Key numbers
May is the peak month for U.S. hail loss claims, with 621,945 claims over 2017-2019, followed by June (586,749) (National Insurance Crime Bureau, 2017-2019).
| 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 |
|---|---|
| About 1 | In IBHS's 2024 field campaign, 26 of 32 shingle test panels were hit by hail about 1 inch or larger. Source: Roofing Contractor, 2024 |
| 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 |
Usually not by itself. A hail claim is a weather claim, and insurers generally treat it differently from claims you could have prevented: Texas rules, for example, tie rate increases and nonrenewal to repeated nonweather claims. But premiums can still rise after a big hailstorm whether or not you file, because insurers price risk by area, and a storm that damages a whole neighborhood raises costs for every policy there.
What Texas says
The Texas Department of Insurance’s home insurance guide spells it out:
- A company can raise your rates if you file two or more nonweather-related claims.
- A company may refuse to renew if you file three or more nonweather-related claims in three years, and it must warn you after the second; without that warning it cannot nonrenew over the third.
- A company may not refuse to renew because you filed a claim for something your policy does not cover.
- Insurers can see your claims history through CLUE reports covering the last seven years, and can charge more or decline to sell a policy based on them.
- “No claims for three years in a row” is a common discount, so any claim can cost you that discount.
Hail and wind claims are weather related, so they do not count toward those nonweather thresholds. They can still affect a claims-free discount and your area’s rates.
What Colorado says
Colorado law does not single out weather claims, but it does give you notice and transparency:
- An insurer must mail notice at least 60 days before cancelling or nonrenewing a homeowners policy, stating the specific reasons (C.R.S. 10-4-110.7).
- If an adverse decision is based on claims history, the insurer must disclose the specific claim information it used.
- An insurer may not cancel or nonrenew solely because you asked about coverage, as long as the question is not tied to an actual claim (C.R.S. 10-4-110.8). See should you call your insurer or a roofer first.
What has changed most in Colorado is the deductible. Many policies now carry wind and hail deductibles of 1, 2 or 5 percent of coverage, according to the Colorado Division of Insurance. Read the trend toward percentage deductibles and how your deductible comes out of the check.
When filing makes sense
File when the roof has functional storm damage that is likely to cost more than your deductible. Functional damage is damage that reduces the roof’s ability to shed water or shortens its life: fractured shingles, granule loss that exposes the mat, punctured or torn materials. Cosmetic marks alone, especially on metal, may not be covered. Look at the rest of the property too. Aluminum gutters, downspouts, window screens and paint on the side facing the storm often take hail at the same time.
Do not file when the damage is minor and below the deductible, or when an inspection finds wear rather than storm damage. You get nothing, and the claim still appears in your history.
The cost of not filing
Skipping a legitimate claim to protect your premium can cost far more than any rate change. Hail-bruised shingles can fail years later, after your policy’s filing window has closed. Read what a roofer should do before your claim, which follows a homeowner who replaced a hail-damaged roof without filing, and compare carriers’ claim handling on which insurers handle roof claims best.
Find out before you file
A free inspection tells you whether you have functional storm damage worth a claim. Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Book in Colorado Springs at (719) 488-2800, Denver at (303) 209-0152, or Austin at (512) 610-5897, or read about hail damage repair in Colorado Springs.
Sources: Texas Department of Insurance, Home insurance guide; C.R.S. 10-4-110.7 and 10-4-110.8 (unofficial reproduction); Colorado Division of Insurance, hail consumer advisory (May 22, 2024).
