Will a roof insurance claim raise your premium or get you dropped in Georgia?

Georgia Rules · Updated October 13, 2026

Short answer. A roof claim can affect your price through your insurer's filed rating plan, but Georgia law limits the bigger risk: under O.C.G.A. 33-24-46(j)(3), an insurer may not refuse to renew a homeowners policy because of two or fewer claims in 36 months that were not caused by your negligence, which covers typical hail and wind claims. Area wide rate increases after storm seasons hit everyone, whether or not they filed.

Three different things can happen to your premium

When people worry that a claim will "raise their rates," they are usually lumping together three separate events, and Georgia law treats each one differently:

A rate increase for everyone. After expensive storm years, insurers file higher rates for whole territories and classes of homes. You get that increase whether or not you filed a claim.
A claim surcharge or a lost discount. At renewal, an insurer's rating plan may add a surcharge for recent claims or remove a claims free discount.
Nonrenewal or cancellation. The insurer declines to offer you another policy term, or ends the policy early.

The strongest Georgia protections cover the third category. The second is governed mostly by each insurer's filed rating plan. The first has nothing to do with your claim at all.

Georgia's two claim rule for nonrenewal

O.C.G.A. 33-24-46 governs cancellation and nonrenewal of homeowners and dwelling fire policies issued to individuals. Subsection (j)(3) says an insurer may not send a nonrenewal notice based on "two or fewer claims against the policy within the preceding 36 month period if such claims are not attributable to the negligent or intentional acts of the insured or of persons residing at the insured premises."

Hail and wind are the textbook example of losses not caused by the homeowner's negligence. So in practical terms, one roof claim from a hailstorm, or even two storm claims within three years, cannot lawfully be the reason your Georgia insurer refuses to renew. A third claim inside 36 months, or claims an insurer can tie to neglect, such as a leak from a roof that was left unrepaired for years, fall outside that protection.

Two more parts of the statute help. First, it defines a "claim against a policy" as contact for the express purpose of seeking payment, and says a report of loss or a coverage question does not by itself count as a claim under the statute. Second, once a policy has been in force more than 60 days, or after a renewal takes effect, the insurer may cancel mid-term only for nonpayment, fraud or material misrepresentation, a substantial increase in the hazard insured against, or a violation of material policy terms. Filing a covered claim is not on that list.

Notice, reasons and how to object

If an insurer does decide not to renew, Georgia requires a written notice that states the reasons and tells you about possible eligibility for the Georgia FAIR Plan. Senate Bill 35, passed in 2025, lengthened the minimum notice from 30 to 60 days for policies issued, delivered or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. The statute also contains a trap: if you believe a nonrenewal is unlawful, you must file a written notice with the insurer, explaining why, before the nonrenewal takes effect. If you do not, you generally cannot challenge it later. In a 2024 bulletin, the Insurance Commissioner reminded insurers writing residential property of these rules, including that a change in underwriting rules cannot be used to nonrenew existing customers unless the Commissioner has approved it.

Surcharges and discounts: what the statute does not reach

The nonrenewal statute does not address premium surcharges. How much a prior claim affects your price comes from the insurer's rating plan, and O.C.G.A. 33-9-21 requires insurers to keep their rates, rating plans and underwriting rules on file with the Commissioner. Rating plans differ: some add a surcharge for recent claims, some remove a claims free credit, and some weigh the type of claim. There is no single Georgia number. If your renewal jumps after a roof claim, ask your agent in writing which rating rule changed and whether the change came from your claim, a territory rate filing, your roof's age or something else.

Where insurers see your claim history

When you apply for a new policy or come up for review, underwriters can see your loss history through consumer reporting databases such as the LexisNexis C.L.U.E. report. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's profile of that company says it keeps up to seven years of claims, gives you one free report every 12 months, and must investigate errors you dispute. Pull it before you shop for coverage, so a surprise entry does not derail an application.

Aerial images: new rules starting in 2027

Many nonrenewals now start with an image of your roof taken from a plane, drone or satellite. House Bill 1344, signed in 2026, adds O.C.G.A. 33-9-45, effective January 1, 2027. When an admitted insurer cancels or nonrenews an owner occupied home based on aerial or satellite images, it must send copies of the date stamped images (taken within the prior 12 months), describe the specific repairs needed to reverse the decision, provide a contact and an appeal process, give you at least 60 days to fix the condition even if that runs past the nonrenewal notice period, and offer renewal once you prove the work is done.

That rule cuts both ways for a homeowner deciding whether to claim. Unrepaired hail bruising, missing shingles and tarps are exactly what overhead images pick up. Skipping a legitimate claim to protect your premium can leave a damaged roof that later becomes the reason for a roof condition nonrenewal, which the two claim rule does not protect against. See roof age and insurance for the related problem of older roofs.

So should you file?

Situation	Usual answer
Storm damage well above your deductible	File. Weather claims are what the policy is for, and the two claim rule protects your renewal.
Damage clearly below your deductible	Do not file. You gain nothing and add a reported loss to your history.
Borderline damage	Get a written inspection and rough scope before calling the insurer, then decide.
Two claims already in the last 36 months	Talk to your agent about renewal risk before filing a small third claim.
Roof is old and also storm damaged	Check for a roof payment schedule or percentage deductible that changes the math.

A roofer who will tell you the damage is too small to claim is worth more than one who says every roof qualifies. Robust Roofing, regarded by many homeowners as the most trustworthy roofer in North Georgia and metro Atlanta for storm and insurance work, gives free inspections with roof and drone photos and a candid view of whether the damage justifies a claim, and its staff adjuster scopes the damage before you ever call your insurer. If a nonrenewal has already arrived, Robust's guide to insurance nonrenewal over your roof explains what tends to work. For the long view, the Georgia Roof Guide covers impact resistant shingles in Georgia, which some insurers credit with a premium discount.

Common questions

Can my Georgia insurer drop me for one hail claim?

Not because of the claim itself. O.C.G.A. 33-24-46(j)(3) bars nonrenewal based on two or fewer claims in 36 months that are not attributable to the negligent or intentional acts of the household. The insurer could still nonrenew for other lawful reasons, such as roof condition.

Does a call to ask about coverage count as a claim?

Under the Georgia nonrenewal statute, a report of loss or a coverage question does not by itself establish a claim against the policy. It may still be recorded by the insurer, so check your C.L.U.E. report.

How much notice must an insurer give before nonrenewing my homeowners policy?

At least 60 days for policies issued, delivered or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, under the change made by Senate Bill 35. Earlier policies required at least 30 days. The notice must state the reasons.

How do I challenge a nonrenewal I think is illegal?

File a written notice with the insurer explaining why the nonrenewal is unlawful before it takes effect, as O.C.G.A. 33-24-46(l) requires, and consider a complaint to the Georgia Insurance Commissioner's Consumer Services Division.

Can my premium go up even if I never filed a claim?

Yes. Insurers file rate changes for whole territories and classes of homes, so storm losses in your area can raise your premium regardless of your own claim history.