Key numbers
The National Weather Service raised its severe hail threshold from 0.75 inch to 1.00 inch in 2010 (NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, 2010).
| More than $3.8 billion | State Farm paid more than $3.8 billion for hail-damaged home repairs and over $1.2 billion for auto repairs in 2024. Source: State Farm (newsroom), 2024 |
|---|---|
| More than 20% | Sixteen U.S. states had severe hail affect more than 20% of roofs in 2025, up from 12 states in 2024. Source: Insurance Journal (reporting Verisk), 2025 |
| Nearly $2,000 | State Farm's average hail claim rose by nearly $2,000 from 2021 to 2022, its largest year-over-year increase to date. Source: State Farm (newsroom), 2022 |
After a fire, tornado or storm destroys your home, make four calls in the first days: your insurance company to report the claim, your mortgage company, your agent for a copy of the full policy, and a contractor to secure what is left of the structure. Then start a written log of every call, receipt and expense. Colorado law gives homeowners specific time and payment protections after a total loss, especially after a declared wildfire, and knowing them early keeps you from settling too fast.
The first week
- Report the claim. Call the claims line on your insurer’s website or app. If the policy papers burned, the insurer can find your policy from your name and address. Our insurance company contact directory lists claims numbers.
- Ask about living expenses. Loss-of-use or additional living expense (ALE) coverage pays for temporary housing and extra costs. Ask what it covers and for how long, and keep every receipt.
- Get your policy. In Colorado, your insurer must provide a copy of the policy, declarations page and endorsements within three business days of a request (C.R.S. 10-4-110.8(10)).
- Write down the adjuster’s name and direct number. You will talk to this person many times over months; put the number in your phone.
- Secure the site. Board openings and tarp what can be saved. Keep receipts; temporary protection is usually part of the claim.
Colorado’s total-loss and wildfire protections
Colorado’s homeowners insurance law has specific total-loss rules. For a total loss, C.R.S. 10-4-110.8 gives you at least 365 days to submit a contents inventory, and at least 365 days after your living-expense coverage ends to replace property and collect recoverable depreciation. When the governor declares a wildfire disaster, more protections apply to an owner-occupied home that is a total loss:
| Protection | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Time to submit rebuild receipts for full replacement cost | 36 months from the first actual cash value payment, plus up to two 6-month extensions |
| Additional living expense | 24 months, plus up to two 6-month extensions for permit or rebuild delays |
| Contents paid without an itemized inventory | 65 percent of the contents limit |
| Loss-of-use payment after documentation | Within 20 days |
| Debris removal payment after documentation | Within 60 days |
| Rebuilding at a different location | Allowed, up to the cost of rebuilding at the original site |
If the insurer delays or denies a covered benefit without a reasonable basis, Colorado lets you sue for two times the covered benefit plus attorney fees (C.R.S. 10-3-1115 and 10-3-1116). More on your rights after storm damage in Colorado.
In Texas
Texas insurers must acknowledge a claim within 15 days, decide it within 15 business days of receiving what they need (45 days with notice), and pay within 5 business days of approval; the Texas Department of Insurance can extend those deadlines by 15 days after a weather catastrophe. Most policies cover some living costs if you cannot stay in your home, so keep receipts. TDI’s Help Line is 800-252-3439.
The claim summary and the money
Within weeks you will get the adjuster’s estimate, a line-by-line list of what the insurer will pay to rebuild. Each trade on your rebuild needs a copy. On a replacement cost policy, the first payment is the replacement cost minus depreciation and deductible; the held-back depreciation is paid as work is completed and invoiced. Missing a deadline is the most common way homeowners lose that money; see how homeowners lose recoverable depreciation. Checks usually name your mortgage company too, so send them for endorsement right away.
A full rebuild involves many trades, and the general contractor coordinating them has real overhead. Read when insurance should pay general contractor overhead and profit. For a hail or wind claim where the house still stands, our hail claim timeline for Colorado and Texas is the better guide.
Where we help
We have worked with El Paso County homeowners who were still resolving their claims a full year after the 2013 Black Forest Fire. On a rebuild we handle the roof, gutters and exterior paint, document the damage with photos so nothing gets missed in the scope, and give each trade what it needs from the estimate. The claim stays yours.
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Call Colorado Springs at (719) 488-2800, Denver at (303) 209-0152 or Austin at (512) 610-5897, or book a free inspection in Colorado Springs, Denver or Austin. For storm damage short of a total loss, see Colorado Springs storm damage repair.
Sources: C.R.S. 10-4-110.8, 10-3-1115, 10-3-1116 (unofficial reproduction); Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide; TDI, Hail damage to your home or car?.
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