What happens after the deductible is met on a homeowners insurance claim?
Short answer. On homeowners insurance, the deductible is met claim by claim. Once the loss is bigger than your deductible, the insurer pays the rest of the covered amount up to your limits, minus any depreciation it holds back until repairs are done. The next separate storm starts a new deductible.
How home insurance differs from health insurance
Health plans often have an annual deductible that resets each year. A homeowners deductible applies to each claim, or each storm event. Meeting it on one roof claim does not lower what you owe on the next one.
What happens next on a roof claim
- The estimate. The adjuster writes the covered repairs at full replacement cost, then subtracts depreciation and your deductible.
- The first check. Usually the actual cash value minus the deductible. If you have a mortgage, the lender is often named on the check and must endorse it. See mortgage company on the check.
- The work. You hire the roofer and pay the deductible as part of the contract price.
- Supplements. If the crew finds damage or code items the estimate missed, the roofer documents them and the insurer adds them. See supplements.
- The final check. On a replacement cost policy, the held back depreciation is released after you send proof the work is complete. See recoverable depreciation.
What the insurer still will not pay
Anything above your policy limits, excluded items, upgrades you chose beyond like kind and quality, and depreciation on an actual cash value roof. Ask for the final settlement in writing so you can see each piece.