The wind and hail deductible most homeowners never check

Ask for the wind and hail deductible in dollars on every quote you compare. Any agent can convert it for you, and seeing the numbers side by side usually changes which policy looks best. Some carriers still offer a flat wind deductible, and in a hail corridor that option is worth pricing even if the premium is slightly higher.

The deductible decides what a claim costs you; the settlement terms decide what it pays. Across hail country, carriers have been moving older roofs from replacement-cost settlement to actual cash value — sometimes automatically once a roof passes an age threshold, sometimes through a roof payment schedule endorsement that pays a depreciated percentage by age and material. On a fifteen-year-old roof, the difference between replacement cost and a depreciated schedule can be most of the price of the new roof.

Both arrangements are legal and increasingly common; the problem is only ever not knowing which one you have. It is on the declarations page or its endorsements — worth reading before storm season rather than after.

Some policies in hail regions carry a cosmetic damage exclusion: dents that mar a metal roof or siding without compromising function are not covered. Reasonable in principle, contentious at claim time — the argument is over the word "function". If a quote in a hail area is surprisingly cheap, this exclusion and an ACV roof schedule are the first two places to look for the reason.

It is also worth knowing what the deductible does to the economics of a small claim. If storm damage comes in near or below it, filing costs you the claim on your record without producing a meaningful payment. Have the roof inspected and documented first, then decide.