You heard it before you saw it: gravel on the roof, then a car alarm down the street. By morning there are dents on the hood, granules in the gutters and a roofer's flyer on the door.
Hail is part of Texas life. This guide covers when hail peaks, what home and car policies pay, and the claim timeline from first photo to last check. For the whole home policy, see our complete Texas home insurance guide.
When is hail season in Texas?
The short answer: Spring is the peak, with May the busiest month in one long National Weather Service study, but Texas hail can fall in fall and winter too.
The Texas Department of Insurance's spring storm tips (April 16, 2026) say spring typically brings the most severe thunderstorms and hail to Texas.
A 2020 National Weather Service study from its San Angelo office used NOAA storm records from 1955 to 2020 for 24 West Central Texas counties. Severe hail fell mostly from March through June, May was the most active month, and 94% of very large hail reports (2.75 inches and up) came between March and June.
Off-season hail happens, too. The NWS Houston/Galveston office lists 4.5-inch hail in Hitchcock, in Galveston County, on April 2, 2013, but also golf-ball-size hail in Houston on October 22, 2008, and 1.75-inch hail near Houston on December 23, 2002. The NWS calls hail severe at 1 inch, about quarter size.
That count is from the Insurance Information Institute's hail page, viewed October 28, 2026.
Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage in Texas?
The short answer: Usually yes, if your policy includes wind and hail coverage, but your deductible, your roof's settlement terms and any cosmetic damage exclusion decide the size of the check.
TDI's hail and windstorm tips (updated December 9, 2025) say your company should pay for hail damage if your home policy has wind and hail coverage.
Where that coverage sits depends on your address. In Houston, wind and hail usually stay on the homeowners policy, as our Houston insurance page explains. On the coast, many homes carry them on a separate TWIA or private wind policy; see our Dickinson page for a Galveston County example and our windstorm insurance guide.
Hail matters to insurers, too. TDI reported on June 22, 2026 that wind and hail have averaged 62% of Texas homeowners losses since 2019.
Which roof terms decide what a hail claim pays?
The short answer: Three terms do most of the work: a wind and hail deductible that's often bigger than your other deductible, roof coverage that can drop to actual cash value as the roof ages, and a possible cosmetic damage exclusion.
The deductible
TDI's March 2026 roof column notes the wind and hail deductible is often more than for other damage. Our deductible guide turns it into dollars.
Roof value
TDI's roof tips (April 1, 2026) say some companies switch to actual cash value as roofs age. See our ACV roof guide.
Cosmetic damage
TDI's metal roof post (August 10, 2026) says if hail changes only how a roof looks, not how it works, a cosmetic exclusion may mean no payment.
These terms stack. For an aging roof, see our guide to insuring an older roof in Texas.
How should you get ready before hail season?
The short answer: Before spring, save your policy documents where you can reach them, turn your deductible into dollars, document your roof and belongings, and fix coverage gaps while the sky is clear.
- Save your policy. TDI's spring tips suggest emailing yourself your declarations page and auto ID card, and keeping your agent and insurer in your phone.
- Know your deductible in dollars. Do the math now, not with a tarp on the roof.
- Start a roof file. Keep the install date, material, invoice and spring photos from the ground. TDI suggests checking that your roof's age and material are right on your policy.
- Make a home inventory. TDI suggests room-by-room photos and video.
- Trim and tie down. Remove dead limbs over the house and tie down outdoor furniture, as TDI suggests.
Re-roofing anyway? TDI's roofing discounts page (as of February 24, 2023) says impact-resistant roofing may be eligible for a discount, with each insurer setting its own amounts and rules. Class 4 products would get the highest credit. TWIA credits require UL Standard 2218 and TDI Form PC068, filled out by your roofer; other insurers may use that form or their own. A discount isn't automatic, and TDI notes a metal roof discount can come with a cosmetic exclusion, so ask your insurer before you buy.
Does car insurance cover hail damage in Texas?
The short answer: Only if you carry comprehensive coverage, which pays for hail damage minus your comprehensive deductible; liability coverage alone doesn't fix your own car.
TDI's auto insurance guide (updated December 11, 2025) lists hail among the things comprehensive covers, along with fire, theft, flying gravel and hitting an animal. You pay your comprehensive deductible on the claim.
- Liability only? Then hail on your own car isn't covered. If a car would be hard to replace out of pocket, price comprehensive before spring.
- Still making payments? TDI says if you owe money on your car, your lender will require collision and comprehensive.
- Totaled by hail. Insurers pay only up to the car's actual cash value, so a badly dented older car may be totaled.
Park under cover when storms are forecast, but NWS Houston/Galveston warns a car isn't a safe place to ride out a severe thunderstorm. More in our complete Texas auto insurance guide.
What should you do in the first days after a hailstorm?
The short answer: Photograph everything, cover openings, keep every receipt and report the claim quickly; your home and car are separate claims with separate deductibles.
- Photos and video first. TDI says to document and list the damage inside and outside your house or car. Shoot the roof from the ground; stay off it.
- Stop more damage. Cover broken windows and holes and save receipts. TDI says your policy may pay for temporary repairs.
- File as soon as you can, keep damaged items until your insurer says to toss them, and log everyone you talk to.
- Meet the adjuster and make sure they see everything.
Our Texas roof claim guide takes the roof claim from inspection to the final check.
How do you avoid storm-chaser contractors after hail?
The short answer: Texas law says you pay your own deductible, a contractor can't offer to waive it or act as your public adjuster, and TDI says to get more than one bid and never pay in full up front.
- You pay the deductible. Insurance Code chapter 707, in effect since September 1, 2019, says a person insured under a property policy shall pay any deductible on a first-party claim.
- Waiver offers are illegal. TDI's Know the law page (updated March 24, 2025) says a contractor can't offer to waive, rebate or absorb your deductible, and contracts of $1,000 or more involving an insurance settlement must say you must pay it. TDI said in 2019 violators could face up to a $2,000 fine and six months in jail.
- Your roofer isn't your adjuster. A contractor working on your property can't negotiate your settlement or promise to recover "every dime you are owed," TDI says.
- Bid it and pace payments. Get more than one bid, check references, don't pay in full up front and never sign a contract with blank spaces.
TDI says to report deductible-waiver offers to the Texas Attorney General at 800-621-0508.
How long does a Texas hail claim take?
The short answer: Most insurers must acknowledge your claim within 15 days, decide within 15 business days of getting what they asked for and pay within 5 business days of approval, while TWIA claims run on their own one-year clock.
| Step | Typical deadline |
|---|---|
| You report it | As soon as you can, says TDI; your policy sets any firm deadline |
| Insurer acknowledges | Within 15 days (calendar days, not business days) of your notice, and starts investigating and asks for what it needs |
| Insurer decides | Within 15 business days after it has what it asked for, or up to 45 more days if it tells you why |
| Insurer pays | Within 5 business days of approving the claim |
| Declared weather catastrophe | 15 extra days on each deadline |
| TWIA claims | Report within one year of the damage; 60 days to accept or reject and 10 days to pay, once TWIA has what it asked for |
| TWIA repairs | 545 days to finish replacement cost repairs on policies started or renewed after January 1, 2020 |
Sources: Insurance Code §542.055 to §542.059, as summarized by the state's Office of Public Insurance Counsel (updated August 13, 2026); TWIA's claims page; and TDI's claim dispute page (May 2, 2025). Surplus lines insurers have longer deadlines, such as 30 business days to acknowledge.
At the end, replacement cost policies usually release held-back depreciation once the work is done. Insurance Code §707.004 lets your insurer first ask for reasonable proof you paid your deductible, such as a canceled check or credit card statement. Pay your roofer with a paper trail.
Hail damage isn't always visible from the yard, so have a roofer you chose check the roof soon after a storm.
What should you review after hail season?
The short answer: After a claim or a new roof, update your roof details, read the renewal's roof terms and compare quotes if the renewal jumps.
Worried a hail claim will get you dropped? A TDI bulletin explains that under Insurance Code §551.107, claims from natural causes, such as hail, don't count when an insurer non-renews a homeowners policy over three or more claims in three years, or adds a surcharge over two or more claims. An insurer can still non-renew for reasons other than claims, and premiums can change at renewal.
Send your insurer, or us, any new roof's install date, material and impact rating paperwork, such as Form PC068. Then compare at the same deductible and roof terms.
Our public carrier lineup is Geico, Progressive, Liberty Mutual and Safeco, plus TWIA and private wind markets for coastal homes. We re-confirm which carriers can write your policy before every quote. We are not appointed with every carrier in Texas. When we re-shop coverage, clients save on average about $500 a year, though results vary. Start on our quote page or read about home insurance.
The bottom line
Texas hail peaks in spring, so get ready in late winter. Know your deductible in dollars and how your policy pays on your roof, and keep comprehensive on any car you couldn't replace out of pocket.
When the storm comes, photograph first and report quickly. We're an independent agency in Friendswood, and we'd be glad to read your policy with you before the next storm. Call (832) 703-1289.
Last reviewed by the Watson Insurance team on October 28, 2026. Season data is from NOAA and the National Weather Service plus the Insurance Information Institute's 2025 hail table; claim rules are from TDI, OPIC and TWIA pages viewed October 28, 2026. We re-check them before each spring hail season. Educational only, not personalized insurance advice.
