Houston Texas Hail Storms

Standard home insurance covers hail damage in most jurisdictions. However, coverage is extended in many ways, depending on where you live and how the program is set up.

Here we'll clarify how home insurance covers your house for hail damage and what to do if the damage is removed from your policy.

We'll also mention the most hail damage-prone states that are most likely to have unique hail coverage methods and claims.

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Top Hail Damage States

More than seven million American homes were destroyed in 2019, according to Verisk, an analytics company.

The nation gets over 5,000 hail storms a year. Hail caused property damage over $13 billion in 2019.

Not only Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming's "hail alley" states see the damage. Verisk said South and Midwest areas are also vulnerable to injury.

Texas experienced most damage in 2019, but Colorado and Nebraska had much higher numbers of damaged properties.

Here's Verisk's top 10 hail-damage ranking:

1 Texas 1.5 million 16%

2Colorado 926,160 46%

3 Illinois 407,8109%

4 Pennsylvania 388,7708%

5 Ohio 358,706 7%

6 Kansas 346,024,30%

7 Minnesota 323,950 16%

8Oklahoma 293,261 21%

9Nebraska 277,360 41%

10Indiana 224,875 8%

The study also points out that while hail is more common in the highlighted states, hail may fall in all or at least a portion of them. This underlines the need to keep the hail loss insurance policy up-to-date.

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What Insurance costs for Hail Damage?

An insurer typically covers the loss minus deductible.

We believe policyholders need to file promptly when the home losses hail. You should also photograph the damage. Do not patch until calling your insurer, although you may want to protect the damage with a tarp or other coverage. You have the right to hire an experienced home insurance attorney to assist.

The standard policies can require a claim within as little as one year of deciding that a hail storm destroyed your roof or other house pieces. We suggest calling your an experienced insurance attorney or insurance agent to make sure you know the time limit for any claims.

A typical homeowner's policy typically covers hail damage to a roof as part of several states' insurance coverage. Homeowners make a claim, pay the insurance deductible, and then pay to repair the harm. A deductible is an amount you pay to lose until the insurance provider pays a claim.

When agreeing to file a claim, you can always be confident that the insurance premium sum exceeds the deductible by enough money to make financial sense. For example, if your house supports damage worth $2,000 and your deductible is $1,000, it might not be wise to file a claim. That's because a claim will increase your prices. So, in the long run, you'd pay more for claiming than just paying out of pocket for injury. If you have any doubt, you should contact an experienced insurance lawyer.

Does a Hail Claim Raise Home Insurance Rates?

Likely not. Since your negligence doesn't cause weather damage, your insurer won't usually raise your premium. However, if you lodged a claim within the previous three years, the rate will rise, and the hail claim is the second. Therefore, we believe it is essential to consult with an insurance attorney to file a claim.

Often, though your premium does not increase if you live in a hail damage-prone location, the insurance provider charges a higher base rate for anyone in that vicinity than areas where hail is rare. Lastly, some states, including Texas, forbid home insurers from raising premiums after only one claim, so it all depends on the state laws.

Claims Deductible

Following Hurricane Katrina in 2005, insurers agreed homeowners in states with hurricane and wind damage (including hail) needed to pay more for insurance.

There are two types of wind damage deductibles: hurricane deductibles that apply to hurricane-only damage and windstorm or wind/hail deductibles that apply to any form of wind damage.

Usually, deductibles vary from 1% to 5% of the house's insured value, depending on where the house is situated and the region's historic storm and hail harm.

In some states, policyholders will have the option of paying a higher premium in return for a traditional dollar deductible. In some high-risk coastal regions, insurers may not have this option, making the deductible percentage mandatory.

Homeowners need to evaluate their insurers' situation to know exactly how much coverage and how much it will cost.

Currently, 19 states have statutory hurricane deductibles, which also cover hail harm. They include Alabama, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Virginia, and Washington, D.C.

Home Insurance, Hail Loss

Check your policy for wind/hail damage omitted in your policy. If removed, you might want to explore a separate wind insurance policy, usually a state insurance program.

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Keep Your Money and Avoid TWIA!

For example, the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TIWA) offers wind and hail coverage policies where insurance providers exempt it from the homeowner's policies sold to coastal residents. TWIA policy's average premium is around $1,600. We strongly recommend not purchasing TWIA unless necessary. TWIA is notorious for using governmental immunity to get out of paying legitimate insurance claims. Our personal opinion is to get a market insurance carrier if possible.

Cosmetic Damage Exclusion (Lawyer Up!)

Insurers have agreed to use "Cosmetic Damage Exclusion" to insure homeowners. Experts say that the object is to reduce insurers' losses when extreme weather results in many costly claims for injury.

Insurance firms now have the option to exclude payments from hail or wind for damage to external surfaces, including walls, roofs, doors, and windows, if the storm affects the appearance but not the function of these items. Insurers claim the exclusions are essential to avoid raising homeowners' insurance rates.

Some firms may immediately request exclusion, while others may provide it on a case-by-case basis, according to the American Insurance Services Association (AAIS).

AAIS adds that insurers can reimburse homeowners for lack of coverage of cosmetic storm damage by granting them a credit that lowers premiums on the portion of the policy's hail and wind damage. Barry and AAIS suggest talking to the insurance agent to decide whether you will be disqualified and earn a refund.

Homeowners need to figure out precisely what they think is cosmetic versus practical hail and wind damage. It could be a grey area the insurer has to specify. Therefore, it is imperative to contact an experienced insurance attorney.

A house with dented siding keeps running, but it looks terrible and causes the house to drop in value. Due to the vague concept of cosmetic injury, insurance providers should make it whole, even though the house still operates.

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