When the massive hail storm rolled through North Austin into Round Rock a couple of years ago, Ashley's house got blasted. The noise on the roof was so loud it woke up the whole house. When the massive hail storm was all over, shingles were scattered across her backyard, and water had started leaking through the ceiling.
She called her insurance company and filed a claim. That’s when the real storm started. Her deductible was almost $9,000. Then came another surprise. Her policy had a roof payment schedule for claim payouts on storms. That meant she would not be getting the full replacement cost she really needed.
Ashley thought she had good coverage on her homeowners policy, but it obviously wasn’t enough. And she’s not alone. That same moment of shock is happening to homeowners across Texas after the convective storms have long since moved on.
Weather Is Costing Texans More Than Ever Before
Texas now leads the country in billion-dollar weather disasters each year. Hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, ice storms, and wildfires are doing more damage here each year than anywhere else. Super-cell convective storms are no longer rare. They’re are regular occurrences where Texans actually live. And insurance providers are making big changes to their insurance policies in response.
To deal with the rising costs, many companies are charging higher annual premiums. That isn't news to anyone. But they’re also being more strict about which homes they’ll provide insurance coverage for. Most importantly, they are also what coverage options those homeowners insurance policies will actually include.
Ashley didn’t know any of this before her storm hit, but she felt it personally when she discovered she didn't have replacement cost coverage on her roof. She thought she had a good policy. But now she was learning how the fine print really works.
Roof Coverage Isn’t What It Used to Be
Ashley had always heard about replacement cost coverage, where the insurance company pays for a new roof with similar materials after the deductible is paid. That roof payment schedule insurance claim left a bad taste in her mouth. She was now shopping her renewal and wanted to make sure that she had better coverage limits.
As she began to shop her policy, she was seeing something called a stated limit for roof coverage. When she asked what that means, it was explained to her that her roof had a maximum amount of money that would be paid out for a covered claim. That number was listed in the policy, and if the full cost to replace it was more than what the insurance would pay she was now responsible.
As these stated limits are being applied to standard policies, many Texans are selecting them. Ashley wanted to know if it was adequate coverage for her home. Roof coverage that used to take care of everything now comes with limits that can leave homeowners stuck with big bills if your stated limit is too low. Ashley wondered what other surprises she could find.
Hidden Limits Are Gutting Real Coverage
It wasn’t just a stated limit on her roof. Ashley’s also discovered that some homeowners policies had sublimits for water damage. That meant even if her house flooded due to a major plumbing leak, the insurance company would only pay a small fixed amount rather than her dwelling coverage limit. The rest would have to come out of her pocket.
These kinds of policy limits aren’t always easy to spot. They have often been added quietly as a policy renews. Unless you ask your experienced insurance agent or look closely at the fine print, you might not know they’re there until you file a claim.
Ashley had always thought her policy was solid. Now she felt like she was just crossing her fingers and hoping the next storm wouldn’t cost her everything.
Your Policy Is Being Changed Whether You Like It or Not
Across Texas, insurance companies are rewriting the rules of standard homeowners insurance policies. Some have moved to Actual Cash Value for roofs that are ten years old or more. That means instead of paying for a brand-new roof, they’ll only pay what the old roof is worth today. That’s a much smaller number.
Others are refusing to renew homeowners policies for older homes or homes with too many past claims. Even if you’ve had the same insurance carrier for years, your policy might look very different now than it did just a few years ago.
Doing nothing is not a plan. Ashley learned that the hard way. After her claim, she knew she needed to talk to someone who actually understood Texas insurance.
The Best Strategy Isn’t Just Shopping. It’s Smart Coverage Design.
Ashley’s discovered that she should’ve shopped "harder". After talking to an experienced insurance agent at Insurance For Texans, she now understood that cheaper coverage almost never means better coverage. Saving a few dollars each month didn’t help when her roof was torn apart and her policy didn’t do what she thought it would.
The smartest move she made was calling Insurance For Texans. They showed her how True Texas Home Insurance works. It’s built specifically for homes in this state, with options that helps provide adequate protection against hail, water, and everything else Texas weather throws at us.
Instead of finding any policy, Ashley built the right one with the help from someone who knows what Texas homeowners actually need.
Click the button below to get the coverage that actually protects your home before the next billion-dollar storm rolls through.