Texas home insurance renewal checklist.

Ask what changed

The Texas Department of Insurance advises homeowners to ask their company to explain increases and confirm available discounts. Start there before shopping only on price.

When you receive a renewal, request a written summary of everything that changed from the prior year. Ask specifically about: any change to the policy form; any change to deductible amounts or types; any change to roof settlement terms; any change to endorsements; and any discount that was removed or added. Having a written record of these answers matters if you later have a claim and questions arise about what was in effect at the time.

Texas insurance regulations require insurers to give notice of material changes to policyholders. If your coverage changed in a meaningful way at renewal without a clear disclosure, that is worth raising directly with your insurer and, if unresolved, with the Texas Department of Insurance. The TDI has a consumer complaint process and can help clarify whether proper notice was given.

Some Texas insurers will proactively offer to run a coverage review at renewal, which is an opportunity to confirm that limits still reflect current rebuild costs, that available discounts are applied, and that the policy form still suits your situation. If your insurer or agent does not offer this, ask for it. Renewal is the best time to make adjustments without triggering a mid-term policy change process.

Check deductibles and roof terms

Review all-perils, wind, hail, and named-storm deductibles. Also compare whether roof coverage is replacement cost or actual cash value, and whether age or cosmetic damage limitations changed.

Texas is one of the most hail-active states in the country, and hail-related roof claims are a primary driver of homeowners insurance costs in markets from Dallas-Fort Worth to San Antonio. Partly in response, many Texas insurers have introduced separate wind and hail deductibles that are expressed as a percentage of the dwelling limit. A 2 percent wind and hail deductible on a $350,000 home is $7,000 — and the homeowner absorbs that entire amount before any coverage applies to a wind or hail event. If this percentage increased at renewal, calculate the resulting dollar amount and compare it to what you paid before.

Cosmetic damage exclusions have become more common in Texas, particularly after repeated hail events. These exclusions can deny coverage for roof claims where the insurer determines the damage is only aesthetic — dents in metal, surface blemishes on shingles — rather than functionally impairing. This can be a significant issue if hail damages your roof visually but does not immediately cause a leak. Understanding whether your policy includes this exclusion before a storm occurs is important for setting accurate expectations.

Roof settlement terms — whether the policy pays replacement cost, actual cash value, or uses an age-based schedule — determine the check you receive after a major roof claim. These terms can change quietly at renewal through an endorsement. Compare your current declarations page against last year's to confirm the settlement approach has not changed without your knowledge.

Compare coverage, not just premium

A lower quote can be useful, but only if you understand what changed. Compare dwelling coverage, personal property, additional living expense, liability, water backup, and endorsements before switching.

Dwelling coverage (Coverage A) determines the maximum payout for a total loss. If a quote is cheaper because it reduces Coverage A, the premium difference may be false economy. Use current rebuild cost estimates for your home — accounting for current lumber, labor, and material prices in your Texas market — to determine whether the Coverage A limit on any quote you receive is adequate. In recent years, Texas construction costs have increased substantially, and policies written several years ago with auto-inflation adjustments may still be understated relative to current costs.

Additional living expense coverage (ALE or Coverage D) pays for temporary housing and meals if your home is uninhabitable after a covered loss. After a catastrophic hail or tornado event, the demand for contractor labor and temporary housing in the affected area can be intense, and homeowners have sometimes needed ALE for six months or longer. Compare both the dollar limit and the time limit for ALE coverage when evaluating Texas quotes — not just the premium total.

Water backup and sump overflow coverage fills a gap in standard policies, which typically exclude flooding from outside the home but sometimes also exclude or limit damage from sewer backup or sump pump overflow. In the Texas context, where severe rain events can overwhelm drainage systems, this endorsement deserves consideration. Check whether your current policy includes it and whether any quote you evaluate includes comparable protection.

Official Texas resources

• TDI: how insurance costs are calculated
• TDI home insurance guide
• OPIC: why insurance rates are increasing in Texas

Contribute to the tracker

Texas homeowners can report a renewal change anonymously. RateReceipt does not ask for your ZIP code, insurer, address, or policy number.

Texas homeowners insurance has seen some of the largest rate increases in the country in recent years, driven by hail losses, high rebuild costs, and reinsurance market conditions. Anonymous renewal data from Texas homeowners helps show the full scope of these changes across the state, providing useful context for anyone trying to understand whether their own renewal is typical or extreme.

Texas-specific items to check

• Policy form: confirm whether you are on an HO-A, HO-B, or broader HO-3 form, as they cover losses differently.
• Wind/hail deductible: often separate and percentage-based; convert it to dollars.
• Roof settlement: watch for actual-cash-value roof schedules and cosmetic-damage exclusions.
• Coast: in Tier 1 coastal counties, wind/hail may come from a separate TWIA policy.
• Comparison: the Texas Department of Insurance runs HelpInsure.com to compare companies and sample rates.

Texas also has unique rules around the appraisal process for disputed claims. If you and your insurer disagree about the amount owed after a covered loss — not whether coverage applies, but how much the damage is worth — the appraisal process can resolve the dispute without litigation. Both parties hire their own appraiser, and if they cannot agree, a neutral umpire makes the final determination. Understanding this process before a claim occurs helps you know your options if a settlement offer seems low.

HelpInsure.com, operated by the Texas Department of Insurance, is a publicly available tool that lets you compare sample premiums from multiple insurers based on county, home size, age, construction type, and coverage amounts. It is a useful first step when evaluating whether your current premium is competitive, though sample rates may differ from the actual quote you receive based on your specific home's characteristics and claims history.

If you and the insurer disagree on a hail claim

Hail is the most common Texas claim, so disputes over the amount are common too. Most policies include an appraisal clause that lets each side hire an appraiser and use a neutral umpire to settle the loss amount without litigation.

Keep dated photos, repair estimates, and your roof's age and material on hand. Read the broader guide on wind, hail, and hurricane deductibles before you accept a settlement.

If an insurance adjuster's estimate of roof damage seems low after a hail event, getting an independent estimate from a licensed roofing contractor is a reasonable first step. Many contractors in Texas are experienced with hail damage assessment and will provide written estimates at no charge. A written estimate from a contractor that substantially exceeds the insurer's estimate creates a documented basis for requesting the insurer to reconsider or for invoking the appraisal process.

Texas law provides specific protections for policyholders during the claims process. Insurers are required to acknowledge a claim within 15 days, accept or reject it within 15 business days after receiving all requested information, and pay accepted claims within 5 business days. Delays beyond these deadlines without proper justification may entitle the policyholder to penalty interest and additional damages under the Texas Prompt Payment Act. If your claim has been delayed significantly without explanation, contact TDI or consider consulting with a licensed public adjuster or attorney familiar with Texas insurance law.

Texas policy forms: HO-A, HO-B, and HO-3 compared

Texas is one of the few states that uses its own promulgated policy forms rather than the Insurance Services Office (ISO) standard forms used in most other states. Understanding which form you are on is essential because the forms differ substantially in what they cover and how they settle losses.

The HO-A is Texas's most restrictive standard form. It covers the dwelling on a named-peril basis — meaning only the specific perils listed in the policy are covered; losses from unlisted causes are excluded. HO-A also settles losses on an actual cash value (ACV) basis, meaning depreciation is applied when calculating claim payments. This can result in significantly lower payouts than replacement cost settlement. HO-A is the most affordable option but also the narrowest, and it may leave homeowners undercompensated after a major loss.

The HO-B is a step broader. It also covers the dwelling on a named-peril basis, but it settles losses on a replacement cost basis (subject to policy conditions), which means depreciation is generally not applied and the policy pays what it costs to rebuild or repair with like materials. For homeowners who want named-peril coverage but replacement cost settlement — a common choice in moderate-risk areas — HO-B is a middle option between HO-A and the broadest form.

The Texas HO-3 form provides the broadest standard coverage. For the dwelling, it uses open-peril (also called "all-risk") coverage, meaning all causes of loss are covered unless specifically excluded. For personal property, it uses named-peril coverage. The HO-3 pays dwelling losses on a replacement cost basis. In addition to the promulgated forms, some Texas insurers offer non-promulgated or manuscript policies with different terms. Ask your insurer or agent which form your current policy uses and whether a broader form is available at a reasonable additional premium — the protection difference can be substantial for the same home.

The Texas wind/hail market and TWIA

In Texas coastal counties designated as Tier 1 under state law, the standard homeowners insurance market typically excludes wind and hail coverage because private carriers consider the hurricane and coastal storm exposure too high to underwrite profitably. This means that for homeowners in these counties, a standard homeowners policy covers everything except wind and hail — the two most significant weather perils in a coastal Texas context.

Wind and hail coverage in Tier 1 counties is provided by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA), a state-backed insurer of last resort for that specific risk. A TWIA policy is entirely separate from a homeowners policy. Homeowners in eligible counties must purchase both policies — the homeowners policy for fire, theft, liability, water damage, and other covered perils, and the TWIA policy for wind and hail. The combined cost of both policies is the homeowner's total insurance expense, and both premiums should be reviewed at renewal.

Determining whether your county qualifies for TWIA coverage requires checking the current Tier 1 county designations, which include coastal counties along the Gulf of Mexico. The TDI website lists the current eligible counties and the conditions for TWIA eligibility. Properties must generally be inspected and certified by the Texas Department of Insurance before TWIA coverage can be issued for a new structure or a structure that has undergone significant alterations.

TWIA premiums have increased significantly in recent years as the association has sought to build reserves adequate for potential major hurricane losses. If you are in a TWIA-eligible county, review the TWIA renewal terms with the same scrutiny you apply to the homeowners policy renewal — checking limits, deductibles (TWIA policies typically have a separate hurricane deductible), and total premium. The TWIA also has a formal rate-filing process and consumer participation rights for its rate proceedings.

Texas rate filing system: use it to your advantage

Unlike California, where homeowners insurance rates must be approved by the Department of Insurance before they take effect, Texas uses a "use and file" system. Under this approach, insurers can begin using new rates immediately upon filing them with the Texas Department of Insurance, without waiting for prior approval. The TDI then reviews the filing after the fact and can order refunds or corrections if rates are found to be excessive or unfairly discriminatory.

The practical effect of this system is that Texas insurance rates can change more rapidly than in California. An insurer can decide on a rate increase in response to recent loss experience and implement it at the next renewal cycle without a lengthy state approval process. This has contributed to the speed of premium increases in some Texas markets following years with significant hail or storm losses.

However, TDI publishes rate filings, and members of the public — including policyholders — can review them. If you want to understand why your premium increased and by how much your insurer's rates changed across the market, searching TDI's rate filing database for your insurer's name can provide that context. This can help distinguish between a company-wide rate increase that affects all policyholders and a premium change specific to your property's characteristics or claims history.

Texas also operates HelpInsure.com, a free consumer tool run by TDI that allows homeowners to compare sample premiums from multiple insurers based on their county, home size, age, and construction type. While sample rates may differ from actual quotes — because actual underwriting considers your specific property's characteristics, claims history, and other factors — HelpInsure.com provides a useful benchmark for evaluating whether your renewal premium is in a typical range for your county and home type.

Filing a complaint or using Texas mediation

If you believe your insurer handled a claim improperly — whether by denying a valid claim, delaying payment without justification, underpaying based on inaccurate estimates, or not disclosing policy changes properly — you have several formal options in Texas. Understanding these options before a dispute arises helps you act quickly if one occurs.

The appraisal clause, available in most Texas homeowners policies, is the most efficient path for disputes specifically about the dollar amount of a covered loss. Both the homeowner and the insurer hire an independent appraiser. The two appraisers attempt to agree on the amount of loss. If they cannot agree, they jointly select a neutral umpire, whose decision on the disputed amount is binding. The appraisal process does not resolve disputes about whether a loss is covered — only about how much a covered loss is worth. Invoking appraisal requires following the procedure specified in your policy, typically a written demand.

The Texas Department of Insurance has a consumer complaint division that accepts complaints from policyholders about insurer conduct. TDI reviews complaints, contacts the insurer for a response, and works toward a resolution. TDI also publishes complaint ratio data — the number of complaints per 1,000 policies — for insurers licensed in Texas, which can be a useful factor when comparing carriers at renewal. An insurer with a high complaint ratio relative to competitors may have a pattern of claims handling issues worth considering.

Texas has strict prompt payment laws under the Texas Insurance Code, commonly called the Prompt Payment of Claims Act. These laws set specific deadlines for acknowledging claims, accepting or rejecting them, and paying accepted claims. If an insurer fails to meet these deadlines without justification, the policyholder may be entitled to 18 percent annual interest on the unpaid claim amount plus attorney's fees in some circumstances. If you believe your claim was delayed or underpaid, consulting a licensed Texas public adjuster or an attorney who specializes in insurance matters can help you understand whether the Prompt Payment Act applies to your situation and what remedies may be available.