When does an insurance deductible not apply?
Short answer. On a homeowners policy the deductible applies to property losses, like damage to the house, other structures and belongings. It usually does not apply to liability claims, medical payments to others, or a few small additional coverages the policy marks as having no deductible, such as fire department service charges on many standard forms. Your policy says exactly where it does and does not apply.
Where a home deductible usually applies
- Damage to the house, including the roof
- Other structures, like a fence or detached garage
- Personal property
- Most additional property coverages, such as debris removal
Where it usually does not
- Personal liability: if someone sues you over an injury on your property, the insurer defends and pays without a deductible.
- Medical payments to others: small medical bills for a guest injured at your home.
- Coverages marked no deductible: standard forms often say no deductible applies to items like fire department service charges and credit card or forgery coverage. Check your form.
The deductible applies once per loss
When one storm damages the roof, a fence and patio furniture, you pay one deductible for that occurrence, not one per coverage part. That is a form of the deductible not applying twice.
It also is not taken again later
On a replacement cost roof claim, the deductible comes off the first payment. When the held-back depreciation is released after the work is finished, no second deductible is subtracted.
When it never goes away
No contractor can make the deductible not apply. In Georgia, roofers may not waive, absorb or rebate it, and a claim built that way misstates the loss. See can a roofer pay your deductible, plus recoverable depreciation and percentage deductibles.