Am I required to have wind and hail insurance for my Texas home in 2026?
Wind and hail insurance is generally not required by law in the United States, but there are other insurance requirements that Texans must consider while purchasing a new home.
While there may not be a law requiring the purchase of general homeowners insurance in the Texas county where you live, your mortgage lender will typically require an active policy to allow a home purchase or refinance to go through.
Residents who live in certain coastal Texas counties are under a requirement to purchase windstorm insurance in addition to their standard homeowners policy, as wind and hail damage are excluded from their overall home insurance coverage in those areas due to increased risk from hurricanes, tropical storms, and other extreme weather.
There are 14 Texas Counties that require additional windstorm insurance:
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These counties are labeled as ‘tiered’ or ‘first-tier’ areas that hold a higher level of risk than the rest of the state. Homeowners policies written for these areas frequently exclude wind and hail coverage from the base home policy, leaving those residents to find additional coverage for those perils on their own.
What’s the difference between Windstorm Insurance and Homeowners Insurance?
Traditional homeowners insurance policies cover the standard perils that a home might face, including fire, lightning, smoke damage, theft, or vandalism. Wind and hail damage are most commonly excluded from these policies in high wind-risk areas. Windstorm insurance, or wind and hail insurance, is specialized coverage that sometimes must be purchased in addition to the homeowners policy.
Windstorm insurance policies in Texas are important additions to home portfolios to maintain protection against high winds generated by hurricanes, tornadoes, and other extreme weather events that endanger the area.
One increasingly common solution for the issue of high home insurance premiums in Texas is a separate wind/hail deductible with its own price, generally higher than that of the main policy. Additionally, wind and hail deductibles are often home value percentage-based, meaning that the deductible you’d owe after filing a claim could total several thousand dollars.
How can I lower the premium on my wind/hail insurance in Texas?
One way to reduce your costs for wind and hail insurance is to accept a higher deductible. By accepting a greater potential financial risk if you should need to file a claim, your monthly or annual bill, the ‘premium,’ can be lowered to compensate.
In addition to adjusting their deductible, Texas homeowners can also qualify for lower wind/hail premiums by implementing improved safety features and storm-resistent materials in upgrades to their home.
A standalone wind and hail policy from Sola Insurance could offer additional coverage up to the level of your adjusted deductible, meaning that if a claim was made, the policyholder would not have to pay out of pocket to cover that amount. This level of coverage protects you from the responsibility of ‘first dollar spending’ to get repairs started on your property after damage occurs.
What are the benefits of Sola Wind/Hail?
A wind and hail insurance policy from Sola provides a safety net for homeowners experiencing the financial stress that follows a damaging weather event at their home. This policy is available in any dollar amount between $2,000 and $25,000, and provides a fast payout without the usual insurance delays of multiple inspections and rounds of paperwork.
The Sola payout can be used to cover deductible costs, gaps in coverage from depreciated or ACV roofs, or to make related repairs without ever touching the home’s primary homeowners insurance policy.
Ask your Texas independent insurance agent if a Sola policy or any of the recommended methods listed above are the best way to minimize your insurance costs while keeping your Texas home fully covered for wind and hail damage.
Sources:
“Is Windstorm Insurance Required in Texas” Daily & Black, P.C., https://www.dalyblack.com/is-windstorm-insurance-required-in-texas/
“The Importance of Understanding Your Wind/Hail Deductible” Kirk Law Blog, https://kirklawfirm.com/blog/got-hail-damage-is-it-covered-by-insurance-in-texas/
Gray is the Senior Content Specialist at Sola Insurance, working with the Sales and Marketing teams to provide helpful, valuable content for homeowners and agents. Gray has worked previously in finance, logistics, and advertising.
