Here's a conversation that happens in Little Rock after every big hail storm. The roofer confirms the damage, the homeowner files a claim, and the adjuster agrees the roof was hit. Then the settlement letter arrives, and the deductible on it isn't the $1,000 the homeowner remembers. It's $5,000, or more.
Nothing went wrong with the claim. The policy has a separate deductible for wind and hail, and it's figured as a percentage of the home's coverage instead of a flat dollar amount. Plenty of Arkansas homeowners carry one without knowing it. Here's how it works, how to find yours in about two minutes, and what to ask before your next renewal.
Most homeowners policies have one deductible that applies to most kinds of damage: a kitchen fire, a burst pipe, a break-in. A wind/hail deductible is a second, separate one that applies only when wind or hail caused the loss. In Central Arkansas, that's most roof claims.
This is a fairly new thing here. The Arkansas Insurance Department now allows companies to offer policies with a separate deductible for wind and hail damage, and lawmakers have noted that Arkansas was among the last states to allow it. Insurers moved quickly once they could. Department officials have told legislators that property insurers in the state were paying out far more in claims than they took in, and higher wind/hail deductibles are one of the main ways companies have responded.
A tree blown onto the house in a windstorm is often handled as a wind loss, too, so the wind/hail deductible may apply there as well. Your policy wording decides it.
A wind/hail deductible comes in one of two forms:
Here's what that looks like in dollars:
| Dwelling coverage | 1% deductible | 2% deductible | 5% deductible |
|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $2,000 | $4,000 | $10,000 |
| $250,000 | $2,500 | $5,000 | $12,500 |
| $300,000 | $3,000 | $6,000 | $15,000 |
Two things make this sneak up on people. First, a percentage deductible grows with your coverage: when your insurer raises Coverage A at renewal to keep up with building costs, the deductible rises with it, even though the percentage never changed. Second, against a typical Little Rock roof replacement of $8,000 to $16,000 (see our roof replacement cost guide), a 2% deductible on a $300,000 home is a large share of the claim.
Pull up your declarations page, the summary sheet at the front of your policy (most insurers also post it in their app or online account). Look for a line labeled "Wind/Hail," "Windstorm or Hail," or "Named Storm/Wind/Hail" in the deductibles section.
Arkansas law helps you here. Act 471 of 2023 (Ark. Code § 23-79-168) requires that when a residential property policy issued or renewed in Arkansas sets a deductible as a percentage of insured value, the insurer must disclose the dollar amount of that deductible on the declarations page or the renewal notice. So you shouldn't have to do the math yourself. If you see a percentage and no dollar figure, call your agent and ask for it.
This is where Arkansas roof claims get more complicated than the national articles suggest. Most Arkansas policies pay roof claims under an age-based payment schedule: a grid that pays a set percentage of the roof's cost depending on how old the roof is and what it's made of. We explain it in does homeowners insurance cover roof replacement in Little Rock?
On an older roof, the schedule and the deductible can stack. A simplified illustration:
Your numbers will be different, and the exact order in which a policy applies the schedule and the deductible depends on its wording. That's the point of the example: on an older roof with a percentage deductible, a "covered" claim can still leave you paying most of the bill. Ask your agent to walk through a sample roof claim using your actual roof age and your actual deductible. Five minutes on the phone now beats a surprise after a storm.
A higher deductible changes the math on smaller damage. If a roofer finds $3,500 of wind damage and your wind/hail deductible is $5,000, a claim pays nothing, and it may still show up in your claims history. That's one reason we suggest getting an inspection and an estimate before you file. Our storm damage guide walks through the order.
It also matters that the deductible usually applies per occurrence, meaning per storm. Two separate hail storms in one spring can mean two deductibles. Ask your agent how your policy defines an occurrence.
Bigger deductibles have made one storm-chaser line more tempting: "Don't worry about the deductible, we'll take care of it." Walk away. A contractor offering to waive or absorb your insurance deductible is proposing something Arkansas law prohibits, and it can put your claim at risk. The deductible is your share of the loss; it isn't negotiable with a contractor. Our guide to spotting roofing scams after a hail storm covers the other red flags.
A higher wind/hail deductible isn't automatically a bad deal. It usually lowers the premium, and if you have the deductible amount set aside, that can be a reasonable trade. What causes the damage is not knowing the number. The homeowners who get hurt are the ones who learn their deductible from a settlement letter.
A practical rule: whatever your wind/hail deductible is in dollars, try to keep that amount somewhere you can reach it after a storm. In Central Arkansas, the storm is a question of when.
Not necessarily. Many Arkansas policies now carry two: an all-other-perils deductible for things like fire or water damage, and a separate one for wind and hail. Your declarations page lists each.
No. It's 2% of your dwelling coverage. On $250,000 of coverage, that's $5,000, whether the claim is $6,000 or $16,000.
Not for that storm. Deductible changes generally apply going forward, and many insurers only allow them at renewal or restrict changes when severe weather is forecast. Review it in the off-season.
Often, because insurers price on roof age and condition. Whether you also get a credit for an impact-resistant roof depends on the carrier. Ask your agent for quotes on both options before you choose materials.
This article is general information, not insurance or legal advice. Your policy language controls, and your agent can confirm how your coverage works.
Before you file, get a written estimate so you can compare it against your deductible. Tell us what you're seeing, and we'll connect you with a local roofing pro who can inspect the roof. Free to use, no obligation.
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