There is no single Texas deadline for a roof claim. Your policy sets how soon you must report the damage, and the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says some policies set one year unless you can show good cause for the delay. After that, three more clocks can matter: the time your policy gives you to finish repairs and collect withheld depreciation, the 61-day written notice Texas law requires before suing over hail or wind damage, and the time to sue, which a policy cannot cut below two years. Report as soon as you know about damage. This page is general information, not legal advice; for a disputed claim, talk to a Texas attorney or the TDI Help Line at 800-252-3439.
Every Texas roof claim deadline, in order
| Clock | Who sets it | How long | Where it comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Report the damage | Your policy | Set by the policy; TDI says some set one year | TDI Home insurance guide |
| TWIA wind and hail policies only | Texas law | One year from the date of damage; the Commissioner can add 180 days for good cause | TWIA |
| Your insurer’s response | Texas law | 15 business days to acknowledge, then 15 to decide | Tex. Ins. Code ch. 542 |
| Finish repairs to collect depreciation | Your policy | Varies; ask your adjuster | TDI Home insurance guide |
| Written notice before a lawsuit | Texas law | At least 61 days before filing | Tex. Ins. Code 542A.003 |
| Unfair-practice claims under chapter 541 | Texas law | Two years from the act, or from when you discovered it | Tex. Ins. Code 541.162 |
| Suing on the policy itself | Your policy, with a legal floor | No shorter than two years | Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.070 |
The insurer’s own deadlines, including payment within 5 business days of approving a claim, are laid out on our Austin roof insurance claim help page. The rest of this page is about the clocks that run against you.
Clock 1: reporting the damage
Open your policy to the section usually titled “Duties after loss” or “Your duties.” TDI’s guide says most companies have deadlines to file a claim: some policies set one year unless you show good cause, and others require water damage to be reported much sooner. If yours says “prompt” or “as soon as practical” instead of a number, treat that as days, not months.
TWIA is the exception people hear about. Its one-year reporting rule is set by law, but TWIA writes wind and hail coverage for the Texas coast. A house in Travis, Williamson or Hays County is almost always insured by a regular company, so the deadline is whatever your own policy says.
Why the date of loss matters as much as the deadline. Central Texas roofs get hit by more than one storm. If you wait, a second hailstorm can land on the same roof, and the adjuster then has to sort out which storm did what. Pin your date with the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center’s daily storm reports, which list hail size, place and time, and write it down with your own photos and any neighbor’s repair dates.
Clock 2: finishing the work to collect depreciation
On a replacement cost policy, TDI explains, the first check is often actual cash value: replacement cost minus depreciation for wear and age. The company pays the amount it kept for depreciation “after it gets the bill for the finished job.” TDI also says you usually must complete repairs within a certain period, and to ask your agent or adjuster if you are not sure how long you have.
Three practical points:
- Get the repair deadline in writing when the first payment arrives, and put it on your calendar.
- Make only temporary repairs before the adjuster sees the roof. TDI warns that the insurer might deny a claim if you make permanent repairs first. A tarp is fine; keep the receipt.
- Ask for an extension before the date passes if materials, a contractor’s schedule or a second storm delays the job, and keep the request and answer in writing.
Our long-standing guide to completing repairs and still recovering depreciation walks through how holdback works in more detail; the time limit itself is always in your policy.
Clock 3: if you and the insurer disagree
Most disagreements end long before a lawsuit. Ask for the decision and the policy language in writing. TDI’s guide notes that the appraisal process is for disputes about the amount of a claim, and that a complaint to TDI must be in writing.
If it does come to suing, two Texas rules shape the timing:
- The 61-day notice. Chapter 542A applies to claims for damage caused wholly or partly by forces of nature, including hail, wind, tornadoes and rainstorms. Section 542A.003 requires written notice at least 61 days before filing suit, stating what went wrong and the amount you believe is owed. Notice is excused if there is not enough time before the limitations period runs out.
- The two-year floor. Texas law voids a contract term that gives you less than two years to bring suit, so your policy’s suit clause can be two years or longer, never shorter. Read the clause for when the clock starts, then count back 61 days for the notice.
These are the points to raise with an attorney, not with your roofer. A Texas contractor may not act as a public adjuster on a property it is working on, and we do not file, handle or negotiate claims.
What to do this week, if the storm was recent
- Find the storm date in the Storm Prediction Center reports for your area.
- Pull your declarations page and find the wind and hail deductible, which TDI notes is often higher than for other damage.
- Photograph ceilings, the attic, gutters, window screens and fences, then tarp any opening.
- Book an inspection so you know whether there is real storm damage before you report it. If there is none, we tell you, and you can skip the claim.
- Report the claim, and write down the claim number, the adjuster’s name and every deadline they give you.
For the first 48 hours after a storm, see what to do after a storm damages your Austin roof, and for how the repair itself runs, see Austin storm damage repair.
Get the roof documented before the clock runs
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. We inspect the roof, gutters, vents, flashing and attic, photograph every hit with dates, and write a scope you can hand your adjuster, so nothing gets missed in the scope. Call our Austin office on W US Hwy 290 at (512) 610-5897 or book a free Austin roof inspection, and we will reach out the same business day.
General information, not legal advice. Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide (updated 6/1/2026); TWIA, How long do I have to report a claim?; Tex. Ins. Code 542A.001 and 542A.003; Tex. Ins. Code 541.162; Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 16.070 (statute links are unofficial reproductions; the official text is at statutes.capitol.texas.gov); TDI, Insurance claim deadlines; TDI, Roofing and insurance: know the law; NOAA Storm Prediction Center, storm reports.
