What Does Wind & Hail Insurance Cover?

If you live in hurricane-prone regions of the southeastern United States, for example, or tornado-prone regions of the Midwest, then you may need wind and hail insurance.

What does wind and hail insurance cover? How does wind and hail insurance work? Find out today.

How Wind & Hail Insurance Works

If you live in wind-prone areas of the United States, then a standard homeowners insurance policy may exclude wind-related damage.

Homeowners living in the southeastern United States, for example, may not have windstorm insurance on a standard homeowners insurance policy; instead, they need to buy extra wind and hail insurance as an extra policy on top of their ordinary homeowners insurance policy.

In North Carolina and South Carolina, insurers typically refer to this coverage as wind and hail coverage.

In Texas, Florida, and the Midwest, it’s often known simply as windstorm insurance or wind coverage.

Here’s how wind and hail insurance works:

• Homeowners in certain wind-prone areas may not automatically be covered against wind and hail damage. Because wind and hail damage is more likely in these areas, homeowners insurance policies exclude these damages, forcing you to buy an additional policy.
• In addition to an ordinary homeowners insurance policy, you may need to buy extra wind and hail insurance coverage. They’re two separate policies – sometimes offered by a government organization but available through your ordinary insurance company.
• If you have a mortgage, then your lender may require you to carry wind and hail insurance coverage. If you own your home, it’s up to you to decide whether or not wind and hail insurance is worth it.

If you have wind and hail coverage and experience wind and hail damage, you make an insurance claim. Your insurance covers the cost of repairing or restoring your property to pre-loss condition. You pay a deductible, and insurance covers structure repairs, possession replacement, and additional living expenses.

What’s Covered?

A standard wind and hailstorm insurance policy covers damage linked to heavy winds, hail, hurricanes, and tornadoes, among other costs.

Here are some of the things covered by wind and hail insurance:

• Damage Caused by Named Storms, Hurricanes, Thunderstorms, Heavy Windstorms, & Tornadoes: If a major storm hits your area, then your insurance may cover damage linked to that storm. Most insurance companies have a separate deductible for named storms: if a storm (like a hurricane or tropical storm) has a name, then you might pay a “named storm deductible.” Instead of paying a flat rate of $2,500, you might pay a percentage of your home’s value – say, 1% to 5%. If the storm doesn’t have a name, then your insurance will still cover damage, although you’ll pay a different deductible.
• Wind Damage: Wind and hail damage, understandably, covers the cost of repairing wind damage to your property. Heavy winds can cause extensive damage to your roof, structure, and possessions.
• Hail Damage: Wind and hail insurance also covers hail damage. Hail can destroy a roof, damage siding, and damage your possessions. Insurance covers these costs.
  Dwelling & Structure Damage: Dwelling coverage is a crucial part of a standard homeowners insurance policy. It covers the cost of repairing the structure of your home – say, if the roof or walls of your home are damaged by heavy winds.
• Personal Property Repairs or Replacements: A standard homeowners insurance policy also covers the cost of repairing or replacing your possessions – like a TV, couch, or computer. If you have an actual cash value policy, your insurance covers the cost of your items, minus depreciation. If you have a replacement cost policy, your insurance covers the cost of actually replacing your items.
• Additional Living Expenses: A standard wind and hailstorm insurance policy covers additional living expenses. If a tornado destroys your home, then you may need to live in a hotel and eat meals at restaurants for weeks. Insurance covers these costs, up to a certain limit, until you can return to your home. Additional living expenses include hotels, meals, toiletries, and other expenses you incur as a result of the wind and hail damage.

What’s Not Covered?

Windstorm and hail insurance don’t automatically cover everything. There are certain exclusions – and certain damages insurers push back against.

Here are some of the things not typically covered by a hail and windstorm insurance policy:

• Flood Damage: Hurricanes often lead to storm surges and flooding. Wind and hail insurance policies cover wind and hail damage caused by hurricanes, but they don’t cover certain other damage – like flood damage and storm surge damage. If rising waters damage your home after a hurricane, thunderstorm, or windstorm, then your insurance may not cover the resulting damage.
• Vehicle Damage: Homeowners insurance never covers vehicles. Instead, you file all vehicle-related damage under your auto insurance. If heavy winds knocked a tree onto the RV parked in your backyard, for example, then you make a claim through your auto insurance company.
• Pre-Existing Damage or Maintenance Issues: Roofs are designed to withstand heavy winds. If your roof has pre-existing damage, however, then a hurricane can cause extensive damage. Insurance may cover some damage linked to a windstorm or hailstorm, but insurance won’t cover pre-existing damage. As a homeowner, you have an obligation to maintain your home and fix maintenance issues.

How Public Adjusters Help

Public adjusters are licensed insurance industry professionals with a proven ability to manage insurance claims.

Many homeowners hire public adjusters to help maximize the value of a wind and hail insurance claim.

Public adjusters help with wind and hail insurance claims by:

• Analyzing your property and all damage to your property to ensure you receive a fair payout.
• Negotiating with your insurer on your behalf to maximize compensation.
• Ensuring you receive every penny of the payout you deserve from your insurance company.
• Overseeing repairs to ensure your property is restored to pre-loss condition.
• Applying insurance industry expertise to your claim to obtain the best possible outcome.

ClaimsMate has wind and hailstorm specialists standing by to lend expert assistance for your claim.

For a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with a public adjuster in your area, contact ClaimsMate today.

Stephanie Corona

Stephanie is a property insurance claim expert with over 20 years of experience working as an insurance adjuster, expert witness, appraiser and umpire. She is passionate about sharing her expertise, knowledge, tips and training to help both property owners and Public Adjusters in their pursuit of effectively managing claims and recovering the claim settlement they deserve after a loss.