Storm and hail damage in Wichita Falls
After hail, the order you do things in decides what your insurer pays and when. Here it is, with what Texas law says along the way.
01Step by step
After a storm, in order
Step 1
Make it safe, and take pictures
Photograph the damage, outside and in, before anything is fixed. Cover what's open so no more water gets in, and keep the receipts. Nothing permanent yet.
Step 2
Get the roof inspected
Someone climbs up, takes pictures of any damage and writes it down for you. The inspection is free.
Step 3
File the claim yourself
You call your insurer, and their adjuster comes out to see the roof.
Step 4
Sign, knowing the deductible is yours
Texas law makes the deductible yours to pay, and any contract over $1,000 involving a claim has to say so.
Step 5
Your new roof
Once the claim is settled we set a date, tear off the old roof and put the new one on.
Step 6
Send the final invoice to your insurer
If your policy pays for a new roof, the first check is short by an amount for the old roof's age. The insurer sends that once the bill for the finished job reaches it.
02What changes it
What decides what the claim pays
- Whether your policy pays for a new roof (replacement cost) or takes off for the old roof's age (actual cash value). Some policies do the second on an older roof.
- Your wind and hail deductible, which can be different from your other deductibles.
- How soon you file. Most policies have a deadline, and some give you a year.
- Photographs taken before any repair.
03Questions
Questions after a storm
Can a roofer handle the claim for me?
No. In Texas a roofer can't negotiate your claim or act as your adjuster. We find and photograph the damage, and you file the claim with your insurer.
The adjuster says there's no damage and the roofer says there is. Now what?
Ask your insurer to inspect again. If you still disagree, most Texas policies let you ask for an appraisal, and you can complain to the Texas Department of Insurance.
Why did I only get part of the money?
The first check leaves out your deductible and an amount for the old roof's age. If your policy pays for a new roof, that second amount comes once the insurer has the invoice for the finished job.
Also: Roof replacement · Roof repair
Hail this week?
Don't sign anything yet. Have it looked at first.
Monday to Saturday, 7am to 7pm. Closed Sunday.