale reference. Record location.
Roof surface
Granule displacement, bruising (mat fracture visible under granules), and impact craters. Focus on the slopes that faced the storm and low-pitch areas first.
Perimeter and transitions
Fascia, soffits, chimney caps, and exposed wood trim. Document paint stippling: small circular marks in painted surfaces confirm hail contact.
Vehicles and ground surfaces
Dents on vehicles parked outside during the event are corroborating evidence of hail size. Photograph before any vehicle is moved.
Damage Threshold
How bad does hail damage have to be to replace a roof?
Functional damage, bruises that fractured the shingle mat across the roof, is the threshold; cosmetic marks are not.
The short answer
Hail has to cause functional damage, not just marks. A functional hit fractures the mat under the granules, so the shingle leaks or fails early; when those hits are spread across the slopes, replacement is the honest call. A few bruises on one slope usually mean repair or nothing. How many hits trigger replacement is your carrier’s threshold, not law.
Functional against cosmetic
The National Weather Service calls hail severe at one inch, the diameter of a quarter, and stones that size fall at about 25 to 40 miles an hour. On an asphalt shingle a functional hit shows as a soft bruise with granules knocked away and the mat fractured underneath. IBHS testing on hail-damaged shingles found that small dents leaked a negligible amount of water while large dents and tears leaked heavily, which is the physical difference between a mark and damage. The hail damage atlas shows both on every material.
How adjusters count it
Adjusters count hits. Most carriers count functional hits inside a test square, a 10 foot by 10 foot area marked on each slope, and replace a slope or the roof when the count passes the carrier’s own threshold. That threshold is the carrier’s, it varies, and your policy’s cosmetic damage wording can change what counts at all. What you control is the record: dated photos of every slope and every soft metal before anyone else walks the roof, so the count is made against evidence instead of memory.
What we do with it
Here is our role. 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, absorb or discount a deductible (Texas Business and Commerce Code 27.02; Texas Insurance Code 4102.163 bars a contractor from acting as a public adjuster). See how insurance documentation works.
Service Life
How long will a roof last after hail damage?
A bruised shingle fails early at the hits, not on a schedule, and the storm gets harder to prove with time.
The short answer
There is no fixed number. A hail bruise that fractured the mat may not leak for a year or more, but the fractured spot sheds granules and bakes in Texas sun faster than the shingle around it. The roof fails at the hits, early, not on a schedule, and the longer you wait the harder the storm is to prove.
What happens at the bruise
Granules are the shingle’s sunscreen. Where hail knocked them away the asphalt is exposed, and ultraviolet light and heat dry it out and crack it. A hit that also fractured the fiberglass mat has lost its strength at that spot, so the next wind or the next hailstorm opens it further. IBHS testing links the size of the dent and the severity of the tear to how much water gets through; a small dent leaks almost nothing, a large one leaks a lot. That is why damage that looks minor on day one can be a leak in year two.
Why the clock matters for the claim
Your policy sets a deadline to report and a deadline to sue, and Texas lets both be short; the what to do after hail or wind damage guide walks through finding them. Separately, wind that breaks the sealant bond leaves a shingle that is unlikely to reseal on its own (GAF TAB-R-143); it may lie flat again and look sound from the ground, which is why the record has to be made up close and soon. A second storm over the same roof makes the first one impossible to isolate. Document early, decide at your own pace.
If you decide not to claim
You can also wait and watch. A documented roof with scattered hits can be kept on a watch schedule: an inspection every two years and after any major storm, with the hits mapped so a leak can be found fast. That is a legitimate choice on an older roof with a high deductible. It is not a choice to make blind; the record is what lets you make it.
Coverage
Will insurance pay for hail damage to a roof?
A policy with wind and hail coverage pays for hail; what is paid depends on its valuation, deductible and exclusions.
The short answer
Usually, if your policy carries wind and hail coverage; check the declarations page. The Texas Department of Insurance puts it plainly: your insurer should pay for hail damage if you have wind and hail coverage. What is actually paid comes from your policy: replacement cost or actual cash value, the deductible, and any cosmetic or roof age exclusion.
The three lines on your declarations page
Look for three lines. First, how the roof is valued: RCV pays to replace it in two steps with a holdback, ACV subtracts depreciation for good, and some carriers move older roofs to ACV at renewal. Second, the wind and hail deductible, now often a percentage of the dwelling coverage rather than a flat amount. Third, exclusions: a cosmetic damage exclusion can rule out dented metal that still sheds water. The sections above explain each one.
What TDI tells homeowners to do
TDI gives homeowners a short list. Its hail tip sheet says to file a claim quickly, take photos or video of the damage, make a list of damage inside and outside the house, keep damaged items until the insurer gives permission to discard them, save every receipt, be available for the adjuster and make sure the adjuster sees everything, and keep a list of everyone you talk to at the insurance company. The storm photo and record checklist is built to produce exactly that file.
Where we stand in it
Here is our role. 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, absorb or discount a deductible (Texas Business and Commerce Code 27.02; Texas Insurance Code 4102.163). You own the claim and your insurer settles it with you.
Hail in Williamson and Travis Counties
One of the most active hail corridors in the US.
Georgetown, Round Rock and Cedar Park sit in one of the most hail active US corridors, and Texas led the nation in 2025.
Where you sit on the map
Georgetown, Round Rock, and Cedar Park sit in one of the most hail-active corridors in the United States. NOAA's Storm Prediction Center logged more than a dozen hail reports around Georgetown in 2025, the largest 2.50 inches on April 22, 2025, and 73 reports across Williamson County, the largest 3 inches on May 16, 2025. Texas led the nation in 2025 with 902 major hail events, according to the Insurance Information Institute. Documentation before any repair decision protects you from both missed damage and inflated claims. To see which days radar recorded hail near your own address, use our hail history lookup.
What changed this year
What changed for Texas roof insurance in 2026
In 2026 deductibles moved toward 2 percent, more older roofs went to ACV, and cosmetic exclusions grew.
What we are seeing in 2026
Here is what we are seeing on Texas policies in 2026: wind-and-hail deductibles moving toward 2% of dwelling coverage (the Texas FAIR Plan dropped its 1 percent option on July 1, 2026), more carriers converting older roofs to Actual Cash Value, and more cosmetic-damage exclusions, especially on metal. The credit for an impact-resistant roof has been set by each carrier, not the state, since 2003. None of it changes what a roof needs. It changes what a claim, and a renewal, will cost you.
Your deductible is likely a percentage now
Often it is a percentage. Texas policies often set the wind-and-hail deductible as a percentage of the dwelling (Coverage A) amount rather than a flat figure. At 2 percent, a home insured for $400,000 carries an $8,000 deductible. OPIC gives the example of $2,000 on a home insured for $100,000. Confirm the exact figure on your declarations page; TDI notes it can differ from the deductible for other kinds of damage.
Cosmetic-damage exclusions. Some policies now exclude “cosmetic” damage, dents that do not cause a leak. This most affects metal roofs: hail can dent a panel without puncturing it, and a cosmetic exclusion can pay nothing for that even though it is visible. How an older roof is valued once damage is covered is explained in the RCV vs. ACV section above.
Impact-resistant roofs can earn a discount, with proof. Texas does not require insurers to give a discount for a UL 2218 Class 4 impact-resistant roof, and the Texas Department of Insurance does not set the amount: in TDI’s words, the discount for each class of roofing material is established by the insurance company on a company-by-company basis. Many Texas carriers do offer a credit for a UL 2218 Class 4 rating. Ask your carrier what theirs is, submit documentation of the rating, and confirm the roof age is updated. From 1998 until Texas deregulated homeowners rates in 2003, the state did set these credits, and the Class 4 credit reached as high as 35% in some territories (TDI Bulletin B-0030-98). That old schedule is where the 15% to 35% figure quoted online comes from. It is history, not current law. See the Roofing Materials Guide and the Roofing Glossary for what Class 4 and UL 2218 mean.
Two questions to ask before choosing a roof for a discount. First, does the discount change your coverage? Some carriers give the impact-resistant credit only if you accept a cosmetic-damage exclusion for hail, which gives up coverage for dents in exchange for the credit. Second, what exactly is the credit, and what proof does the carrier want? Ask in writing, before the roof is chosen. HelpInsure.com, the state’s shopping site run by TDI and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel, shows sample rates and coverage for policies sold in your area, which is a good place to start a short list.
FORTIFIED discounts depend on the insurer. In a 2024 survey done for TDI, 4 of the 23 insurer groups that answered said they offer a discount for an IBHS FORTIFIED designation, averaging 9 percent for FORTIFIED Roof. On September 16, 2026, TDI Bulletin B-0008-26 encouraged every insurer writing homes in Texas to develop discounts for loss mitigation, naming FORTIFIED Home and impact-resistant roofing; it encourages, it does not require. What a FORTIFIED roof involves, and who can install one, is on our Installation Standard page.
Coastal and windstorm homes: the code changed April 1, 2026. For homes in the designated catastrophe areas, windstorm certification behind TWIA coverage must now be certified to the 2024 International Residential Code or International Building Code, effective April 1, 2026. On the coast or in the covered part of Harris County, verify your contractor is building to the current code.
Know this before the storm, not after
RCV vs. ACV: the most important thing on your declarations page
RCV pays in two steps and you must claim the holdback after repairs, while ACV subtracts depreciation for good.
RCV, Replacement Cost Value
The insurer pays the full cost to replace your roof with materials of similar kind and quality. But it arrives in two payments, not one.
Payment 1: The insurer pays replacement cost minus withheld depreciation, called the holdback. This is what you receive after the claim is approved.
Payment 2: Once you complete the repairs and submit your contractor invoice, the insurer releases the withheld depreciation. This step requires action on your part. The holdback is not sent automatically.
If you accept Payment 1 and never complete repairs or submit proof, the holdback is never released. Many homeowners leave it uncollected simply because they didn’t know it existed.
ACV, Actual Cash Value
The insurer pays replacement cost minus depreciation, permanently. There is no second payment and no holdback to recover.
Depreciation is set by the carrier from roof age and condition. TDI's own example values a 10-year-old roof that would cost $10,000 to replace at $7,000, a 30 percent cut. On a $20,000 roof the same cut would be $6,000, and an older roof loses more, all before the wind-and-hail deductible is subtracted. The remaining payout may not cover full replacement.
ACV policies carry lower premiums, which is why some homeowners choose them, or unknowingly end up on them when carriers restructure coverage at renewal without a clear explanation of what changed.
Check your declarations page now. Look specifically for “actual cash value,” “functional replacement cost,” or “limited replacement cost” language.
Functional Replacement Cost, the third option to watch for
What it is: Functional Replacement Cost pays to replace damaged property with materials that do the same job at a lower cost, rather than with the same materials.
What it means for you: If your roof has cedar shake, tile, or slate, an FRC policy might only pay for standard architectural shingles. The difference between what FRC pays and what actual replacement costs can be substantial.
Where to find it: This language is sometimes buried in the policy form rather than the declarations page, ask your carrier directly if FRC applies to your roof.
The used car analogy
How your insurer values a damaged roof
Insurers subtract for roof age against expected lifespan, and dated photos of the pre storm roof help against it.
Depreciation, explained with a car
The clearest way to understand insurance depreciation is through a car analogy. If your 10-year-old car is totaled in an accident, the insurer doesn’t pay you what a new car costs, they pay you what your 10-year-old car was worth at the moment before the accident. That’s actual cash value. Roofs work the same way.
Age against expected lifespan
Insurers use the roof’s age and the expected lifespan of the material to calculate how much value has been “used up.” Published guides put architectural shingles at about 20 to 30 years, and on the roofs we inspect around Round Rock they often show their age at 18 to 25 years because of heat and hail. On a carrier schedule, a 12-year-old roof with a 20-year expected life might be treated as 60% depreciated, meaning 60% of its replacement value is subtracted from the payout under an ACV policy.
| Scenario | RCV Policy | ACV Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Roof replacement cost | $20,000 | $20,000 |
| Roof age | 8 years | 8 years |
| Depreciation applied | $8,000 (withheld, recoverable) | $8,000 (permanent deduction) |
| Wind/hail deductible (2% on $400K home) | $8,000 | $8,000 |
| Initial payment from insurer | $4,000 | $4,000 |
| Holdback released after repairs | +$8,000 | None |
| Total insurance payout | $12,000 | $4,000 |
| Your out-of-pocket cost | $8,000 | $16,000 |
Read further on these
Related guides: roof anatomy layer by layer and roofing warranties explained.
Illustrative example using 40% depreciation on an 8-year-old roof. Your actual depreciation rate, deductible, and replacement cost will vary. Not a coverage estimate.
Your strongest position before a claim
Pre-storm documentation of your roof’s condition is the most effective tool for contesting aggressive depreciation. An insurer has a harder time claiming significant prior wear when you have dated, organized photos showing otherwise.
Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542
What your insurer is legally required to do, and when
Chapter 542 sets the usual clock: 15 days to acknowledge, 15 business days to decide on a full file, and 5 to pay.
Deadlines your insurer must meet
The Texas Prompt Payment of Claims Act (Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542) sets mandatory deadlines for every phase of claim handling. Violations carry statutory interest on the unpaid claim amount plus attorney’s fees under § 542.060. For weather claims under Chapter 542A, that interest is the judgment rate plus 5 percent; the flat 18 percent applies only to claims outside 542A.
15 days to acknowledge
The clock starts when you file. Within 15 days of receiving your claim the insurer must acknowledge it, start investigating, and ask for everything it reasonably believes it will need at that point. It may ask for more later only if the investigation makes that necessary.
15 business days to decide
Your insurer is on a clock. After receiving all required information, it must accept or reject your claim. If they need more time, they must notify you in writing with an explanation. Silence is not an extension.
5 business days to pay
Once a claim is accepted, payment is due not later than the fifth business day after the acceptance notice under Texas Insurance Code 542.057(a). Surplus lines carriers have 20 business days. Carriers who miss this deadline owe statutory interest on the unpaid amount plus reasonable attorney’s fees, at the judgment rate plus 5 percent for weather claims under Chapter 542A.
Keep a contact log
Keep a written log of every contact with your insurer: date, method, what was said, what was promised. If deadlines pass, document that too. When filing a complaint with the Texas Department of Insurance, a clear timeline of missed deadlines is your strongest evidence.
Get the denial in writing
- Under Texas Insurance Code 542.056(c), a denial must be in writing and must state the reasons. Ask the company to point to the policy language it is relying on; TDI recommends exactly that. If you only received a phone call, request the denial letter in writing before taking any other step.
- File a TDI complaintTexas Department of Insurance Consumer Help Line: 800-252-3439 or tdi.texas.gov. TDI cannot force payment, but a complaint creates a regulatory record, and the insurer has 15 days to respond to TDI, with one 10-day extension available.
- Request the full itemized estimateAsk for the complete Xactimate or scope-of-loss document, not just the check or summary letter. Every line item exclusion, depreciation applied, and scope omission will be visible in the full estimate.
- Get a second, documented assessmentA second opinion from a vetted, insured contractor (Texas has no state roofing license, so vet credentials and insurance directly) gives you a second, documented scope to compare against the insurer’s valuation, the same documentation-first approach The Roof Shepherd is built on. Texas also licenses public adjusters (Texas Insurance Code Chapter 4102) as a separate option some homeowners choose; that is a path to research independently.
Texas SB 458, Effective January 1, 2026
Invoking appraisal: what it is, when it applies, and how it works
Appraisal settles the amount, not coverage, and a 2025 Texas federal ruling held it did not pause the suit deadline.
Your strongest lever in a dispute
Appraisal settles a money fight. You and your insurer each hire an appraiser. If those two disagree, a neutral umpire decides. It is for disagreements over the amount, not over whether you are covered, and for residential policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, Texas law requires it in the policy.
Texas SB 458 became law on June 20, 2025, without the Governor’s signature. It creates Chapter 1813 of the Texas Insurance Code and requires residential property and personal auto policies delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 to include a binding appraisal provision. Commercial policies and TWIA policies are excluded. TDI has proposed a rule setting a one-year deadline to demand appraisal. Check TDI’s rules page for its status, and your policy’s own appraisal clause. Appraisal disputes are about the amount of loss, which is exactly where storm documentation built before any work begins earns its keep. Before SB 458, nothing in Texas law required an appraisal clause, and the bill's authors noted that a large personal auto carrier had removed appraisal from part of its policies in 2015. For residential and personal auto policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, the clause is now required.
Critical distinction: appraisal resolves amount disputes, not coverage disputes
Appraisal settles price, not whether you are covered. It fits when both parties agree that some damage is covered but disagree on the dollar value of that damage. It does not resolve disputes about whether damage is covered at all.
If your insurer says hail did not cause the damage, that is a coverage dispute, and appraisal is not the right tool. If your insurer agrees hail caused damage but values the repair at $4,000 while you have a contractor estimate of $18,000, that is an amount dispute, and appraisal is the right tool.
Two appraisers and an umpire
Appraisal runs on three people. You name an appraiser, your insurer names one, and the two of them choose a neutral umpire. When any two of the three agree on the amount of loss, that figure is binding on both sides.
Send a formal written demand, email or certified mail, to your insurer stating that you are invoking the appraisal clause due to a dispute over the amount of loss. Check your policy’s “Conditions” section for the exact language and any specified timelines for your carrier.
You hire your own appraiser, usually within 20 days of the demand, and the insurer appoints its own. Under TDI's proposed rule an appraiser must be competent, independent of the parties and disinterested in the outcome, which is why someone who already worked the claim for either side is a poor choice and may be challenged.
The appraisers jointly choose a neutral umpire. If they cannot agree, the policy's clause says how the umpire is appointed, usually by asking a court in the county where the home sits; TDI's proposed rule requires that court option and lets carriers add an independent selection service. The umpire is a tiebreaker, they review disputed items and issue findings that become part of the binding award.
Both appraisers independently inspect the property, review documentation and contractor estimates, and develop itemized valuations. They meet to compare findings and attempt to reach agreement on the amount of loss.
Any agreement signed by two of the three panel members (your appraiser and the umpire, both appraisers, or the insurer’s appraiser and the umpire) is a binding award. The insurer must pay based on the award. Either party can only challenge the award in court for fraud, accident, or material mistake.
Warning: appraisal does not pause your lawsuit deadline
A federal court in Texas held in 2025 (Pool v. State Farm Lloyds, W.D. Tex., June 30, 2025) that the appraisal process did not pause the statute of limitations for filing a lawsuit. The clock continues running from the date your claim was denied or underpaid, not from when appraisal concludes.
Breach of contract claims: four years by default under Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.004, but your policy has almost certainly shortened it to two. § 16.070 lets a contract cut that window to two years and no lower, and Texas homeowners policies routinely set exactly that floor. Treat two years from the date of loss as your wall and check the “Suit Against Us” condition in your own policy. Bad faith claims under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 541: 2 years. If your deadline is approaching while appraisal is ongoing, consult a licensed Texas property insurance attorney before time runs out. Do not assume the process gives you extra time.
Who pays, and roughly how much
Each side pays its own appraiser and half of the umpire's cost (TDI). Ask for an appraiser's fee in writing before you hire; it varies with the size of the loss. Appraisal is meant as a faster alternative to a lawsuit for amount disputes, which is why SB 458 preserved it.
Where to get help
Where to take a dispute
A dispute can go to the Texas Department of Insurance, the State Bar referral line or the SB 458 appraisal clause.
Texas Department of Insurance
The Texas Department of Insurance costs nothing to use. Use it to file complaints, verify insurer licensing, and reach the Consumer Bill of Rights for homeowners policies, and get answers about your coverage rights. Companies have 15 days to respond to a TDI complaint and can ask for a 10-day extension.
Consumer Help Line: 800-252-3439
Website: tdi.texas.gov
Online complaints: tdi.texas.gov/complaint
Texas State Bar, Lawyer Referral
Some fights need a lawyer, and the state bar can point you to one. A referral helps most with the hardest disputes: bad faith, coverage denials, or litigation. Many Texas property insurance attorneys work on contingency for storm damage cases. Breach of contract: four years by default, but two in practice, because § 16.070 lets the policy shorten it to two and almost every Texas homeowners policy does. Bad faith (Chapter 541): 2-year deadline.
Referral line: 800-252-9690
Website: texasbar.com
Texas SB 458, Mandatory Appraisal
A new state law gives you a built-in way to settle price fights. Texas now requires a binding appraisal provision in residential policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1813. TWIA and commercial policies are not included. If your policy qualifies, appraisal is available when you and your insurer disagree on the amount of loss.
Reference: Texas SB 458, 89th Legislature (2025)
Became law: June 20, 2025, without the Governor’s signature
What The Roof Shepherd does and does not do
Where documentation ends and advocacy begins
We advise, educate, document the roof and submit supplements, but we never negotiate or settle a claim.
What we document, and when
We photograph what your roof looks like, before any work begins and before decisions are made under pressure. We advise and educate you on your options and rights, and submit a documented supplement when the insurer’s estimate leaves out work your roof needs. We do not file the claim, negotiate it, or decide what it is worth. That documentation, timestamped, photo-backed, and organized, is the foundation of every option described on this page.
Where our role stops
What The Roof Shepherd does: we advocate for your rights as a policyholder, build the evidence, and teach you every right your policy gives you. We advise and educate you on your options and rights, document the roof, and submit documented supplements. You decide whether to request a re-inspection or invoke appraisal, and we stand with you while you do. What The Roof Shepherd does not do: act as a public adjuster, decide what your policy covers (that is the insurer's call), negotiate your settlement, serve as your appraiser, or promise claim payouts. Negotiating or settling a claim for you requires a public adjuster license under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 4102, and a contractor may not do it on a roof it works on even with one (4102.163); litigation belongs to a licensed Texas attorney.
The way to understand the boundary clearly: The Roof Shepherd creates the record. What you do with that record, file a claim, invoke appraisal, hire a public adjuster, consult an attorney, is your decision, made with complete information rather than under sales pressure.
Texas note: a homeowner must pay the deductible on a property-insurance claim, and any contractor who offers to waive, absorb, or rebate it is violating Texas HB 2102 (Insurance Code ch. 707).
What documentation does
Creates a pre-claim record of visible conditions. Establishes the basis for contesting aggressive depreciation assessments. Records soft-metal impact marks, which show where hail made contact. Gives you a complete picture of your own roof before a repair is proposed or a claim is filed.
What documentation does not do
Does not guarantee claim approval. Does not determine coverage. Does not negotiate with your insurer. Does not replace a licensed public adjuster if you need representation. What it does is equip you to exercise every right your policy gives you, the re-inspection request, the supplemental evidence, the appraisal clause if it comes to that, from the strongest possible foundation. A record built right usually means it never gets that far.
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On Your Roof
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After hail, roof damage documentation gives you a dated record of what can be seen on your roof. The Roof Shepherd is based in Round Rock and works anywhere in Texas.
When You Are Ready
When you are ready
Insurance Documentation
Here is how we help. Our roof record is made before the adjuster visits. 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.
Or call or text 512-575-5052.
Field Photos
On the job
Photos from roofs we have worked on. Select one to enlarge it.
Field Videos
From the field
A real job, filmed and explained.
Real Hail Roof Inspection in Manor Texas
The signs of hail damage explained during a Manor inspection, what to look for, what it means, and how it is documented.
Watch on YouTubeFrequently asked questions
Hail damage & insurance, plain answers
What is the difference between an RCV and ACV roof insurance policy?
RCV (Replacement Cost Value) pays the full cost to replace your roof with new materials of similar kind and quality, but in two payments. You receive an initial ACV payment with depreciation withheld, then a second payment releasing the holdback once repairs are complete. ACV (Actual Cash Value) permanently subtracts depreciation. On a 10-year-old roof, the depreciation deduction can be thousands of dollars, and there is no second payment coming to cover it.
How does my insurance company calculate depreciation on my roof?
Insurers use the roof’s age and condition at the time of loss to calculate depreciation. Carriers depreciate from the roof's age against the lifespan they assign the material, so a mid-life roof can be depreciated significantly even if it was in good condition before the storm. Documentation of pre-storm condition is the most effective tool for contesting aggressive depreciation.
What should I do immediately after hail damages my roof in Texas?
Document first, call second. Photograph gutters, vents, AC condenser tops, fascia, and any visible roof surface before any repair or adjuster visit. This timestamped record shows the pre-claim condition, and it is yours before a repair is proposed or a claim is filed. Then notify your insurer in writing; email creates a timestamped record.
What are my rights if my insurance company denies my roof claim in Texas?
Several paths exist. First, get the denial in writing with its reasons, which Texas Insurance Code 542.056(c) requires, and ask the company to point to the policy language it relies on. File a complaint with the Texas Department of Insurance at 800-252-3439; the insurer has 15 days to respond to TDI and can ask for a 10-day extension. If the dispute is about the amount of loss, not coverage, you can invoke appraisal. Unfair claim handling can support a claim under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 541, which has a two-year limitations period.
What is the insurance appraisal process in Texas?
Appraisal is alternative dispute resolution for disagreements about the dollar amount of loss, not whether damage is covered. You send a written demand. Each side selects an independent appraiser; the two appraisers choose a neutral umpire. Any agreement signed by two of the three is binding. Texas SB 458, which became law on June 20, 2025 without the Governor’s signature, requires residential property and personal auto policies delivered, issued, or renewed in Texas on or after January 1, 2026 to include a binding appraisal provision. It does not apply to commercial policies or TWIA policies, and on older policy forms the appraisal terms are whatever your policy says.
Does the appraisal process pause my deadline to sue my insurance company in Texas?
No. A federal court in Texas held in 2025 (Pool v. State Farm Lloyds) that the appraisal process did not pause the statute of limitations. The clock for breach of contract claims is four years by statute and two years in almost every real policy, because Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.070 permits a contract to shorten it to two and voids anything shorter. For bad faith claims under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 541 it is two years. Assume two, verify in your policy, and do not let the four-year number talk you into waiting. If your deadline is approaching while appraisal is ongoing, consult a licensed Texas insurance attorney immediately.
What is a holdback or withheld depreciation on a roof insurance claim?
On an RCV policy, the insurer withholds the depreciation amount from the first payment. Once you complete repairs and submit proof, the insurer releases the holdback as a second payment. The holdback is not lost, but you must complete the repairs and submit the paperwork to collect it. Some homeowners accept the initial ACV payment and never collect the holdback because they did not understand the two-payment structure.
What is functional replacement cost and how does it differ from RCV?
Functional replacement cost (FRC) pays only for a functional equivalent of damaged materials, not replacement in kind. If your roof has cedar shake or tile, an FRC policy might only pay for standard architectural shingles. Check your declarations page specifically for the terms “functional replacement cost” or “limited replacement cost.”
Is my roof deductible a flat amount or a percentage in Texas?
Often a percentage. Texas policies commonly set the wind-and-hail deductible as a percentage of the dwelling (Coverage A) amount; OPIC's example is 2 percent of a home insured for $100,000, which is $2,000. Your out-of-pocket cost then scales with your rebuild value, so check the declarations page for the exact figure.
Can I get an insurance discount for an impact-resistant roof?
Texas does not require insurers to give a discount for a UL 2218 Class 4 impact-resistant roof, and the Texas Department of Insurance does not set the amount. In TDI’s words, the amount of discount for each class of roofing material is established by the insurance company on a company-by-company basis. Many Texas carriers do offer a Class 4 credit; ask your carrier what theirs is, submit documentation of the rating, and confirm the roof age is updated in your carrier’s records. Worth knowing: from 1998 until Texas deregulated homeowners rates in 2003, the state did set these credits, and the Class 4 credit reached as high as 35% in some territories (TDI Bulletin B-0030-98). That old schedule is where the 15% to 35% figure quoted online comes from. It is history, not current law.
Does insurance pay for a dented metal roof?
Only if your policy does not carry a cosmetic-damage exclusion. Some Texas policies exclude cosmetic denting, so a dented but un-punctured metal panel may not be covered even though the damage is visible. Read the endorsements on your policy.
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How long do I have to file a hail damage claim in Texas?
Plan on two years or less from the date of loss, and treat that as a hard wall. Texas does not publish a filing deadline of its own, so the deadline that binds you is the one in your policy, and the law lets that policy be short. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.070 permits a contract to cut the time to sue down to two years and makes anything shorter void, and Texas homeowners policies routinely sit on that two-year floor even though the statutory default is four. The reporting side can be shorter still: § 16.071 voids a notice condition of less than 90 days, so 90 days is the shortest notice period your policy can lawfully demand. The Texas Department of Insurance tells homeowners to “call your insurance agent or company as soon as possible to report property damage”, and that is the safe way to treat it. Read the “Suit Against Us” condition in your own policy for the exact number, and know that a federal court in Texas held in 2025 that going to appraisal does not pause the clock. This is general information about deadlines, not advice about your claim, and a deadline question with money on it is worth a licensed Texas attorney.
Should I file a hail claim before or after I know what the damage is?
Know first. A claim filed on a guess is a claim you cannot describe, and the adjuster’s findings become the only record of what happened to your roof. A dated condition record made before anyone is called costs nothing and means every later opinion has a starting point to agree with or explain. The Texas Department of Insurance tells homeowners to “take pictures and video of the damage” and to “try to be there when the adjuster visits so you can point out all damage”, which is difficult to do well if you have not looked first. 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.
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