You opened a letter saying your home insurer won't renew your policy. Maybe you've never filed a claim, or you've been with them for years. It's unsettling, and that's a fair reaction.
Here's the steadying part: Texas law gives you time, a right to a real explanation, and several places to turn. The steps below are the same ones our team would go over with you across the table.
How much notice does a Texas insurer owe you before it non-renews your home policy?
The short answer: At least 60 days' written notice before your policy expires — and if the insurer misses that deadline, it generally has to renew your policy if you ask it to.
The rule lives in Texas Insurance Code §551.105. In plain English: your insurer has to mail you written notice of non-renewal no later than the 60th day before your policy ends.
That same section has a second half people miss. If the notice doesn't go out in time, the insurer must renew the policy at your request. So check the date the letter was mailed against your expiration date before you do anything else.
You may see "30 days" quoted online. That was the old rule. The Texas Department of Insurance explains on its canceled or not renewed tips page (updated January 15, 2026) that the 60-day notice applies to policies bought or renewed starting in 2024, while 30 days applied to policies from 2023 or earlier. By now, every current homeowners policy is on the 60-day clock.
Is a non-renewal the same thing as a cancellation?
The short answer: No — a non-renewal ends your coverage on the expiration date, while a cancellation ends it mid-term, and Texas limits cancelling an established homeowners policy to a short list of reasons with 10 days' notice.
A non-renewal means your coverage runs through the end of the term, and the insurer simply declines to offer another one. Your claims for covered losses up to that date are handled under the policy as usual.
Cancellation is stricter, and Texas treats it that way. Under Texas Insurance Code §551.104, once a homeowners policy has been in force 60 days, the insurer can cancel only for nonpayment of premium, a fraudulent claim, a TDI determination that continuing the policy would break the law, or an increase in hazard that's within your control and would raise the premium.
In the first 60 days, the insurer has two extra grounds on top of those: a hazard you didn't disclose on the application that hasn't been the subject of a prior claim, or not accepting a required inspection report before the policy started.
| Question | Non-renewal | Cancellation |
|---|---|---|
| When coverage ends | On the policy's expiration date | Mid-term, before the expiration date |
| Minimum notice | 60 days before expiration (§551.105) | Takes effect no sooner than the 10th day after notice is mailed (§551.104) |
| Reasons limited by statute? | Partly Claims-based non-renewals are restricted (§551.107) | Yes Short list after 60 days in force |
| Written reason owed? | Yes Since Jan. 1, 2026 | Yes Since Jan. 1, 2026 |
| Can a customer question be the reason? | No (§551.113) | No (§551.113) |
Can your insurer refuse to renew because you filed claims?
The short answer: Only in a narrow case — three or more qualifying claims under the policy in a three-year period, after a written warning at two, and claims from natural causes don't count.
Texas Insurance Code §551.107 covers standard fire, homeowners and farm and ranch owners policies.
First, what counts. For this rule, a "claim" does not include a loss caused by natural causes. It also excludes a claim that was filed but not paid or payable, and certain appliance-related water claims that insurers are already barred from using. So hail, wind and storm claims don't add to your count.
Second, the threshold. An insurer may refuse to renew if you've filed three or more of those counting claims under the policy in any three-year period. With two or more claims in the preceding three policy years, the law allows a surcharge at renewal.
Third, the warning. The statute lets an insurer notify you after two claims in less than three years that a third could lead to non-renewal. If it doesn't send that notice, it may not refuse to renew you because of claims. Did you ever get a letter listing your claims? If not, that matters.
One more protection belongs here. Under §551.113, an insurer can't use a customer inquiry as a reason to decline, cancel or non-renew. Calling to ask whether something would be covered, without it becoming a claim or an investigation, isn't held against you.
Does your insurer have to tell you why?
The short answer: Yes — since January 1, 2026, Texas insurers must give you a written statement explaining a declination, cancellation or non-renewal, including the specific reason and the source of the information they used.
House Bill 2067 from the 2025 legislative session changed that. TDI summarized it in Commissioner's Bulletin B-0012-25 (August 5, 2025): companies must give policyholders and applicants a written statement explaining why a policy was declined, canceled or non-renewed.
For homeowners policies, the amended statute is §551.109. In plain English: the insurer shall provide the written statement. It no longer reads as something you have to ask for first.
The statement has to meet the standard in §551.002. It must name the precise incident, circumstance or risk factor involved, and the source of the information the insurer relied on. "Roof condition, per our inspection dated…" is the kind of detail that makes a problem fixable.
HB 2067 also added §551.006, which requires insurers to report their reasons to TDI every quarter, organized by ZIP code. TDI must then post an aggregated summary on its website without naming individual insurers. Over time, that should show homeowners which reasons are driving non-renewals where they live.
Why are so many Texas homeowners getting non-renewal letters?
The short answer: Several years of heavy losses, especially from hail, pushed rates up and led many insurers to re-underwrite their books, tighten standards on roofs and home condition, and limit how much they write in certain areas.
The numbers from the TDI Texas homeowners insurance market overview tell the story. Insured homeowners losses reached $10.2 billion in 2024, and hail alone accounted for $4.9 billion of it.
Rates followed. TDI's rate filing data shows average home insurance rate changes of 21.1% in 2023 and 18.7% in 2024, before easing to 4.3% in 2025. TDI puts the 2024 average annual premium at $3,291.
When losses run that high, insurers look hard at which homes they want to keep. TDI lists the common non-renewal reasons on its tips page: the condition of the property has deteriorated, three or more non-weather claims in three years, a home left vacant 60 days or more, or a company limiting how much coverage it writes in an area.
Roofs sit at the center of the "condition" category, because an older roof is expensive after a hailstorm. On the Gulf Coast, wind exposure adds another layer, which is why many Bay Area homes carry a separate windstorm policy.
The Texas FAIR Plan, the market of last resort for basic home coverage, reported 127,835 policies in force at the end of 2025 and 124,445 as of March 31, 2026, according to its May 2026 governing committee materials. That growth is a rough signal of how many homeowners struggled to find coverage elsewhere.
What should you do in the 60 days after a non-renewal letter?
The short answer: Read the letter closely, get the written reason, check your claims report, fix what you can, re-shop immediately, and have new coverage bound before the old policy ends.
- Day 1: Read the letter and mark the dates.
Note the mailing date, the expiration date and any reason given. Confirm the notice arrived at least 60 days before expiration. If it didn't, the insurer may have to renew at your request under §551.105.
- Days 1–7: Get the written reason.
If the letter doesn't include a specific reason and source, ask for the written statement HB 2067 requires. A named, specific reason tells you whether this is fixable or a market decision you can't change.
- Days 1–7: Pull your CLUE report.
Most insurers check the Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange, a database of property claims tied to you and your address. TDI's home insurance guide says it covers seven years, you can get a free copy once a year by calling 866-312-8076, and you can challenge anything that's wrong. Errors follow you to every new application, so fix them early.
- Weeks 1–3: Fix what's fixable.
If the reason is the roof, get a roofer's written assessment and, if you replace or repair it, keep the invoice and photos. The same goes for other condition items like trees over the roof or old wiring. Documentation turns "condition" into a closed issue for the next underwriter.
- Weeks 1–4: Re-shop right away.
Don't wait for the last two weeks. Start with admitted insurers, because they're licensed by TDI and most belong to a state guaranty association that steps in if an insurer fails. Replace the coverage you have now. Don't solve the problem by cutting your dwelling limit below what it would cost to rebuild.
- Before expiration: Keep coverage continuous.
Have the new policy bound with an effective date that matches your old expiration date. A gap of even a day can make the next application harder and can leave you uninsured during storm season.
- Once bound: Tell your mortgage servicer.
Send the new declarations page to your servicer and make sure it's listed as mortgagee. If your premium is paid from escrow, confirm the servicer knows the new amount and the new insurer.
- Throughout: Avoid force-placed insurance.
If your lender doesn't see proof of coverage, it can buy a policy for you and bill you. Lender-placed coverage is typically more expensive and built to protect the lender's interest, not your belongings or your liability.
What if no standard insurer will cover your home?
The short answer: Texas has layered fallbacks: TWIA for coastal wind and hail, the Texas FAIR Plan for basic home coverage after two declinations, and surplus lines insurers as a bridge while you fix what's holding you back.
Start with the admitted market every time. Here's how the other options fit, including what each one doesn't do.
Admitted insurers
Companies licensed by TDI, with rates and forms on file with the state. Different carriers weigh roof age, claims and location differently, which is why one decline isn't the final word.
TWIA
Covers windstorm and hail only in the 14 first-tier coastal counties and parts of Harris County east of Highway 146. You need a denial from at least one authorized insurer and a WPI-8 certification. It doesn't cover flood or liability.
Texas FAIR Plan
Sells basic home, dwelling, condo and tenant coverage when two insurers have declined you. TDI notes it costs more than a standard policy, and it can't provide wind or hail coverage inside TWIA's territory.
Surplus lines
Out-of-state insurers not licensed in Texas but legally allowed to write risks the admitted market won't. TDI notes surplus lines companies don't have guaranty associations, so read the policy and its exclusions closely.
For TWIA, the details come from its coverage and eligibility page. If your home is in a V flood zone and was built after September 1, 2009, TWIA also requires proof of NFIP flood coverage. Wind coverage isn't flood coverage, and we'd encourage every Gulf Coast homeowner to read our piece on flood insurance outside a mapped flood zone, and, for our neighbors, flood insurance in Friendswood.
The Texas FAIR Plan Association says its mission is to provide essential residential coverage "when no one else will," and that it doesn't compete with the private market. Treat it and surplus lines as a bridge. Once the roof is replaced or a few claim-free years pass, re-shop the admitted market.
How does an independent agency help after a non-renewal?
The short answer: An independent agency can take one application and walk it across several insurers at once, which saves you from starting over with each company and helps you find which markets fit your home.
We shop your policy across the carriers we work with, including Geico, Progressive, Liberty Mutual and Safeco, plus the coastal wind and flood markets.
Here's what that looks like. We gather your details once, including the written reason, your CLUE history and any roof documentation. Then we take that one application to the markets that fit your home and ZIP code, and explain the trade-offs of each option, including TWIA or the FAIR Plan.
We can't promise placement with any particular insurer. We can make sure you're not making ten phone calls alone. If you'd like to see how your home fits into the bigger picture, our complete Texas home insurance guide covers coverage choices in depth, and our home and auto bundling article explains when combining policies can lower what you pay.
When we re-shop coverage for our clients, they save on average about $500 a year. After a non-renewal, though, the first goal is continuous, adequate coverage. Savings come second.
The bottom line
A non-renewal letter is stressful, but it isn't the end of the road. Texas law gives you 60 days' notice, a written explanation, and protection from being dropped over weather claims or a simple question to your insurer.
Use that time well. Get the reason, check your claims report, fix what you can and start shopping right away. Keep coverage continuous and keep your mortgage servicer in the loop.
You don't have to do it alone. Our team at Watson Insurance, your personal insurance shoppers, can take it from here. Learn more on our Texas home insurance page, or start a home insurance quote and we'll get to work.
Last reviewed by Amy Watson on September 20, 2026. This guide is educational and is not personalized insurance advice — coverage that fits your situation takes a conversation. Texas insurance law and rates change often, and we refresh this guide regularly.