What are the most common reasons a roof claim is denied?

Three dominate. First, the adjuster classified the damage as wear, age or poor maintenance rather than storm damage. Second, the repair cost came in below your deductible, which is common now that percentage wind and hail deductibles are standard in Texas. Third, the claim was filed long after the storm and the insurer argues the damage cannot be tied to the covered event.

Can I challenge a denial?

Yes. Start by requesting the full adjuster's report and the engineer's report if one was commissioned. You are entitled to see the basis for the decision. Most successful challenges come down to better documentation: dated photographs, a detailed independent inspection, and a storm report tying a specific date and hail size to your address.

What is a reinspection?

You can request that the insurer send a different adjuster to look again, usually with your roofer present to point out what was missed. This is free, it is often the fastest path, and it resolves a meaningful share of disputes without anyone escalating further.

What is appraisal and should I use it?

Many policies contain an appraisal clause. Each side hires an appraiser, the two appraisers select an umpire, and the umpire's decision is binding. You pay your own appraiser and half the umpire's cost. The important limit is that appraisal settles the amount of the loss, not whether the damage is covered at all. If you were denied because the insurer called it wear and tear rather than storm damage, that is a causation dispute and appraisal is usually the wrong tool. Check your policy for appraisal deadlines.

Do I have to give notice before suing in Texas?

Yes. Under Texas Insurance Code section 542A.003 a claimant must give written notice no later than the 61st day before filing suit, and that notice has to state the acts or omissions giving rise to the claim, the specific amount claimed, and attorney fees incurred to date. This is one reason going straight to litigation is rarely the fastest route on a disputed roof claim.

When should I involve the Texas Department of Insurance?

If you believe the insurer is not following its own process or is not responding, you can file a complaint with TDI at 800-252-3439. TDI does not decide coverage disputes, but a complaint creates a record and often prompts movement.

Should I hire a public adjuster or a lawyer?

A licensed public adjuster works for you rather than the insurer and typically takes a percentage of the settlement. An attorney makes sense when the amount in dispute is large or the insurer is acting in bad faith. Both are real options and both cost money, so weigh them against the gap you are arguing over.

Your Roof Claim Was Denied | Texas Roof Claims

The short answer

A denied roof claim is the insurer's opening position, and it can be challenged. The most common stated reasons are that damage is wear and tear rather than storm related, that it falls under the deductible, or that it was reported too late. Your options in order of escalation are: ask for the adjuster's report in writing, request reinspection with your own documentation, file a complaint with the Texas Department of Insurance, hire a licensed public adjuster, or consult an attorney.

What to do

Request the adjuster's report and any engineering report in writing
Get an independent inspection with dated photographs and a written scope
Pull the storm history for your address to establish the date and hail size
Ask for a reinspection with your roofer present before escalating further
Keep every email, letter and claim number in one place with dates
Check your policy for its own deadline to dispute or sue, because policies set their own limits

What we see in the Hill Country

A large share of denials we see in the Hill Country turn on the wear versus storm distinction, and that is a documentation fight rather than a legal one. Photographs taken before a storm season, or an inspection report from a year earlier showing the roof was sound, change that conversation completely. It is one of the better arguments for having a roof looked at and documented on a schedule.

Where this comes from

Source: Texas Department of Insurance, what to do if you disagree with your insurance company; Texas Insurance Code 542A.003. 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.

Your Roof Claim Was Denied

The short answer

What to do

What we see in the Hill Country

Where this comes from

More on roof claims

Straight answers