Usually, yes. Homeowners insurance will often cover hail damage.
There are instances when your insurer may refuse to cover hail damage. For instance, if hail is excluded on your policy, or if your home insurance policy was recently cancelled for non-payment, you will likely pay for these repairs out of pocket.
At Einsurance.com, we provide unbiased, readable, honest articles that help consumers understand their insurance products. Today, we’ll cover everything you need to know about hail damage and homeowner’s insurance.
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Let’s dive in!
How to Find Out if Your Homeowners Insurance Covers Hail Damage
Here, the reader will discover how to find out if their homeowner’s insurance will cover hail damage.
Read Your Policy First
For many, the fastest way to discover if hail is covered on a policy is to check the policy documents.
Now, insurance policy verbiage — the wording, or language used — varies a little from state to state, and from one insurer to the next.
You’re searching for list of covered perils. It may be in a bulleted list form, and it describes the types of damage covered by your policy.
The list of covered perils likely includes:
- Fire
- Hail
- Wind
- Lightning
- Civil riot and unrest
- Plane crashes
- Malicious mischief or vandalism
Most homeowner’s insurance policies will exclude certain types of damage.
Now, we can’t speak for every insurer in the nation and every individual policy. Still, most policies exclude damage caused by major regional events, and flooding. The list of exclusions usually contains:
- Floods
- Earthquake
- Nuclear war
- Hurricanes
- And sometimes, hail
There are other perils — like lava flow and mudslides — which may or may not be specifically discussed on your policy. It really depends on your insurer and your location. Hail, however, is a very common peril in the US, so it is almost always mentioned on a policy.
What if I’ve Lost My Policy Documents, or I’m Unable to Access Them?
Emergencies always seem to crop up at the most inopportune moments, we understand! Maybe you’re out of town on business, or perhaps your insurance documents are locked away in a safe deposit box at the bank when a hail storm hits on a holiday weekend.
When something like that happens, call your insurance company and ask them if hail damage is covered. If you don’t have your policy number handy, they’ll still be able to find your policy with your name, address and so on. They’ll be able to tell you if hail is covered.
Now that you know how to find out if hail is covered on your homeowner’s insurance policy, let’s talk about hail damage and how to check your home for it.
About Hail Damage in the US
According to the US National Weather Service, hail causes about $1 billion in damage every year! Hail is frozen precipitation that has cycled up and down inside thunder clouds, which forms a ball of ice. Those ice balls can get as large as a softball, and they can strike your home or vehicle at speeds of 100 mph!
And then, those nasty ice balls can bounce around at high speeds and continue to cause more damage.
After an intense hail storm, you might discover damage to your:
- Roofing
- Gutters
- Siding
- Exterior paint
- Windows
- Landscaping
- Outside structures, like garages and carports
- And outdoor items, like hot tubs
Damage to vehicles left outside is very common as well, but these claims will be covered by your full coverage auto policy.
How to Inspect Your Home for Hail Damage
Hail can be extremely dangerous, so don’t try to check for hail damage until the storm has passed. And if this hail storm strikes at night, it’s best to wait until daylight to start inspecting, unless you have broken windows or a leaking roof that must be addressed right away.
Head outside with a flashlight and camera and walk around your entire home.
You’re looking for:
- Broken, cracked or missing shingles on your roof
- Dented, broken or missing siding on the exterior
- Dented awnings
- Broken gutters
- Chipped paint
Use your cell phone to take photos of any damage so you can send them to your insurance company. (We’ll talk about the claims process shortly.)
Remember to watch your step, this storm might have caused some debris or falling tree limbs to enter your yard.
After you’ve inspected the main home, check the other buildings and structures. Your carport, garage, fence or pool might have significant damage as well.
Roof Damage Might be Difficult to See from the Ground
Most of your roof is not visible from your position on the ground. If you heard some mighty hail balls striking your roof, or if you see roofing material coming through your gutters, you may need to climb a ladder to check for more hail damage.
Be sure to wait until the weather is completely clear to do so. Your safety is the most important thing, we cannot stress this enough!
Depending on the size and slope of your roof, you still may not be able to see everything. Don’t climb around on your rooftop after a hail storm. You might cause more damage or get seriously injured.
Instead, call a professional roofing company. They have trained technicians that will help you assess hail damage, and they have modern technology like drones to get the job done safely.
If the damage is severe and more bad weather is expected, they can help you further by tarping the roof to keep water out.
Your Insurer Wants You to Prevent Further Damage if Possible
Did you know that your insurance company expects you to prevent further storm damage if possible? If you see hail damage, document it with photos, and then try to mitigate (prevent) further damage.
You may find yourself visiting the hardware store for things like tarps, hammers, buckets, caulk guns, caulk and so on. Be sure to document these purchases. Take photos of the receipts, and document your efforts to protect your home, by taking photos of the work you do, any contractor estimates and business cards.
If you’re out of town, that’s okay. Ask a friend or neighbor to inspect your place for damage, take photos, and contact a roofer or exterior contractor to help. The point is that you’re doing everything possible to prevent more storm damage.
Now, it’s time to call in the hail damage claim to your insurer.
About Hail Damage Insurance Claims
You’ve endured a wild hail storm, and hail is covered by your homeowner’s insurance, so it’s time to make a claim. The process is fairly straightforward.
Call your insurance company and provide them with your policy number, name, and the type of damage you’ve seen. There’s usually a toll-free number for claims on the front page of your policy.
Your insurer will assign an insurance adjuster to the project, and you’ll need to send them all the photos and receipts you’ve gathered at this point. They’ll likely call you to discuss the damage you’ve seen.
Be very thorough and mention the “small stuff” like:
- Chipped paint
- Scratched or dented siding
- Gutter damage
- Damaged landscaping (which may or may not be covered)
- Fence damage
Usually, when hail strikes a neighborhood, home insurance companies get a ton of phone calls. They’ll probably be aware of the storm already, and your adjuster will be out to your home within a few days (weather permitting.)
If very bad weather is expected to continue for days or weeks, you may need to do more to shore up your home. Remember to document, document, document!
Dealing with Your Claims Adjuster After a Hail Storm
Remember, you’ve paid your homeowner’s insurance premiums on time every month. This is a service for which you’ve paid, so there’s no reason to be nervous or intimidated.
Still, know that some insurance companies pay bonuses to their claims adjusters to keep claims numbers low. Be ready to stand up for yourself when dealing with them, provide your documentation, and get quotes from experts to back up your claims for damage.
Get Professional Estimates for Major Projects
Know that adjusters use special software to calculate the cost of damage repairs. And ever since the COVID-19 pandemic, building supplies and labor prices have surged. After a major storm, these costs can be even higher in your region, supplies may be difficult to source, and the adjuster software might not reflect those nuances.
So, if you need major repairs involving your roof or exterior, reach out to a few contractors for estimates. This way, you’ll have an accurate description of the damage and repair costs to present to them.
Some contractors even specialize in insurance-covered repairs, and they might make this process much less stressful for you by dealing with the adjusters themselves; so be sure to bring this up when getting your estimates. In this case you’ll only need to pay your deductible and let the professionals get to work.
Homeowner’s Insurance, Hail Damage and Deductibles
Deductibles are small amounts of money that a homeowner is expected to pay before insurance kicks in to cover repairs. Your deductible may be $500, $1,000, $2,500, or some other amount. You can find your deductible by calling your insurer or looking at your policy.
Once your adjuster, insurer and contractors all agree to get started, you’ll need to cut a check for that amount. Try to avoid paying a contractor in cash, because you will send proof of payment to your insurer later.
Now that we’ve covered everything you need to know about hail damage claims and homeowner’s insurance, let’s talk about hail damage exclusions.
About Hail Damage Exclusions
Exclusions on an insurance policy are perils, issues, or property an insurer refuses to cover. Laws are cropping up around that nation that say insurers must announce these excluded perils specifically on the policy for the consumer or cover the damages when called upon.
We’re nearly certain that hail is specifically mentioned on your policy, either as a covered peril or an exclusion. But in the past, other perils or property could fall into a grey area, and lead to legal battles between insurers and their clients.
Other than hail, common exclusions include:
- Damages caused by large dogs, or certain breeds of dogs known to cause injury
- Pests, including wildlife and termites
- Mold damage
- Coverage for outbuildings in poor condition
- Major regional disasters, like floods or earthquakes
- Tidal waves and tsunamis in coastal regions
- And hurricanes
Read your policy to know the details.
What to Do if Your Homeowner’s Insurance Doesn’t Cover Hail Damage
If you’ve studied your policy and learned that hail is not covered, and you’re worried about hail damage in the future, you have a few options.
You can:
- Contact your insurer and ask if hail coverage can be added as a rider / endorsement.
- Shop around for a different homeowner policy with other insurance companies.
- Take the risk and stay uninsured.
Chances are, if you’re reading this article, it’s because you’re worried about hail damage. Therefore, leaving this risk uninsured is not a good option. You’ll sleep better at night with good insurance.
So, call your homeowner’s insurance company. Ask them about packages or plans that include hail coverage, or how to add it as an endorsement to your policy. You’ll probably end up paying a little more for your HO insurance.
Or, shop around for homeowner’s insurance that does guarantee hail coverage.
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