Texas Hail Damage Claim Guide (DFW Edition)

North Texas sits in the most active hail belt in the United States. From the spring supercells through the late-summer pop-up storms, the DFW metro averages more billion-dollar-plus hail events than most states see in a decade. If you own a home in Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, or anywhere across the metro, the question is not whether you will have to deal with a hail claim — it's how prepared you are when you do.

This guide walks the claim from the storm forward. None of it is legal advice or coverage advice. Talk to your insurance carrier for the specific call on your specific policy.

The first 72 hours after a DFW hail event

Hour 0 — during and immediately after the storm

• Stay inside. Do not look out into the storm; hail injuries are real.
• If you can do it safely, take a video out the window or door. The sound of hail size against the house is real evidence.
• Note the time, the duration, and the rough hail size if you can see it (compare to a coin — quarter is ~1", golf ball is ~1.75").

Hour 1–24 — ground-level documentation

• Photograph dents on cars, AC fins, gutters, and downspouts. These are the easiest hail-size-and-event proxies.
• Photograph any visible roof damage from the ground. Do not climb on the roof.
• Photograph water damage inside if any leaks appeared during or after the storm.
• Save all the photos with timestamps intact.

Hour 24–72 — the call to a roofer (not yet the carrier)

• Call a Frisco-area roofing contractor for a free inspection. You want a dated written report of what's on the roof before you call the carrier.
• The roofer should pull the NOAA storm-event record for your coordinates. That's how a claim ties to a specific date and event.
• You don't have to sign with the roofer who inspects. Inspection should be no-cost and no-obligation.

Filing the claim

Once you have a roofer's inspection report and ground-level photos, you call your insurance company. Two things matter at this step:

1. You make the call, not your roofer

Texas Insurance Code §4102.163 reserves the licensed adjusting of a roof claim for licensed professionals. A roofing contractor can document damage and prepare a written scope. The phone call to your carrier and any conversation about coverage stays with you. If a roofer offers to "handle the call" or "deal with the insurance company," that crosses into licensed claims work a contractor cannot perform — see the Texas roof documentation service page for the full breakdown. A roofer who crosses that line is also the kind of roofer who'll offer to absorb your deductible, which is illegal under Texas deductible law. The two behaviors travel together.

2. What to say on the call

• State the date of the storm event.
• State the type of damage (hail, wind, both).
• Reference any visible interior damage if relevant.
• Ask for a claim number and the adjuster assignment timeline.
• Provide the roofer's inspection report if asked. Most carriers will pull their own, but many will accept yours as supporting documentation.

Texas filing deadlines: most policies require notice within one year of the event under §542A.003. Practically, file within the first 30 days while the storm event is fresh.

The adjuster meeting

The carrier assigns an adjuster. The adjuster comes to the property — usually within 1–2 weeks, occasionally longer after major events when carriers are backed up. Two recommendations:

1. Have your roofer on the roof with the adjuster. Not on the ground. On the roof. The adjuster will walk the slopes and note what they see; the roofer is there to point out what's easy to miss (subtle hail bruising, soft-metal damage, flashing failures, ice-and-water exposure in valleys, ridge cap, starter strip).
2. Do not pressure the adjuster. The adjuster is doing their job under the carrier's rules. Pressure can backfire. Documentation cannot.

Frame's playbook on the adjuster meeting: our scope, our photos, their decision. We document; they decide what the policy covers.

The carrier scope and supplements

After the adjuster meeting, the carrier issues a scope of work and an estimate. The first scope frequently undercounts. Common gaps:

• Soft metals — gutters, downspouts, AC fin coils, garage door dents. Hail hits all of them; some adjuster scopes only list the roof.
• Ridge cap — has to be replaced when you tear off, not just patched in.
• Starter strip and drip edge — code-required components that often get omitted.
• Ice-and-water shield in valleys — required by code in most DFW jurisdictions.
• Code upgrades — Texas building code may require items the carrier's first scope didn't include.
• Overhead and profit — owed on jobs requiring three or more trades; often denied initially.

The supplement process: your roofer prepares written documentation of what was missed (photos, measurements, line items, code citations). You submit the supplement to your carrier. Many supplements are approved on the second look; some aren't. Outcomes are not guaranteed, and your roofer cannot advocate the supplement with the carrier on your behalf — that's licensed claims work a contractor cannot perform. They document; you submit; the carrier decides.

The two-check structure (on RCV policies)

If you're on a replacement cost value policy:

1. First check (ACV portion) — paid at claim approval. Replacement cost minus depreciation, minus your deductible. This is the money to start the work.
2. Second check (recoverable depreciation) — paid after work is completed and your roofer's final invoice goes to the carrier. This is the rest.

If you're on an ACV-only policy (the 15-year cliff), there is no second check — the depreciation comes out of your pocket. See our ACV vs RCV walkthrough for the carrier-by-carrier reality in 2026.

The roof replacement itself

By the time tear-off starts, the claim work is essentially done. The build is a roofing project like any other. A few DFW-specific items worth flagging:

• Class 4 impact-resistant shingles qualify for an insurance discount with most Texas carriers — worth the modest upcharge if you're staying with the home.
• Synthetic underlayment rated for high attic temperatures handles the Texas heat better than felt.
• Ridge-and-soffit ventilation done right extends shingle life on west-facing slopes.
• Permit closeout matters — keep the final-inspection sign-off with your home records.

What to avoid

• Signing with a door-knocker the day of the storm.
• Letting a roofer "handle the insurance" — licensed adjusting work stays with licensed professionals.
• Taking an offer to "cover your deductible" — that's a Texas deductible-law violation and a fraud risk for you.
• Cashing the first check and never invoicing for the recoverable depreciation.
• Pressuring the adjuster or contradicting your own roofer in front of them.

What good looks like

A clean DFW hail-damage claim, start to finish, looks like this:

1. Storm hits. You document ground-level damage with timestamped photos.
2. Within 48 hours, a Frisco-based roofer does a free inspection and gives you a dated, line-item written scope tied to the NOAA storm event.
3. You call your insurance company and open the claim. You provide the inspection report on request.
4. The adjuster meets your roofer on the roof. Documentation is exchanged.
5. The carrier issues a scope and ACV check.
6. If items are missing, your roofer prepares supplement documentation; you submit; the carrier responds.
7. Build starts. Class 4 shingles. Code-compliant install. 10-year workmanship warranty.
8. Work is invoiced; recoverable depreciation check arrives.
9. Permit closes. You keep the records.

That's the playbook. We run it on every claim. Free inspection: 214-308-9227.

Frequently asked questions

How long do I have to file a hail-damage roof claim in Texas?

Most Texas policies require notice within one year of the loss under §542A.003 of the Texas Insurance Code. Specific policies can be shorter or longer — check the dec page or call your agent. Practically: file inside the first 30 days while the evidence is fresh, the storm is still on NOAA records, and your roofer can still tie damage to a specific event.

What should I do in the first 72 hours after a DFW hail event?

Document ground-level photos of dents on cars, gutters, AC fins, and downspouts (proof of hail size). Call a roofer for a free inspection — do not climb on the roof yourself. Don't sign anything that day. Do not let a door-knocker on your roof. Open a claim with your insurance company when you have a roofer's report; the carrier will assign their adjuster.

Can my roofer call the insurance company for me?

No. Texas Insurance Code §4102.163 reserves the licensed adjusting of a roof claim — including advocating coverage with a carrier — for licensed professionals. A Texas roofer can document damage, prepare a written scope, and meet the carrier's adjuster on site. The phone call to file the claim and any conversation about coverage stays with you.

What if the adjuster scope is short?

Common. The adjuster's first scope frequently undercounts soft metals, ridge cap, starter strip, drip edge, ice-and-water shield in valleys, or code-required upgrades. Your roofer prepares written supplement documentation showing what was missed; you submit the supplement to your carrier. Many supplements are approved on the second look; some aren't. Outcomes are not guaranteed.

Will filing a hail claim raise my premium?

A single weather-related claim in Texas rarely triggers a premium increase on its own — storm damage is considered an act of nature, not a behavior. Multiple claims in a short window or a Comprehensive Loss Underwriting Exchange (CLUE) flag can. Talk to your agent before filing if you have had prior claims in the last three years.