Texas roof claim deadlines: what your insurer has to do, and by when
After a hail or wind loss the insurer is on a clock. We read the Texas rules (Texas Insurance Code Chapter 542, Subchapter B, and Chapter 542A) and put each time limit in one table, with the section number so you can check it. Enter your dates to see the days that matter.
Business days skip Saturdays and Sundays only; public holidays are not subtracted, so a real deadline can be a day or two later.
Every clock in Texas, with its source
| Who | What has to happen | Deadline | Rule |
|---|---|---|---|
| Insurer | Acknowledge your claim, start the investigation, and ask you for the papers it needs Calendar days after it receives notice of the claim. |
15 days | Tex. Ins. Code §542.055 |
| Insurer | Tell you in writing that the claim is accepted or rejected Counted from the day it has every item, statement and form it required. If it needs more time it must say why within that period, and then has until the 45th day after that notice (§542.056(d)). A rejection must give reasons (§542.056(c)). |
15 business days | Tex. Ins. Code §542.056(a) |
| Insurer | Pay the claim after telling you it will pay Counted from the date of the acceptance notice, or from the date you do an act the payment depends on. |
5 business days | Tex. Ins. Code §542.057(a) |
| Insurer | Payment delay beyond 60 days (where no other statute sets a period) makes the insurer liable for damages and other items Does not apply if arbitration or litigation finds the claim invalid. |
60 days | Tex. Ins. Code §542.058(a) |
| You | Written pre-suit notice to the insurer before filing a lawsuit over property damage The notice must state the acts or omissions, the specific amount claimed, and attorney's fees incurred. It is not required if there is not enough time before the limitations period ends (§542A.003(d)). |
61 days before filing | Tex. Ins. Code §542A.003(a) |
Text last checked 2025-05-26. Laws change; confirm on the linked source before you rely on a date.
Why timing matters here: hail in Texas
In our NOAA data for 22 covered Texas cities there were 612 city-days with hail of 1 inch or larger between 2014 and 2024, and the largest stone reported was 5.68 inches. Reports peak in May. After a big storm many neighbours file at once, so the first weeks are when the clock for your own claim is easiest to lose track of.
Hail reports by month, summed over the 22 covered cities (NOAA Storm Events, 2014 to 2024). City-days can count the same storm in several cities.
What to do in the first week
- Photograph the damage and note the storm date. The hail claim checklist lists what to capture.
- Report the claim in writing (email or the insurer's portal) and save the date you sent it. That date starts the first clock.
- Keep a log of every paper you send. The "last paper" date is what starts the decision clock.
- Get a roofing inspection and estimate. Compare the number against the insurer's. Find a Texas roofer.