Montgomery County sits squarely in Texas hail country. The storms that build over the Brazos Valley in March, April and May cross Conroe on their way east, and every few years one of them drops golf-ball hail on a whole neighborhood at once. Add the May 16, 2024 derecho and Hurricane Beryl on July 8, 2024, and there's hardly a roof in the county that hasn't been through a claimable event in the last few years. Here's how a claim actually works.
Step 1: Check the soft metals before the roof
Hail damage on shingles is hard to see from the ground; hail damage on metal isn't. Walk around the house and look at the gutters, the downspouts, the roof vents, the AC condenser fins, the window screens, the mailbox and the car. Dents in those mean the shingles took the same hits. Then check the downspout splash blocks and the gutters for a heavy dump of granules. If you see either, get the roof walked — we do it free, with chalk and a camera.
Step 2: Read the policy before you call
Pull the declarations page and find three things. The wind/hail deductible — in Texas it's now commonly a percentage of the dwelling coverage, 1 or 2 percent, so $4,000 to $8,000 on a $400,000 home; a claim that doesn't clear that by a good margin isn't worth filing. Roof coverage type — replacement cost (RCV), actual cash value (ACV), or a roof payment schedule that pays a declining percentage as the roof ages. Many Texas carriers moved older roofs to ACV or schedules in 2023–2025; on a 15-year-old shingle roof ACV might pay 40 percent of the cost. Cosmetic exclusions — common on metal roofs; dents that don't leak aren't covered. We'll read it with you if it isn't clear.
Step 3: Get your own inspection and documentation
Before you file, have a roofer walk the roof and give you a written report: hail hits per test square on each slope (most carriers look for 8 to 10 hits per 100 square feet to replace a slope), wind creases and broken seals, collateral damage on the soft metals, and photos of everything. That report is what you and the adjuster will work from. The inspection is free and the report is yours whether you file or not.
Step 4: File, and meet the adjuster on the roof
File with your carrier (the app, the website or your agent), get a claim number and an adjuster appointment, and have your roofer there for it. Adjusters are mostly fair and mostly busy; a roofer on the roof pointing at the chalk marks is the difference between a full scope and a 'repair one slope' finding. The adjuster writes an estimate in Xactimate line items — that's the approved scope.
Step 5: Understand the check
On an RCV policy the first check is the ACV amount: the replacement cost minus depreciation minus your deductible. The depreciation is 'recoverable' — it's released when the work is done and the carrier gets the final invoice. On an ACV policy or a schedule, that first check is all you get. The deductible is your money, always.
Step 6: Supplements and code items
Adjuster estimates often miss things the job requires — drip edge, ice-and-water, ridge vent, replacing box vents, decking, steep or high charges, a second layer. Those are submitted as supplements with photos and paid if the policy covers them (ordinance-or-law coverage handles code-required items). We do this in the carrier's own format so it moves.
The Texas rules that protect you
- Deductibles can't be waived. Since HB 2102 in 2019 (Business & Commerce Code §27.02) it's a Class B misdemeanor for a contractor to waive, absorb, rebate or offset an insurance deductible, and carriers can require proof you paid it before releasing depreciation. A 'free roof' is a denied claim waiting to happen.
- Roofers aren't public adjusters. Only a licensed Texas public adjuster can negotiate your claim with the carrier on your behalf. A roofer who promises to 'fight the insurance company for you' is offering something he can't legally deliver. We document, we meet the adjuster, we build to the scope; if a claim is underpaid, we point you to a licensed public adjuster or the appraisal clause in your policy.
- You choose the contractor. The carrier's 'preferred vendor' is a suggestion, not a requirement.
- Contingency agreements are contracts. The paper the storm chaser wants signed on the porch usually commits you to using them for whatever the insurance approves. Don't sign anything before the adjuster has been out and you've compared real estimates.
- Deadlines are real. Most Texas policies allow one year from the date of loss to file; some are shorter for wind and hail. Check yours.
Should you file at all?
Not always. If the damage is light, the deductible is $6,000 and the roof is worth $14,000 under an ACV policy, the math might not work, and a filed claim goes on your CLUE history whether it pays or not. We'll give you the numbers straight — repair cost, replacement cost, what the policy likely pays — and you decide.
Related questions
How many hail hits does it take to replace a roof?
Most Texas carriers use a test square — a 10×10-foot area on each slope — and replace the slope at roughly 8 to 10 hits, though it varies by adjuster and carrier. Wind damage is counted differently: a certain number of creased or unsealed shingles per slope. Our report counts both.
What if my claim is denied?
Ask for the adjuster's report and photos, have us re-inspect against it, and request a re-inspection if damage was missed. After that, your policy's appraisal clause or a licensed public adjuster are the next steps, and the Texas Department of Insurance takes complaints.
Will filing raise my rates?
In Texas, carriers can't surcharge you for a single weather claim, but claims history affects renewals and shopping, and neighborhoods with heavy hail history see rate increases whether you file or not. It's one reason not to file marginal claims.
Can I keep the insurance money and not fix the roof?
On an ACV policy, the check is yours. On an RCV policy, the recoverable depreciation is paid only when the work is done; keeping the ACV check and skipping the roof leaves you with a damaged roof, a documented loss and a problem at your next renewal.
Does the carrier pay for the tarp?
Almost always — emergency mitigation is a covered expense on nearly every Texas policy, and you're required to protect the property after a loss. Keep the invoice and photos.
What's the difference between a roofer and a public adjuster?
A roofer inspects, documents and builds the roof to the approved scope. A public adjuster is licensed by the state to negotiate the claim itself for a percentage of the settlement. Texas law keeps them separate; be wary of anyone doing both.