Do I Need Wind and Hail Insurance?
Most policies include wind and hail already, unless your insurer excluded it or your state requires a separate deductible.
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Why this question matters after a non-renewal
If an insurer dropped you or won't renew, wind and hail coverage is often the reason, not just an add-on question. Insurers in storm-prone areas and coastal regions sometimes pull back from writing policies altogether, or they keep writing them but add a separate wind and hail deductible, exclude the coverage entirely, or require a wind mitigation inspection before they'll offer a quote. When you look for a new policy, check whether the quote includes wind and hail or whether it's carved out with its own deductible, often a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar amount. If your old declarations page shows a wind and hail exclusion, that may have been part of why you were dropped, and a new insurer may ask about your roof's age and condition before covering it.
A new policy that leaves out wind and hail, or carves it out with its own percentage deductible, can cost you far more than the premium suggests the first time a storm damages your roof. Comparing quotes side by side shows which insurers still write full wind and hail coverage in your area and what each one would actually pay toward rebuilding, not just what they charge.
What a wind and hail deductible actually costs you
A separate wind and hail deductible works differently from the flat dollar amount you're used to. Instead of a set number, it's often a percentage of your dwelling coverage, the amount the policy would pay to rebuild your house. That means the deductible moves with your coverage amount rather than staying fixed, and it can add up to far more than a standard deductible would. The percentage isn't always spelled out in dollars on the declarations page, so ask the insurer to show you what it comes to in actual cost before you sign anything.
Some states set rules around how and when insurers can apply these deductibles. That can include requiring clear disclosure of the amount or limiting the higher deductible to specific storms, like hurricanes, rather than every wind or hail event. Your state's insurance department can tell you what applies where you live. Your policy documents should also spell out exactly which storms trigger the higher deductible and which ones fall under your regular one.
A wind mitigation inspection can change what an insurer offers you. Features like a roof built to shed wind, straps connecting the roof to the walls, and impact-resistant windows or shutters all lower the risk an insurer is taking on. Some states require insurers to offer a discount once those features are documented. If your house has them, getting them inspected and recorded before you shop for a new policy can mean a lower wind and hail deductible or a better premium.
If your roof is older, ask directly whether an insurer will cover wind and hail at all or whether they'll exclude it until the roof is replaced. Some insurers in storm-prone states won't write a policy on an older roof without that exclusion. That means a hailstorm could leave you paying for the whole repair yourself, with no help from the policy at all. Knowing this before you commit, rather than after a claim is denied, is what separates coverage that protects you from a policy that only looks complete.
How a wind mitigation inspection can lower what you pay
A wind mitigation inspection looks at specific features of your house and records them so an insurer can judge the actual risk instead of guessing. The inspector checks things like how the roof deck is attached, whether the roof shape sheds wind well, what the roof covering is made of, and whether windows have shutters or impact-resistant glass. Each of these lowers the chance of major damage in a storm, and insurers price that difference.
The inspection itself usually costs a flat fee and takes an hour or two, done by a licensed inspector rather than the insurer. Once it's done, you get a report that lists which features your house has. That report is what you hand to insurers when you're shopping for a new policy after a non-renewal, not a verbal description of your roof.
In many storm-prone states, insurers are required to offer a credit or discount once those features are documented, though the size of it depends on what your house actually has and how the state's rules are written. A house with a newer roof built to current wind codes and hurricane straps connecting roof to walls will usually score better than an older house without them, even if both look fine from the street.
If your non-renewal was tied to roof age or storm risk in your area, getting this inspection done before you request quotes puts something concrete in front of insurers instead of leaving them to assume the worst. It won't undo an exclusion an insurer insists on for an aging roof, but it can be the difference between a high wind and hail deductible and a more standard one with a different insurer.
Before you request quotes
Pull your old declarations page and check how wind and hail was handled there. If your roof is older, have it inspected so you can hand insurers a wind mitigation report instead of letting them assume the worst.
