Policy terms
Your deductible is not a fee. It is your share of the loss
People discover the shape of their deductible at the worst possible moment. It is a five-minute check on the declarations page and it changes how you think about whether to file at all.
The three forms
| Form | How it is calculated | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| Flat | A fixed amount, subtracted from the covered loss | Straightforward. Check it has not drifted upward at a renewal you did not read. |
| Percentage | A percentage of the dwelling coverage limit | It is a percentage of the insured value of the house, not of the damage. On a high dwelling limit the result is large. |
| Separate wind and hail | A distinct deductible, flat or percentage, applying only to wind and hail | This is the one that surprises people in this region, because wind and hail are exactly the perils that damage roofs here. |
Why this changes the decision
If the damage is a cracked pipe boot and some lifted shingles along one rake, and your wind and hail deductible is a percentage of a substantial dwelling limit, filing a claim accomplishes nothing except putting a claim on your record. Knowing the scale of the damage before you report it is the whole reason to have the roof documented first.
If the damage is across three slopes with unsealed courses throughout, the arithmetic is different. Either way it should be arithmetic, not a guess.
The deductible and the contractor
A contractor who offers to absorb, waive, discount or "take care of" your deductible is proposing that the loss be represented to your carrier as costing more than it does. That is insurance fraud, it is your signature on the claim, and it is a bright line. It is also, reliably, a signal about how the rest of the job will be run.
The legitimate versions of the same conversation exist: payment plans, financing, and scheduling the work so that the insurance payment and your deductible do not fall in the same week. Those are handled openly and written down.
Finding yours
- Open your declarations page — usually the first page of the policy packet.
- Find the deductible section. There may be more than one line.
- Look specifically for a separate wind, hail or windstorm deductible, and whether it is stated as an amount or a percentage.
- If it is a percentage, multiply it by the dwelling coverage limit shown on the same page. That is the real number.
- Write it down somewhere you will find it after a storm.
Not sure whether the damage is above or below your deductible?
Request a free inspectionDoes the deductible apply once per claim or once per year?
Per claim, on standard homeowner policies. Two separate storms are two separate losses with two separate deductibles.
Can I raise my deductible to lower my premium?
Usually yes, and it is a genuine trade-off rather than a trick. The question is whether you could comfortably pay the higher amount on the day you need to.
Is the deductible subtracted before or after depreciation?
Carriers generally calculate the replacement cost, apply depreciation to reach actual cash value, then subtract the deductible. The order matters and it is worth asking your adjuster to walk you through it on your own claim.
All work is performed by licensed and insured local roofing professionals.