Why are there insurance deductibles?
Three jobs a deductible does
- Screens out small claims. Sending an adjuster, writing an estimate and cutting a check costs the insurer real money. A deductible keeps a $400 repair from turning into a $400 claim plus overhead that every policyholder pays for.
- Shares the risk. When you carry the first part of every loss, you have a reason to clean gutters, replace a cracked pipe boot and trim limbs off the roof. That keeps losses down across the whole pool.
- Holds premiums down. The higher the share you carry, the less the insurer has to charge.
What it means for roof decisions
Because of the deductible, many roof problems are never worth a claim. A handful of shingles blown off a ridge might cost less to fix than a 1 or 2 percent wind and hail deductible. Filing anyway can leave a claim on your history with no payment. The time to claim is when an inspection shows storm damage that clearly exceeds your deductible, such as hail hits across several slopes.
Why the law protects it
A deductible only works if the homeowner actually pays it. That is why Georgia prohibits contractors from waiving, rebating or advertising to cover a deductible. A roofer who "eats" it must either inflate the estimate or cut corners on the roof, and either way the homeowner can end up tangled in a fraud problem.
The practical takeaway
Know your deductibles in dollars, keep that amount in savings during storm season, and get an inspection before you file so you know whether the damage is worth claiming.
More: roofers and deductibles in Georgia and whether to call the insurer or a roofer first.