Sometimes. Your policy decides, and your insurer decides how it applies to your roof. A roofer at your door can't tell you, and neither can we.

Waiting on that answer while a ceiling stain grows is a rough spot to be in. Here is what you can do today, and what the law says about the money part.

Dallas Roof Works is a referral service. We connect you with an independent roofer in DFW. We aren't the roofer and we aren't an insurance adjuster, so coverage questions go to your insurer. What we can do is show you what to photograph, date and keep.

Where the real answer lives

  • Your policy. The declarations page lists your deductible. Check it first.
  • Your insurer, in writing. Ask what your policy says about your roof, and ask for the answer by email or letter.
  • The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). Its home insurance guide, updated June 1, 2026, explains deductibles and warns against permanent repairs before your insurer has seen the damage.

What to photograph, date and keep

Stay on the ground. Don't climb up there to look; the fall is worse than the leak.

  1. Photos of the roof and yard from the ground, with the date on each.
  2. The date of the storm, and any hail on cars, fences or the lawn.
  3. Photos of ceiling stains or drips inside, dated as they change.
  4. Receipts for temporary fixes, such as a tarp.
  5. A copy of your declarations page.
  6. Your claim number, if you file one.
  7. A written report with photos from any roofer who looks at the roof.

Ask every roofer and your insurer for their findings in writing. Ask each roofer for a current certificate of insurance before you authorize work.

If nothing is leaking and you can't see damage from the ground, you may not need a roofer yet. Keep dated photos of the roof as it looks today.

The deductible: Texas law says you pay it

Texas Insurance Code 707.002 says it plainly: "A person insured under a property insurance policy shall pay any deductible."

Texas Business and Commerce Code 27.02 backs that up. A seller who knows you'll pay with insurance money commits an offense by waiving, absorbing or rebating your deductible, or helping you avoid paying it, unless your insurer agrees. It is a Class B misdemeanor. TDI's answer to "Can a contractor waive my deductible?" is no.

So a "free roof" pitch or an offer to "cover your deductible" is a red flag. Walk away from it.

Many Texas policies set the wind and hail deductible as a percentage of the home's insured value instead of a flat dollar amount. Check your declarations page for the exact figure before you call anyone.

One fact from a state source: Texas FAIR Plan policies no longer offer a 1 percent wind and hail deductible for coverage effective July 1, 2026 or later. The options are 2, 3, 4 or 5 percent (Texas FAIR Plan Association, published April 27, 2026). That applies to FAIR Plan policies only.

Who can handle your claim

Not a roofer. Texas Insurance Code 4102.163(a) says "A contractor may not act as a public adjuster or advertise to adjust claims" on a property the contractor is working on or could work on. The Texas Supreme Court upheld that rule in *Texas Department of Insurance v. Stonewater Roofing*, No. 22-0427, in an opinion delivered June 7, 2024.

A roofer can tell you what they see on your roof and put it in a written report. Your claim is between you and your insurer.

Questions Dallas homeowners ask

Will insurance cover a 20 year old roof in Texas?
Your policy wording and your insurer decide. Ask your insurer in writing how your policy treats roof age.

What qualifies as roof damage for insurance?
Your policy defines it, and your insurer decides how it applies. Your dated photos and any roofer's written report are what you bring to that conversation.

How long do I have to file a claim?
Your policy and your insurer set the time limit. Ask for it in writing, and read the TDI guide above.

Does homeowners insurance cover a roof repair, not just a replacement?
Same answer: check your policy and ask your insurer. A roofer's written report helps you describe what was found.

Next step

Want an independent roofer to look at the roof and put what they find in writing? Send us a request or call (737) 530-8330. We connect you with a roofer in your part of DFW.

Sources (retrieved 2026-10-13)

  • Tex. Ins. Code ch. 707, section 707.002: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/IN/htm/IN.707.htm
  • Tex. Bus. & Com. Code ch. 27, section 27.02: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/BC/htm/BC.27.htm
  • Tex. Ins. Code ch. 4102, section 4102.163: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/IN/htm/IN.4102.htm
  • Texas Department of Insurance v. Stonewater Roofing, Ltd. Co., Tex. No. 22-0427 (June 7, 2024): https://www.txcourts.gov/media/1458705/220427.pdf
  • TDI, Can a contractor waive my deductible? (updated Dec. 9, 2025): https://tdi.texas.gov/tips/can-a-contractor-waive-my-deductible.html
  • TDI, home insurance guide (updated June 1, 2026): https://www.tdi.texas.gov/pubs/consumer/cb025.html
  • Texas FAIR Plan Association (published April 27, 2026): https://www.texasfairplan.org/news-and-announcements/tfpa-deductible-changes-effective-july-1-2026/