After hail of all shapes and sizes accompanied ravaging storms that blew through the Rochester region Monday, causing significant damage to homes and vehicles, you may be wondering what your homeowners and car insurance will cover when it comes to hail-related damage.
It depends on a multitude of factors, insurance companies say, including whether you live in an area prone to hailstorms or have comprehensive coverage for your vehicle.
Here’s what to know.
Does your homeowners insurance cover hail damage?
Possibly.
Hail damage to your roof, siding and any other part of your property may be covered by your homeowners insurance, according to Progressive. However, your policy may have a separate deductible for hail-related damage, especially if you live in an area prone to hailstorms.
Dwelling coverage could pay for the damage up to your coverage limit and minus any deductible, Progressive says, and your policy’s other structures coverage may pay for any damage to a detached garage, tool shed or any other structure on your property.
And if your home is uninhabitable due to hail-related damage, your loss of use coverage might help you pay the costs of temporary housing, meals and other services while the damages are being repaired.
Homeowners insurance also typically includes coverage against damage from hail that enters your home when a roof or wall is damaged due to wind, according to Allstate.
See the damage:Destructive storms, large hail and strong winds sweep through upstate NY
Does your car insurance cover hail damage?
Most likely — if you have comprehensive coverage.
Comprehensive coverage covers damage to your vehicle from events outside of your control, like hail storms or other weather-related damage, according to Progressive. Liability coverage doesn’t cover hail damage, Liberty Mutual says.
Your insurance company will likely pay for repairs minus your deductible and up to your policy’s limit — usually the cash value of your car — if you have comprehensive coverage.
However, if your vehicle is deemed a total loss, they’ll probably write you a check for your car’s actual cash value, minus your deductible, instead of paying for the car to be repaired, Progressive says. That money can be used however you’d like.
Can a hail damage claim raise your car insurance rate?
Yes, it could.
If you make a hail damage claim, your insurance rate may increase when you renew your policy, Progressive says. However, according to Liberty Mutual, your insurance won’t go up because you’re covered by comprehensive coverage.
Wondering if you should file a claim? Compare your comprehensive deductible with the estimate to repair your car. If the repair estimate amount you receive is less than your deductible or close to it, you might as well just pay for the repairs out of pocket, Progressive says.
Extreme weather and insurance coverage:Does your homeowners insurance cover tornado, wind damage?
What to do if your house has hail-related damage
Contact your insurance company, immediately, Progressive says. And if you’re unsure if the cost to repair your home from hail-related damage will exceed your deductible, it might be wise to contact a qualified professional to get an estimate.
Don’t forget to document the damage through photos and videos because the evidence be beneficial for your claim.
Emily Barnes is the New York State Team consumer advocate reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Barnes at ebarnes@gannett.com or on Twitter @byemilybarnes.
Based in New York, Stephen Freeman is a Senior Editor at Trending Insurance News. Previously he has worked for Forbes and The Huffington Post. Steven is a graduate of Risk Management at the University of New York.