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Guide

Hail damage and roof insurance claims

Roofing demand spikes after hail because a hail roof is usually an insurance roof. This guide explains the general shape of a claim so you can read a quote, a settlement letter or an adjuster's report with the Index numbers beside you. It is general information, not legal or insurance advice; your policy wording controls.

Does homeowners insurance cover roof replacement?

Yes, when a covered peril such as hail or wind damaged it, minus your deductible. No, when the roof has simply worn out: a standard policy will not pay for routine wear and tear (Insurance Information Institute). How much it pays depends on replacement cost vs actual cash value, and many insurers treat roofs over 20 years old differently.

State guides

North Carolina is live. Other states are added as they are activated on the Index.

What is usually covered

A standard homeowner policy covers sudden, accidental damage from a named peril: hail, wind, a fallen tree, fire. It does not cover a roof that has simply worn out, was badly installed, or was left leaking. The practical line an adjuster draws is between storm damage (bruised or fractured shingles, granule loss in a spatter pattern, dented soft metals such as vents and gutters, all on the storm-facing slopes) and age or neglect (uniform granule loss, curling, blistering, previous repairs).

Replacement cost vs actual cash value

Two ways a roof can be paid. Replacement cost value (RCV) pays what it costs to replace the roof with like kind and quality, usually in two payments: the depreciated amount up front and the withheld depreciation once the work is done and invoiced. Actual cash value (ACV) pays the replacement cost minus depreciation for age and condition, and the homeowner covers the rest. Many insurers have moved older roofs, or roofs in hail-prone areas, to ACV schedules or to a separate, higher wind-and-hail deductible. Check the declarations page for the words "roof surfacing", "ACV" or "wind/hail deductible".

The deductible

The deductible comes off the settlement, not off the contractor's bill, and a percentage deductible is a percentage of the dwelling coverage, not of the roof. A 2% deductible on a $400,000 dwelling limit is $8,000, which on a roof costing $12,500 at the US typical for 25 squares is most of the job. A contractor who offers to "cover" or "waive" the deductible is offering insurance fraud; walk away.

The sequence

  1. Document: date of the storm, photos from the ground, any interior leaks. Do not go on the roof.
  2. Check the county record: the calculator's address lookup shows NOAA hail events for the county with dates and stone size. That supports the date of loss; it does not prove the roof was hit.
  3. Get an inspection from a licensed roofer before or alongside the adjuster. Ask for a written report with photos of each slope.
  4. File the claim within the policy's notice period (often one year for hail and wind, sometimes shorter).
  5. Compare the adjuster's scope to the Index: the settlement should show a square count and a per-square price. Put the adjuster's per-square figure against the state and metro Index for your area, and against a written quote.
  6. Choose the roofer, then sign. Read any "assignment of benefits" or "contingency agreement" before signing; some hand the claim to the contractor.

Using the Index on a claim

The Index is per square for installation only, at national material prices with labor scaled to your area. A settlement usually also carries tear-off ($100 to $300 per square per layer in our tables), permit ($100 to $500), disposal and a line for damaged flashing or vents. If a settlement's per-square figure sits below the low end of the Index for your metro, that is a reason to ask the adjuster how it was built, not proof it is wrong. Prices do vary within a metro.

Written by the Thomas Town Digital editorial team, 2026 Q3. General information only. We match homeowners with roofers; we do not roof and we do not adjust claims.

What size hail damages a roof, and which metros get the most: hail damage to a roof.

Sources for the figures on this page

What policies cover

Replacement cost vs actual cash value, roof age

  • NAIC, 'Rebuilding After a Storm: Know the Difference Between Replacement Cost and Actual Cash Value When It Comes to Your Roof' (page dated 2025-03-26 (last modified; first published 2021-07-22)), retrieved 2026-09-28: If you have Replacement Cost Value (RCV)coverage, your policy will pay the cost to repair or replace your damaged property without deducting for depreciation.
  • NAIC (page dated 2025-03-26 (last modified)), retrieved 2026-09-28: If you have Actual Cash Value (ACV)coverage, your policy will pay the depreciated cost to repair or replace your damaged property.
  • Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (page dated 2026-06-01), retrieved 2026-09-28: Actual cash value coverage pays replacement cost minus depreciation. Depreciation is a decrease in value because of wear and age.
  • NAIC (page dated 2025-03-26 (last modified)), retrieved 2026-09-28: Smith Family$15,000-n/a-$1,000= $14,000 [...] Johnson Family$15,000-$10,000-$1,000= $4,000
  • Texas Department of Insurance, 'Home policies: Replacement cost or actual cash value?' (page dated 2024-01-24), retrieved 2026-09-28: If it costs $10,000 to replace the roof, the amount an actual cash value policy will pay depends on how old the roof is: 5-year-old roof 10-year-old roof 20-year-old roof Actual cash value of roof $8,500 $7,000 $4,000 Minus deductible - $4,000 - $4,000 - $4,000 Policy would pay $4,500 $3,000 $0
  • Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (page dated 2026-06-01), retrieved 2026-09-28: If you have a replacement cost policy, most companies pay with two checks. You’ll get the first check after the adjuster has looked at your damage. This check will be for the estimated cost of repairs, minus depreciation and your deductible.
  • Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I), 'How Your Roof Influences Your Home and Business Insurance', retrieved 2026-09-28: If your roof is over 20 years old when you apply for home or business insurance, most insurance companies will require it to pass an inspection. Other insurers may decline to write new policies for homes or businesses with older roofs. And if they do accept your application, they may specify that it’s only covered at its actual cash value (ACV) — meaning depreciation is factored into your final payout, rather than Replacement Cost Value (RCV).
  • NAIC (page dated 2025-03-26 (last modified)), retrieved 2026-09-28: Some policies have special deductibles that apply to certain parts of your home, like your roof.Check with your insurer to learn this information.

Claim steps

  • Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (page dated 2026-06-01), retrieved 2026-09-28: Tell your company as soon as possible. Most companies have deadlines for you to file a claim. Some policies have a one-year deadline unless you can show good cause for the delay.
  • Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (page dated 2026-06-01), retrieved 2026-09-28: Make a list of your damaged property. If possible, take pictures or videos of the damage before making any repairs.
  • Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (page dated 2026-06-01), retrieved 2026-09-28: Make only temporary repairs to protect your house and belongings. For instance, board up broken windows or put a tarp over a damaged roof. Don’t make permanent repairs. The insurance company might deny your claim if you make permanent repairs before it sees the damage.
  • Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (page dated 2026-06-01), retrieved 2026-09-28: Keep receipts. To get full payment, you may need to prove to the insurance company that you replaced destroyed items. Receipts will help you do this. Also keep receipts for any materials you bought to make repairs.
  • Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (page dated 2026-06-01), retrieved 2026-09-28: Try to be there when the insurance company’s adjuster looks at your damage. It’s a good idea to have your contractor with you. Your contractor can talk to the adjuster about estimates and other issues.
  • Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (page dated 2026-06-01), retrieved 2026-09-28: Tell you that it got your claim within 15 days. [...] Send an adjuster to look at your damage. [...] Accept or deny your claim within 15 business days of getting all the information it needs from you. [...] Send you a check within five business days after it agrees to pay your claim.

Roof insurance questions

Does homeowners insurance cover roof replacement?

Only when the damage is covered by the policy, such as hail or wind, and then on the policy's terms minus the deductible. The Insurance Information Institute: a standard policy will not pay for damage caused by routine wear and tear. The NAIC notes some policies exclude wind and hail, which is common in coastal areas.

What is the difference between replacement cost and actual cash value?

NAIC: replacement cost value coverage pays the cost to repair or replace damaged property without deducting depreciation; actual cash value coverage pays the depreciated cost. In the NAIC's example, $15,000 of damage with a $1,000 deductible pays $14,000 under replacement cost and $4,000 under actual cash value after $10,000 of depreciation.

Will insurance pay for an old roof?

It may pay less. The Insurance Information Institute says that if a roof is over 20 years old, most insurers require it to pass an inspection, some decline to write new policies, and some cover it at actual cash value only.

How do I file a roof insurance claim?

Tell the insurer as soon as possible, photograph the damage before repairs, make only temporary repairs such as a tarp, keep receipts, and be there with your contractor when the adjuster inspects (Texas Department of Insurance guide). Check your own state's deadlines.