Real estate
BY SAM SCHAFFER
When a May hailstorm caused damage to his home, Central Texas resident Steven Alexander went through his new insurance company to get the repairs covered. He said he switched insurance companies in 2025 after his previous insurer doubled his premium from about $3,000 per year to over $6,000 per year in 2024. their roofs replaced, and he’s had a harder time getting claims approved. Damon Chacon, a contractor with JWC General Contracting who assessed the damage on Alexander’s house, noted a change in the insurance landscape following the increase in extreme weather events. “I’ve seen a lot more denials and people’s rates going up,” Chacon said. Homeowners navigate insurance market Alexander noted the hike in his insurance rate came after an in ux of people in his neighborhood got
A roofer with Regenesis Roo ng and Restoration works on a home in Central Texas.
SAM SCHAFFER COMMUNITY IMPACT
The big picture
Explained
events, down from 82 days in the 1980s, data from the Texas Coalition for A ordable Insurance Solutions shows. The number of weather events causing at least a billion dollars in damages continues to trend upward, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Many industry professionals agree the insurance landscape for Texas homeowners is changing. They cite the increasing frequency of weather events as a main factor in the shift. From 2017 to 2021, Texas experienced 44 severe weather events, totaling $200 billion to $300 billion in costs. Nationally during that period, there were 18 days between billion-dollar weather
Will Peckham, an insurance adviser with Watkins Insurance Group, said the frequency of hail, wind and wild re events in the state all contribute to how insurance carriers calculate premiums for customers. Coverage plans are also becoming more strict, he said. People are seeing higher deductibles due to the di cult nature of providing home insurance in Texas. “They can’t make a pro t. Their business is to make a pro t just like any other business,” Peckham said. Additionally, shortened lifespans for roofs due to Texas’ climate is making it more di cult to get them insured. “That’s within the last two to three years that insurance companies are really being staunch on the age of a roof versus condition,” said Matthew Werling, owner of Regenesis Roo ng and Restoration in Cedar Park. While new roofs can result in lower premi- ums, they are becoming more expensive as the price of materials increases, experts said.
Number of billion-dollar weather events in Texas
25
20
15
10
5
0
2011
2012
2013
2014 2015
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024
SOURCE: NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ASSOCIATION COMMUNITY IMPACT
Comparison of 2025 average home insurance rates
The takeaway
considerations in determining rates, but it’s common knowledge that the age of a roof and area a person lives in are factors. Ultimately, he said navigating the current home insurance landscape and ensuring a person has the right amount of coverage comes down to reading their contract closely.
From 2022 to 2023, Texas homeowners saw a more than 28% average increase in home insurance rates, nearly double the national average of 15.5% for that time period. The increase in rates experienced by Texans was the highest in the country, according to the TCAIS. Peckham said insurers conceal their
$2,110 National
$4,585 Texas
SOURCE: NERDWALLET COMMUNITY IMPACT
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