VAN ZANDT COUNTY, Texas — Storms in Texas often happen with little or no warning. Being prepared helps protect your family and property and can save you time and frustration if you have to file an insurance claim.
The following tips from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) can help you prepare and recover. For more tips and resources, visit the TDI's disasters pages and txready.org.
Have the right type of insurance
The type of insurance you need depends on what you want to insure and where you live.
Homeowners insurance
Homeowners insurance pays to repair or replace your house if it’s damaged or destroyed by a storm, fire or other event covered by your policy. Homeowners insurance also covers your personal property – your furniture, clothes and other items you own.
If you have additional living expenses coverage, your policy will pay some of your expenses – like rent and extra meal costs – if you have to move temporarily because your house is too damaged to live in.
Learn more: Do you have enough home insurance? | Watch: Buying a new home? What you need to know about insurance
Renters insurance
Renters insurance pays to repair or replace your personal property. It also pays some of your expenses if you have to move temporarily because of damage to your home. Renters insurance doesn’t pay to repair the building.
Learn more: Do you need renters insurance? | Watch: Do you need renters insurance?
Flood insurance
Homeowners and renters policies don’t cover damage caused by flooding from rising waters. To protect yourself from most types of flooding, you need to buy flood insurance.
Flood policies usually take effect 30 days after you buy them. To buy flood insurance, talk to your insurance agent or company. They may offer flood insurance through their own policies or through the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). To learn more about NFIP, go to FloodSmart.gov/find or call the NFIP at 877-336-2627.
Learn more: Do you need flood insurance? | Watch: 4 things to know about flood insurance
Wind and hail insurance
Your roof is your first line of defense against severe weather, and it takes a beating. Here’s what you need to know when buying a policy, filing a claim, and replacing your roof.
Replacement cost or actual cash value?
A replacement cost policy will pay to replace your roof based on current construction costs. An actual cash value policy will decrease your payment based on the age or wear on your roof.
Example: Let’s say it will cost $20,000 to replace your 10-year-old roof after hail damage, and your home policy has a $3,000 deductible.
- A policy with replacement cost will pay $17,000 ($20,000 - $3,000).
- A policy with actual cash value coverage will take into account the age of your roof. This is usually done with a depreciation schedule. If the value of your roof had depreciated by half after 10 years, this policy would pay $7,000 ($10,000 - $3,000).
Choose the right deductible
Your deductible is the amount you pay before the insurance company will pay. It’s usually offered as a percentage of your coverage amount, but some companies offer a fixed dollar amount. Some policies have a separate deductible for windstorm claims. Higher deductibles will lower your premium, but remember that you'll have to pay more out of your own pocket if you have a claim.
Filing a claim
If your policy covers the replacement cost of your roof, be aware that you’ll probably get the payment in two checks. The first will cover the actual cash value of the roof. Once you have replaced the roof, your insurance will pay the rest of the amount.
Here are tips to help you select a good contractor:
- Start with a call to your insurance company to get an idea of what repairs should cost.
- Use local companies and check references and contact numbers.
- Get written estimates. These should be on company letterhead with clear contact information.
- Get more than one bid. This will help you tell which offers are too high or too good to be true.
- Don’t use a contractor who offer to waive your deductibles. It is illegal for contractors to offer to waive a deductible or promise a rebate for all or part of a deductible.
- Don’t pay the full cost of the repair in advance. Good contractors may require a partial payment up front to get started. Your final payment should come after the job is done.
- Be aware that Texas law prohibits public adjusters from taking part in the repair process to prevent conflicts of interest. For example, roofers can’t advertise that they will handle your insurance claim.
Selecting a replacement roof
You may want to consider roofing materials that are less likely to be damaged by wind, hail, or fire. Ask your home insurer if using these materials would mean a discount on your premium.
Resources:
Learn more: Homeowners, flood, and wind and hail policies: know how they work | Watch: Windstorm insurance inspections
Auto insurance
Comprehensive auto coverage pays to repair or replace your car if it’s damaged by hail, wind, fire or a flood. Texas law requires you to have liability coverage but not comprehensive coverage. Read your auto policy or talk to your agent to find out whether you have comprehensive coverage. If you don’t, you can add it to your policy.
Commercial property insurance
Commercial property insurance helps businesses, including farms and ranches, repair or replace property that’s damaged by a storm, fire, or other event covered by the policy. Business interruption coverage may pay for lost income and some expenses if you have to close your business because of a disaster.
Review your coverages regularly
Make sure your insurance policies are up to date and provide enough coverage. It’s a good idea to review your coverage every year. Your coverage limits might be too low if replacement costs have risen because of inflation, new purchases, or renovations.
Cash value vs. replacement cost
Know how your policy pays to replace damaged or destroyed property. Some policies pay only the actual cash value of your property. Actual cash value is the value of your property based on its age and condition. For example, if your roof is 20 years old, an actual cash value policy will pay you the value of a 20-year-old roof. It won’t pay enough to completely replace your roof if it’s destroyed.
To ensure that you’re able to rebuild your house or replace your property, you’ll need replacement cost coverage. Replacement cost coverage pays to replace your property with new items like the ones you lost. If your policy doesn’t provide replacement cost coverage, you can usually add it.
Most policies limit the amount they pay for jewelry, artwork, and electronics. If you own items like these, you might need to buy more coverage.
Deductibles
Also make sure you know the amount of your deductible and how it works. The deductible is the amount you have to pay before your insurance company begins to pay. Insurance companies subtract the deductible from the amount of your claim. For example, if a storm causes $6,000 in damage to your house and your deductible is $1,000, the insurance company will pay $5,000.
Learn more: What to know about deductibles
Make a home inventory
Make a list of the items you own and update it at least once a year. Include the serial number, value, and date you bought each item. Take pictures or videos of each room in your home. Remember to take pictures of the contents of your closets and drawers.
If you have to file a claim, the list and photos will make it easier to tell your insurance company about your losses. You can use our Home Inventory Checklist to get started. For a printed copy, call our Help Line at 800-252-3439.
Keep the list and other important documents in a safe place to protect them from storm damage. Consider emailing electronic copies to yourself so you’ll have them wherever you are.
Protect your property
If you have time before the storm hits:
- Cover windows and sliding glass doors with storm shutters or plywood panels. Use heavy-duty masking tape on small windows.
- Move furniture and other items away from windows and to an upper floor.
- Move cars into a garage.
- Check tie-downs if you live in a mobile home.
- Move lawn furniture and other loose items indoors.
- Trim dead wood from trees. This will help prevent damage from falling limbs.
- Lock your doors and windows if you leave your house.
After the storm
To help the insurance claims process go smoothly:
- Call your insurance agent or company as soon as you can to report damage. If you have a TWIA policy, report claims to TWIA at 800-788-8247. If you have a flood policy, call your agent or company.
- Take pictures and video of your damaged property. Don’t throw away damaged items until your insurance adjuster has seen them.
- Make temporary repairs to protect your home and property from more damage. Remove standing water. Cover broken windows and holes to keep rain out. Don’t make permanent repairs before the insurance adjuster sees the damage. Keep a list of the repairs you make and save all receipts.
- Try to be there when the adjuster looks at your damage. Have your contractor there too, if possible. Make sure your contractor reviews the adjuster’s report before you settle the claim.
Learn more: How do I file a homeowners insurance claim? | Watch: Help after the storm: Beware of scams
The claims process
Your insurance company must acknowledge your claim within 15 days of receiving it. The company may ask you for more information. The company must then accept or reject your claim within 15 business days of getting the information it needs from you. If the company denies your claim, it must tell you why in writing. The deadlines may be longer after large disasters.
The insurance company will estimate the cost of repairs to your property.
Learn more: Will my premium go up if I file a claim? | Watch: Help after the storm: your insurance claims
What if I disagree with adjuster’s estimate?
If you disagree with the adjuster’s estimate, tell the company why. You can also ask your contractor to talk to the adjuster. If you still disagree with the estimate, you can use the appraisal process or hire a public insurance adjuster to help negotiate a settlement.
The appraisal process is available only for disputes about the amount of your claim. You can’t use it to for disputes about whether the damage is covered by your policy.
Public insurance adjusters help negotiate claim settlements with insurance companies. They work for you, not the insurance company. Before you hire a public adjuster, make sure you understand how much the public adjuster will charge you. Their fees are usually based on a percentage of your claim settlement amount.
Public adjusters may not do any repair or construction work on your property. Public adjusters must have a license from To learn if a public adjuster is licensed, call the TDI Help Line at 800-252-3439.
Claim payments
Once you and the company agree on a settlement amount, the company has five business days to pay your claim. If you owe money on your home, the company will usually send the check to your mortgage company. You’ll then have to work with the mortgage company to get the money released for repairs.
Most insurance companies pay only part of your claim at first. They’ll pay the rest of your claim after you’ve completed repairs or replaced your property.
Working with contractors
Texas doesn’t license contractors. If you need to have work done on your house, use these tips to find a reputable contractor and avoid scams:
- Try to use local contractors. Check references, phone numbers, and addresses.
- Get more than one bid. Get bids in writing.
- Beware of contractors who offer to waive your deductible. The deductible is your responsibility. It is illegal for a contractor to offer to waive a deductible or promise a rebate for it, unless your insurance company agrees.
- Don’t pay up front. If state or county officials declare a disaster, contractors from outside your area can’t ask for payment before they start work.
- Find out whether your city or county requires contractors to have a local business permit. Call your city or county office to ask. If a permit is required, ask your contractor to show you the permit.
- Protect yourself from identity theft. Don’t share personal information like credit card or bank information with anyone who shows up at your door.
- Report price gouging. If you suspect price gouging or any other deceptive business practice, call the Texas Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Hot Line at 800-337-3928.
Learn more: Protect yourself from contractor scams | Insurance claims for roof damage: What you need to know