As of November 2026, a Georgia insurer that will not renew a homeowners policy must give at least 60 days' written notice, up from 30 before January 1, 2026. That is the time you have to replace the policy, and it goes quickly. Send me the notice, the declarations page and the roof's age, and I will tell you which markets are still open and what each would do with the wind and hail deductible.
What Georgia's notice rule gives you
Senate Bill 35, signed in May 2025, amended O.C.G.A. section 33-24-46. The enacted text is short and worth knowing:
- Sixty daysThe non-renewal date cannot be less than 60 days from the day the notice is mailed or delivered. The bill struck the old figure of 30.
- Which policiesPolicies issued, delivered or renewed in Georgia on or after January 1, 2026.
- Who gets itThe named insured and, where there is one, the lienholder, so your mortgage servicer learns of it too.
- The reasonThe insurer must give its reason or reasons, as Chapter 39 of the insurance title requires.
Count the days from the mailing date on the notice. If the count comes up short, or no reason is given, that is a question for the Commissioner's Consumer Services staff (below). The statute sets the notice; it does not make the company keep the house. My Georgia non-renewal rules page has the short version.
What insurers are pricing in North Georgia
The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City keeps the record for this area. Across its North and Central Georgia territory, damaging thunderstorm winds are reported on about 19 days a year, large hail on about 7 days with April the peak month, and tornadoes on about 6 days, mostly from March through May.
Two events show up in almost every Atlanta underwriting conversation. On the evening of March 14, 2008, a tornado the Weather Service rated EF2, with winds estimated at 130 miles per hour, cut a six-mile path from west of the World Congress Center through downtown to western DeKalb County. And in September 2024, Hurricane Helene crossed Georgia: Atlanta set daily rainfall records on September 26 and again on the 27th, when 7.62 inches fell, and the Weather Service says wind and soaked ground brought down millions of trees, with most structure damage coming from the trees.
That last point is the Atlanta problem in one line. Wind, hail and a tree through the roof are the losses a homeowners policy is bought for here, and the Commissioner's office tells owners to confirm with their agent that wind and fallen trees are covered. Insurers respond by looking hard at the roof's age and at limbs over the house, so a non-renewal can follow an exterior inspection as easily as a claim.
Wind and hail deductibles
Georgia's Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner tells owners that some policies carry separate deductibles for hurricanes or wind losses, and to learn before a storm which one applies to which kind of damage. Where that deductible is written as a percentage of the dwelling limit, the amount you pay rises every time the limit is raised for building costs.
What triggers a separate deductible is set by the policy's own endorsement: one may apply to any wind or hail, another only to a named storm. Helene reached Georgia as a named storm, so the wording decided what owners paid. I read the endorsement and show the deductible as a figure before you accept a quote. I also ask how the roof is settled, at replacement cost or with depreciation taken off.
Georgia has a separate wind-and-hail-only policy, but only on the coast. The Georgia Underwriting Association writes it in Bryan, Camden, Chatham, Glynn, Liberty and McIntosh counties and on the offshore islands. It is not available in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb or Gwinnett, so here wind stays inside the homeowners policy.
The Georgia FAIR Plan, when no company will write the house
The Georgia Underwriting Association (GUA) runs the Georgia FAIR Plan. Its own bulletin says to try the regular market first and to treat GUA only as a last resort. Anyone with an insurable interest in a Georgia property may apply, but only through a licensed agent.
- The formFor an owner-occupied single-family home, GUA uses the HO-8 modified coverage form, a named-perils policy: fire and lightning, windstorm or hail, explosion, smoke, vehicles, aircraft, vandalism and a small theft limit.
- What is thinReplacement cost is optional and costs extra. Water damage is an optional, limited add-on. Personal liability is capped at one hundred thousand per occurrence.
- RoofsWind or hail losses to roof surfacing can be settled at actual cash value, depending on the roof's age.
- Not eligibleVacant or unoccupied buildings. GUA can also decline for condition: faulty steps and handrails, an unfenced pool, general deterioration.
- LimitTwo million per building on a habitational risk.
GUA may inspect, and it can give time for repairs or refuse coverage until they are made. If it declines, it tells you what measures, if any, would make the property insurable, and its rules say neighborhood or location is not an acceptable reason to decline. It tells its own policyholders to shop elsewhere at least once a year. GUA also gives a credit on the wind portion for homes with an IBHS FORTIFIED designation: 5, 7.5 or 10 percent for Bronze, Silver or Gold.
Flood is a separate policy
The Commissioner's office says it plainly: loss caused by flood is not covered under a homeowners policy, and flood policies carry a 30-day waiting period. Helene's rain is the reminder that this is not only a coastal question. Coverage comes from the National Flood Insurance Program or a private flood insurer. How flood coverage works, and my Georgia flood guide covers the maps.
If the company got it wrong
The Consumer Services staff at the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire investigates complaints about insurers, agents and how a claim is being handled. The office asks that you take the dispute to the company first and keep a record of every call and letter. Its toll-free line is (800) 656-2298, and complaints are filed through its online portal. A complaint can fix a late or defective notice. It will not find you a new policy, and that part is my work.
What to send me
The non-renewal or renewal notice with its mailing date, the current declarations page, the roof's age and material, photos of the roof and of any trees over the house, your claims in the last five years, any inspection letter the company sent, and the date coverage ends. With those I can tell you who will look at the house and on what terms.
Common questions
How much notice must an insurer give before non-renewing a home policy in Georgia?
At least 60 days from the date the notice is mailed or delivered, for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. Before that the period was 30 days.
Who insures a home in Atlanta after a non-renewal?
Another admitted company often will, especially once the roof or tree issue is fixed. Surplus lines insurers write many of the rest, and the Georgia Underwriting Association is the last step.
Why did my home insurance go up so much in Atlanta?
Usually wind, hail and tree losses in North Georgia, plus the higher cost of rebuilding. Compare the renewal's wind and hail deductible and roof settlement terms with last year's before you compare the premium.
What does the Georgia FAIR Plan cover on a house?
A named list of perils that includes fire, windstorm, hail, smoke and vandalism, on the HO-8 form. Replacement cost and limited water damage are optional extras, and vacant homes are not eligible.
Is there a separate wind policy for Atlanta homes?
No. Georgia's wind-and-hail-only policy is written only in six coastal counties and the offshore islands. In metro Atlanta wind and hail stay inside the homeowners policy, under its own deductible if the policy has one.
Does home insurance in Atlanta cover flooding?
No. Georgia's insurance office says flood is not covered by a homeowners policy. It is a separate policy with a 30-day waiting period in most cases.
Where do I complain about a home insurer in Georgia?
The Consumer Services staff of the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance and Safety Fire, at (800) 656-2298 or through its online complaint portal. Contact the company first and keep records.
General information about home insurance in the Atlanta area as of November 2026, not legal advice. The notice rule is O.C.G.A. section 33-24-46 as amended by 2025 Senate Bill 35; Georgia Underwriting Association terms are from its Information Bulletin and website and can change; storm facts are from the National Weather Service office in Peachtree City. Your policy's wording controls what is covered. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.