A hail claim cannot be counted toward the Texas three-claim rule, but an old or worn roof can still cost you the renewal. Check three things on any quote: the wind and hail deductible, whether the roof is paid at replacement cost, and whether cosmetic damage is excluded. Flood and most foundation movement sit outside the policy. The Texas FAIR Plan Association is the last resort after two declines.
April 2016, and what it did to roof coverage
On the night of April 12, 2016, the strongest storm of the evening laid a swath of very large hail just north of downtown San Antonio. The National Weather Service logged many reports of two to three inch stones and a largest stone of four and a half inches, which fell about three miles southeast of Helotes. Thirteen days later, on April 25, a second storm crossed the west side of the city; hail grew to baseball size over Shavano Park.
After storms like those, these are the roof terms to read on any San Antonio quote:
- Percentage deductibleThe Office of Public Insurance Counsel explains that a percentage deductible is based on the insured value of the home, not on the claim, so a small roof repair can fall entirely under it.
- Actual cash value on the roofThe Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) says some policies pay less when the roof is older or worn, and that companies may switch to that basis as the roof ages.
- InspectionTDI says the company will inspect the roof when you apply and may charge more or refuse the home based on what it sees.
- Cosmetic damageAn optional Texas endorsement, in use since 1998, excludes hail damage that is only cosmetic on impact-rated roof coverings that receive a premium credit.
A new roof changes the picture. TDI notes that companies often discount impact-resistant and newer roofs, so if yours was replaced, the invoice and the shingle rating go in the file first.
The Texas claims-count rule
Many San Antonio owners believe one more claim will get them dropped. Texas Insurance Code section 551.107 is narrower than that. For a homeowners policy, an insurer may add a premium surcharge at renewal if you filed two or more claims in the preceding three policy years, and may refuse to renew if you filed three or more claims in any three-year period. But three kinds of claims are left out of the count: losses from natural causes, claims filed but not paid or payable, and certain appliance-related water claims. And if the insurer did not send the required notice after your second claim, it cannot refuse to renew because of claims.
So hail does not count against you under this rule. The catch is that the same statute does not stop an insurer from declining a home for the condition of the roof, and TDI lists a company's decision to limit what it sells in your area as a permitted reason. You are owed at least 60 days' written notice before the policy expires, and for notices after January 1, 2026, a written reason. If the reason looks wrong, TDI takes complaints against companies, agents and adjusters. My page on Texas non-renewal rules has the detail.
Flash Flood Alley
The National Weather Service office for this region says South Central Texas is commonly called Flash Flood Alley and that flash flooding is its leading cause of weather-related deaths. Bexar County's own explanation is the Balcones Escarpment: intense weather meeting a change in elevation, limestone that does not absorb water, and steep slopes. The county counts about 80 high-water warning sensors on its roads.
On June 11 and 12, 2025, three to eight inches of rain fell in a corridor across northern Bexar County. Thirteen people died in the San Antonio area, twelve of them in the Beitel Creek basin and one in the Leon Creek basin, and the fire department alone rescued more than 70 people from high water.
A homeowners policy does not pay for that water. TDI's guide says most home policies exclude flood, that a separate policy is available from the National Flood Insurance Program or from insurers that sell it, and that most flood policies take 30 days to start. If the house is near Leon Creek or Beitel Creek, I price flood insurance alongside the home quote.
Slabs and foundations
Foundation repair is regulated here. The city has a dedicated Foundation Repair Permit, and every repair is closed out with a sealed inspection letter from a Texas professional engineer. If your slab has been repaired, that letter is the document an underwriter wants.
On coverage, TDI's guide lists earthquakes or earth movement, and wear and tear, among the things most home policies do not cover. If the slab is moving with wet and dry seasons, the base policy generally will not pay to level it. What TDI and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel both describe is an endorsement for foundation or slab damage, which the Counsel's office explains as help paying for damage caused by water or steam from a plumbing, heating or air conditioning system. In other words, a leak under the slab, not the soil. Whether a quote includes that endorsement, and its limit, is one of the first things I check.
February 2021 is still in the file
TDI's report on the February 2021 winter storm shows 44,285 reported insurance claims in Bexar County, third among Texas counties after Harris and Dallas. Claims from that week can still appear on loss history reports, which TDI says insurers check for the last seven years on both you and the house, whoever owned it then. If you bought after 2021, I pull the history on the address so a prior owner's claim does not surprise us at quote time.
When two companies say no: the Texas FAIR Plan
The Texas FAIR Plan Association sells basic home insurance statewide to people the regular market will not take. You need declines from at least two insurers writing home coverage in Texas, no valid offer from a Texas-admitted company, and an agent to submit the application. TDI is direct that FAIR Plan and surplus lines coverage both cost more than a standard policy.
What you get is limited. According to TDI's overview of the Plan, as of October 2026:
- Perils. Fire, lightning, explosion, smoke, wind and hail, theft, vandalism and liability, among others, on the homeowners form. Plumbing leaks and flood are not on the list.
- Settlement. Actual cash value, meaning replacement cost minus depreciation, unless the homeowners form is endorsed for replacement cost.
- Deductibles. Percentages only: two to five percent for wind and hail, one to five percent for other perils.
- Limit. Dwelling coverage up to one million dollars.
For a house with an older roof, a FAIR Plan policy at actual cash value with a percentage hail deductible may pay very little on the next roof claim. I compare it against surplus lines options before recommending it, and put the difference in writing. See the Texas FAIR Plan explained.
What I need to quote
Start with the address, the notice you received and your current declarations page. Then the roof: material, year installed, and the invoice if it was replaced after a storm. Add any foundation repair and the engineer's letter, the claims you have filed in the last several years, whether the house is owner-occupied or rented, and the date the current policy ends.
Common questions
Who insures a San Antonio home with an old roof?
Some admitted insurers will, usually with the roof paid at actual cash value and a percentage hail deductible; surplus lines insurers are the next stop. If two companies decline, the Texas FAIR Plan Association is available through an agent.
Can my insurer non-renew me for hail claims in Texas?
Not on claim count alone. Insurance Code section 551.107 leaves losses from natural causes out of the three-claim rule, though the insurer can still decline to renew over the roof's condition or because it is pulling back from the area.
Why did my home insurance go up in San Antonio?
TDI says premiums are higher in areas with more storms and for homes that cost more to rebuild, and Bexar County has had the 2016 hailstorms and the February 2021 freeze. Compare the renewal's wind and hail deductible and roof settlement terms with last year's, because the coverage often changes along with the price.
Does homeowners insurance cover foundation problems in San Antonio?
Generally not when the cause is soil movement, which TDI lists among the things most policies do not cover. A foundation or slab endorsement can cover damage from a plumbing leak under the slab.
Do I need flood insurance in San Antonio if I am not in a flood zone?
Your lender may not require it, but your home policy will not pay for flood either way. The June 2025 flooding along Beitel and Leon creeks is the local reminder; flood policies usually take 30 days to start.
What does the Texas FAIR Plan not cover?
Flood, and on TDI's list of covered perils there is no plumbing leak coverage. It pays actual cash value unless endorsed, with percentage deductibles and a dwelling limit of one million dollars.
Where can I compare companies or file a complaint in Texas?
HelpInsure.com, run by the Texas Department of Insurance and the Office of Public Insurance Counsel, compares home policies sold in your area. TDI takes complaints through its website and help line.
General information about home insurance in San Antonio and Bexar County as of November 2026, not legal advice. Texas Insurance Code sections, TDI guidance, Texas FAIR Plan terms and city permit rules change; your policy wording and endorsements control what is covered. Coverage depends on underwriting and the terms, conditions and exclusions of the policy actually issued.