How much is the discount?

There is no single answer, and anyone who quotes you a fixed percentage is guessing. The Texas Department of Insurance states that each insurer sets its own credit by impact class, with Class 4 earning the highest. Call your carrier before you buy and ask what credit it gives and what documentation it needs.

What is the difference between Class 3 and Class 4?

The size of the steel ball and the drop height in the UL 2218 test. Per GAF's published table, Class 4 uses a 2-inch ball dropped from 20 feet and Class 3 uses a 1.75-inch ball from 17 feet. The test allows cosmetic denting but not a crack through the shingle.

Does Class 4 mean my roof is covered for hail?

No, and this is the part worth reading twice. GAF states plainly that its shingles are not warranted against hail damage, and that is typical across manufacturers. The impact rating is a laboratory performance class that earns you an insurance credit. It is not a warranty against hail and it is not a hail-proof roof.

Are they actually worth it in the Hill Country?

Often yes, because the credit compounds every year and this is an active hail corridor, so the roof has a real chance of being tested. But be realistic about what you are buying. A 2025 study by the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety found impact-resistant shingles performed only slightly better than conventional shingles for cumulative granule loss from repeated small hail. They buy real margin against large stones rather than immunity.

What paperwork will my insurer want?

Typically proof of the product and its rating, which means keeping the shingle wrapper and the invoice showing the product line. Requirements vary by carrier, so ask yours before the tear-off rather than after.

Class 4 Shingles and the Texas Insurance Discount | Texas Roof Claims

The short answer

Class 4 is the top rating under the UL 2218 impact test, in which a steel ball is dropped twice on the same spot and the back of the shingle is checked for cracking. Texas insurers do offer premium credits for impact-rated roofs, but the Texas Department of Insurance is clear that each insurer sets its own credit, decides which test criteria it accepts, and sets its own paperwork requirements. No insurer favors a particular brand.

What to do

Call your carrier and ask what credit it gives for Class 4 and what documentation it requires
Keep the shingle wrapper and the invoice showing the exact product line
Ask your roofer to put the product name and impact class on the contract, not just 'impact resistant'
Do the arithmetic: annual credit against the material upcharge, over the life of the roof
Remember the credit applies while you own the home, so it compounds in a way a one-time discount does not

What we see in the Hill Country

A relevant finding for this area: the same 2025 IBHS research found that repeated sub-severe hail, under one inch, which the National Weather Service does not even classify as severe, produced cumulative granule loss exceeding a single two-inch stone, and left shingles far more vulnerable to later severe hail. In a place that gets small hail most springs, that cumulative effect matters as much as the one big storm everyone remembers.

Where this comes from

Source: UL 2218 via GAF; Texas Department of Insurance roofing discounts page; Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety 2025 impact study. This page is general information from a roofing contractor, not legal or insurance advice. Your own policy governs your claim, and the Texas Department of Insurance help line is 800-252-3439.

Class 4 Shingles and the Texas Insurance Discount

The short answer

What to do

What we see in the Hill Country

Where this comes from

More on roof claims

Straight answers