Short answer: if you have unrepaired storm damage from this year and your policy deadline has not passed, filing before year end is usually better than waiting. Deductibles reset with your policy period, and Texas claim windows run from the date of loss, not from when you noticed.
A few timing facts worth understanding before the holidays swallow December.
Claim deadlines run from the storm, not from the leak
This is the one that costs people money. Texas policies tie a claim to a date of loss, which is the date of the storm, and they specify a filing window from that date.
If hail came through in April and you did not notice anything until a ceiling stain appeared in November, the clock has been running the entire time. Waiting for visible symptoms is the most common way a legitimate claim becomes an expired one.
Pull your policy and find the filing deadline language. It is usually shorter than people expect.
How the deductible reset actually works
Your deductible applies per claim, and it resets with your policy period rather than with the calendar year. For many homeowners those are the same thing, but not for everyone. Check your declarations page for your actual policy period dates.
Why it matters: if you have two separate damage events, they are two claims with two deductibles. If both relate to the same storm, that is one claim. Grouping legitimate damage from one event into one claim is simply accurate, not a strategy.
Three things to check before December
- Was there a storm this year you never had inspected? Kendall, Comal, Bexar and Kerr counties all took hail this season. An unclaimed, undocumented event is the thing to resolve now.
- Is your wind and hail deductible a flat amount or a percentage? Percentage deductibles are now common in Texas and are calculated against dwelling coverage, not claim size. On a $500,000 home a 2 percent deductible is $10,000.
- Is your roof covered at ACV or RCV? Texas carriers have been moving older roofs to actual cash value. That decision usually happens at renewal, so knowing before renewal is better than after.
Our deductible guide explains the math in full.
If you have an approved claim you have not used
Do not let it sit. Two reasons:
- Most policies require the work to be completed within a set period after approval.
- On an RCV policy, the recoverable depreciation is only paid once the work is finished and invoiced. If you never do the work, you never collect the second payment.
Winter is actually the easiest time of year to get a roof replaced here, which we covered in winter roof replacement.
What not to do
Do not file a speculative claim hoping something sticks. Claim history follows the property, and a denied or withdrawn claim can complicate your renewal position without getting you anything.
Get an actual inspection first, find out whether you have claimable damage, and then decide. That is free from us and it takes about an hour.
One legal reminder
It is illegal in Texas for a contractor to waive, absorb or rebate your deductible. Anyone offering is proposing insurance fraud and exposing you along with themselves.
Book a free inspection or call (210) 245-4125.
