Key numbers
Areas of Colorado's Front Range and Eastern Plains can see 10 or more days of severe hail per year on average (Claims Journal, 2017).
| 316 | The Western U.S. NAIC zone had 316 homeowners insurers in 2024, the fewest of the four zones. Source: National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), 2024 |
|---|---|
| 310 | Colorado logged 310 preliminary reports of hail larger than 1 inch in June 2023, which if confirmed would be the most in any single month on record. Source: Colorado State University (Colorado Climate Center), 2023 |
| $129 million | State Farm paid $129 million in Colorado hail claims in 2022, eighth among states. Source: State Farm (newsroom), 2022 |
The trend is clear: Colorado homeowners policies are moving away from flat dollar deductibles toward separate wind and hail deductibles set as a percentage of your dwelling coverage. The Colorado Division of Insurance notes that many policies now carry wind and hail deductibles of 1, 2 or 5 percent of coverage. On a home insured for $450,000, that is $4,500, $9,000 or $22,500 out of pocket on a hail claim, compared with the $1,000 flat deductible many homeowners still remember.
Do the math for your house
| Dwelling coverage | 1 percent | 2 percent | 5 percent |
|---|---|---|---|
| $300,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 |
| $450,000 | $4,500 | $9,000 | $22,500 |
| $600,000 | $6,000 | $12,000 | $30,000 |
Use the dwelling coverage on your declarations page, not your home’s sale price. If a roof replacement on your house costs $18,000 and your deductible is $9,000, half of that roof is yours to pay even on an approved claim.
How to find yours
- Get your declarations page. In Colorado your insurer must provide a copy of the policy, declarations and endorsements within three business days of a request (C.R.S. 10-4-110.8).
- Look for two deductibles: “all other perils” and “wind/hail” (sometimes “named storm” or “windstorm or hail”).
- Check the endorsements for roof settlement terms. Some policies pay older roofs at actual cash value or on a roof-age schedule, so the held-back depreciation never comes back. Read how homeowners lose recoverable depreciation.
- Read every renewal notice. Changes often arrive in the renewal packet rather than a phone call, and many homeowners we meet after a storm had no idea their deductible had changed.
Why it is happening
When hailstorms damage whole Front Range neighborhoods at once, insurers’ losses climb across an entire area. Raising deductibles shifts more of each claim to homeowners and keeps premiums lower than they would otherwise be. Area-wide losses can also push up premiums at renewal whether or not you file; see whether a hail claim raises your premium.
How to plan for it
- Know the dollar figure now, not after the storm.
- Price the tradeoff. Ask your agent what a lower wind and hail deductible would cost per year and compare it with what you could pay out of pocket.
- Set the money aside or know how you would cover it. Financing can spread your share of a roof over time, but no contractor may pay, waive or rebate the deductible (C.R.S. 6-22-105). See who pays the deductible.
- Consider the roof itself. An impact-rated roof may lower your premium with some carriers and reduces the odds of a claim in the first place.
- Get damage checked before filing. With a large deductible, a claim for minor damage may pay nothing. A free inspection tells you first.
If a storm does hit, our disaster recovery guide covers a total loss, and the hail claim timeline for Colorado and Texas covers a typical roof claim.
Talk it through with us
We will show you what the damage is and whether it is likely to clear your deductible, and lay out Good, Better and Best options so you can see your share before you decide. Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Book a free inspection in Colorado Springs at (719) 488-2800 or Denver at (303) 209-0152, or ask about roof financing in Colorado Springs.
Sources: Colorado Division of Insurance, hail consumer advisory (May 22, 2024); C.R.S. 10-4-110.8 and 6-22-105 (unofficial reproduction).
