What Most People Get Wrong About This
The usual line: hail hits, a roofer knocks on the door, the insurance company buys a new roof, and you pay the same deductible you'd pay for anything else.
What's actually true: that was closer to the truth before Minnesota's recent run of costly storm years. Today many Minnesota policies carry a separate, higher deductible just for wind and hail, sometimes figured as a percentage of the home's insured value. Some settle an older roof at its depreciated value rather than what a new one costs. Some exclude dents that don't let water in. The Minnesota Department of Commerce has been warning homeowners about higher wind/hail deductibles and narrower hail coverage since 2022, and many people still find out only after they file.
What to do instead: read your declarations page in the off-season, when nothing is leaking. Know the wind/hail deductible in dollars, know how your roof is settled, and know whether cosmetic damage is excluded. Then the first hailstorm of June is a claim, not a surprise.
If you live in the Twin Cities, you've probably seen hail damage up close: pocked siding, gutters dimpled like a golf ball, a driveway covered in shingle granules, and by the next morning a line of out-of-state pickups working the street. This guide walks through how wind and hail deductibles work (with the math), how roofs are paid out, what cosmetic-damage language means, the claim steps in order, the Minnesota laws that govern roofers who work on insurance jobs, and how to read your own declarations page. We cite the statute or agency for every rule, and we flag where the answer depends on your specific policy, because with hail it usually does.
- 2022 storm damage
- $6.3 billionMN Commerce, Apr 2024
- Aug 11, 2023 storm
- $1 billion+MN Commerce, Apr 2024
- Hail claims 2017–2019
- 4th in U.S.NICB, 150,673 MN claims
- Severe hail threshold
- 1 inchNational Weather Service
How does a wind and hail deductible work in Minnesota?
Short answerMany Minnesota policies now apply a separate deductible to wind and hail losses, either a flat dollar amount or a percentage of the home's insured value, so a roof claim can cost you far more than your all-perils deductible.
Your policy usually has an all-perils deductible, the amount you pay on a fire, a burst pipe or a break-in. A wind/hail deductible replaces it for storm damage only. In its August 2022 consumer alert, the Department of Commerce said some policies have a separate, higher deductible for wind and hail, either a flat amount or 1 percent or more of the home's replacement value. In March 2024, MPR News reported that some policies may now set it at 1 to 2 percent or more of the home's replacement value, and worked a hypothetical: 2 percent on a $400,000 home means $8,000 before coverage kicks in. Commerce Deputy Commissioner Julia Dreier told MPR that two percent "may sound affordable, but it could easily wind up being a significant expense."
On many policies, a percentage deductible is figured from the dwelling limit (Coverage A) on your declarations page, not from the size of the claim. Commerce describes it as a percentage of the home's replacement value, and an insurer member's letter appended to the Legislature's 2026 task force report puts it as "1% of Coverage A." That's what catches people off guard: the deductible grows every time your dwelling limit grows, even if your roof stays the same size.
The math, on an example home
Here's an illustration only, not a quote: a home insured for $400,000 of dwelling coverage, and a hail-damaged roof with a $18,000 repair estimate. The deductible changes the check more than anything else on the page.
| Wind/hail deductible (illustration) | You pay first | Insurer's share of the $18,000 estimate* |
|---|---|---|
| Flat $1,000 | $1,000 | $17,000 |
| Flat $2,500 | $2,500 | $15,500 |
| 1% of $400,000 dwelling limit | $4,000 | $14,000 |
| 2% of $400,000 dwelling limit | $8,000 | $10,000 |
*Assumes a covered loss settled at full replacement cost. An actual cash value settlement (next section) would reduce the insurer's share further. Your deductible, limits and settlement terms are on your own declarations page and endorsements.
Notice what the 2% row does to a small claim. If hail leaves $6,000 of damage on a home with an $8,000 deductible, there's nothing to collect. That isn't a reason to avoid a percentage deductible. It can lower your premium, and Commerce's own advice is to "consider the math" and weigh the premium savings against what a storm would cost you. It's a reason to know the dollar figure and keep that much reachable in savings.
Minnesota's 2024 rule for switching you to a percentage deductible
Since 2024, Minn. Stat. 65A.29, subd. 8a sets conditions when an insurer, at the end of a policy period, offers to move you to a percentage deductible for lightning, wind, rain or hail without going through the state's nonrenewal rules. In plain English, the insurer has to:
- give you at least 60 days' notice, explaining the new deductible in plain language;
- include a worked example showing what you'd pay on a storm loss;
- offer at least one reasonable flat-dollar deductible as an alternative; and
- tell you clearly that if you renew without choosing the percentage option, your deductible is the flat-dollar one.
For deductibles and coverage beyond hail, start with our guide to Minnesota homeowners coverage.
Will insurance pay to replace a hail-damaged roof, or only what it's worth?
Short answerIt depends on whether your roof is settled at replacement cost or at actual cash value; replacement cost pays what a new roof costs, while actual cash value subtracts depreciation for the roof's age and wear.
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners puts the difference simply in its consumer guide to roofs after a storm (July 2021). Replacement cost pays to repair or replace the damage "without deducting for depreciation." Actual cash value pays "the depreciated cost." The NAIC's example: two families, each with $15,000 of roof damage and a $1,000 deductible. The family with replacement cost coverage receives $14,000. The family with actual cash value coverage, after $10,000 of depreciation, receives $4,000.
Replacement cost
Pays the cost of a comparable new roof, minus your deductible. Often paid in two parts: actual cash value first, the withheld depreciation after the work is done.
Actual cash value
Pays the depreciated value of the damaged roof, minus your deductible. The older the roof, the bigger the gap between the check and the contractor's bill.
Roof payment schedule
Some insurers attach an endorsement that pays a set share of the roof's cost based on its age and material. If you have one, the table is in the endorsement itself.
How replacement cost usually gets paid
Even with replacement cost coverage, the first check is often smaller than the estimate. On the widely used ISO homeowners form (HO 00 03 10 00, the sample published by the Insurance Information Institute), the insurer pays "no more than the actual cash value of the damage until actual repair or replacement is complete." The withheld depreciation is released once the roof is actually replaced. That same sample form gives you 180 days after the date of loss to tell the insurer you intend to claim the extra replacement cost amount. Your own policy may use different wording or deadlines, so check the loss settlement section before you sign a roofing contract.
Minnesota law adds one important protection here. Under Minn. Stat. 65A.10, where an insurer offers replacement cost coverage, it must pay to repair or rebuild "in accordance with the minimum code as required by state or local authorities." In plain English: if your city's code requires something a 1998 roof didn't have, replacement cost coverage has to pay for doing the work to code, subject to your policy limits. The same statute says a partial loss is covered only for the damaged portion unless your policy says more. That matters for matching, which we cover below.
Roof schedules and older-roof underwriting
A roof payment schedule is a variation on actual cash value: instead of an adjuster estimating depreciation, the endorsement lists what share of the roof's cost the policy pays at each age. We haven't found a Minnesota regulator figure for how many policies carry one, and there's no Minnesota statute that sets roof depreciation, so we won't guess. What we can say is that the trend is real. In February 2026 the Legislature's Task Force on Homeowners and Commercial Property Insurance published its final report. A letter appended to it by an insurer member (a claims executive appointed by the Insurance Federation of Minnesota; these are not task force findings) lists changes multiple carriers have made in Minnesota: limiting roof damage to actual cash value, excluding cosmetic damage to metal components, and excluding matching of undamaged roof and siding materials. If your roof is 15 or more years old, the odds that your policy treats it differently from a new one are worth checking.
What is a cosmetic damage exclusion, and does it apply to hail?
Short answerA cosmetic exclusion or limitation removes coverage for hail damage that changes how your roof, siding or gutters look but not how they work, so dents that don't let water in may not be paid.
Commerce flagged this language in its 2022 alert: some carriers now cover wind and hail damage to siding or shingles only when the material is "punctured or torn" and no longer works as an effective water barrier. Commerce also noted that state law doesn't address policy exclusions for cosmetic hail or wind damage. In other words, whether dented metal is covered is a question for your policy, not for a Minnesota statute.
The insurer member's letter in the task force report linked above describes cosmetic damage the way adjusters do: minor denting that doesn't affect how a material functions, like "pebble size dents in a vent cap." Metal roofs, metal roof components, aluminum gutters and window wraps are where this language bites hardest, because hail dents metal easily without breaching it.
| Hail damage you might see | How cosmetic language may treat it | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Cracked or punctured asphalt shingles | Functional damage | Typically the clearest kind of covered hail loss, subject to your deductible |
| Bruised shingles with granule loss | Often functional | The adjuster's inspection decides; ask what test or standard they used |
| Dented gutters or downspouts | Often cosmetic if they still drain | May be excluded under a cosmetic endorsement |
| Dented metal roof panels | Often cosmetic unless punctured | The biggest dollar gap for metal-roof owners; read the endorsement |
| Dented vent caps or flashing | Often cosmetic | The example used in the insurer member's letter to the task force |
Matching and code upgrades
Matching is the question of whether the insurer pays to replace undamaged material so a repair blends in, like re-siding a whole wall when only part was hit. Minnesota statute doesn't settle it: 65A.10 applies replacement cost on a partial loss "only to the damaged portion of the property" unless the policy specifies more extensive coverage, and the insurer member's letter to the task force lists excluding matching of undamaged roof and siding materials among changes multiple carriers have made. So the answer lives in your policy. Code upgrades are different. As covered above, 65A.10 requires replacement cost coverage to pay for work done to the minimum code required by state or local authorities, within your limits. Some policies also add separate ordinance-or-law coverage with its own limit, so look for it on your declarations page.
One line on cars, since the same storm usually hits both: hail on your vehicle is typically an auto comprehensive claim, not a homeowners claim, and it's the same coverage that usually pays when you hit a deer. Our Minnesota car insurance guide explains how comprehensive works.
How do you file a hail damage roof insurance claim in Minnesota?
Short answerDocument the damage, prevent further damage, call your agent or insurer, meet the adjuster, then get contractor estimates, in that order, and don't sign a roofing contract before you know what the insurer will cover.
The Department of Commerce's guide to filing a residential claim starts with the same instruction we'd give: call your insurance agent and report the loss. Here's the full sequence we walk clients through after a storm, built on Commerce's guidance:
- Stay safe, then document. From the ground, photograph the roof, siding, gutters, window screens, deck and air conditioner, and anything hail dented. Commerce says to take pictures or video before you clean up. Save a photo of hailstones next to a coin or ruler if you can, and note the date and time.
- Prevent further damage. If water is getting in, a temporary fix like a tarp is part of your job. Commerce warns that additional damage may not be covered if you don't take reasonable steps, and Minnesota's standard fire policy terms in Minn. Stat. 65A.01 require you to "protect the property from further damage." Keep every receipt.
- Call your agent or insurer. Report the loss promptly, write down the claim number, and keep a log of who you talked to and when. If you're not sure a claim is worth filing, ask questions first. Under Minn. Stat. 65A.285, an insurer can't surcharge your homeowners policy solely because you asked whether a loss would be covered, as long as the inquiry doesn't result in a paid claim.
- Meet the adjuster. Ask for identification and a business card, what you need to do next, whether you should get repair estimates, and how long settlement should take. Be on site for the inspection if you can.
- Get estimates from licensed contractors. Commerce advises not to hire anyone for permanent repairs until the adjuster tells you how to proceed. Get itemized estimates from contractors you've checked with the Department of Labor and Industry.
- Review the settlement before you sign anything final. Commerce says not to rush into a settlement, and to be prepared to negotiate if the first offer doesn't meet your expectations. If you disagree on the amount, Commerce notes that most policies include an appraisal clause that lets you ask for an appraisal of the loss.
Minnesota claim-timing rules worth knowing
Minnesota sets claim deadlines for insurers in the unfair claims practices law, Minn. Stat. 72A.201, and for policyholders in the standard fire policy terms in 65A.01 and in your own policy. Here's how they line up:
| Rule | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Insurer acknowledges your claim | Within 10 business days of notice, unless it's settled sooner | 72A.201, subd. 4 |
| Insurer accepts or denies, or explains the delay | Within 30 business days of notice, with reasons and an expected date if it needs longer | 72A.201, subd. 4 |
| Insurer decides after a proof of loss | Within 60 business days of a properly executed proof of loss | 72A.201, subd. 4 |
| Insurer pays once you sign the settlement | Within 5 business days of the signed agreement or conditions being met | 72A.201, subd. 5 |
| Your notice of the loss | "Immediate written notice" | 65A.01, subd. 3 |
| Your sworn statement of loss | Within 60 days (check your policy for when the clock starts) | 65A.01, subd. 3 |
| Lawsuit over the claim | Within two years after "inception of the loss" | 65A.01, subd. 3 |
Your policy may also set its own windows, like the 180-day replacement cost notice in the ISO form above. If an insurer isn't meeting these timelines, Commerce's Consumer Services Center at 651-539-1600 (or 800-657-3602 in Greater Minnesota) can help resolve disputes between consumers and insurers.
What does Minnesota law say about roofers and storm chasers?
Short answerMinnesota requires residential roofers to be licensed by the Department of Labor and Industry, bars them from paying your deductible or acting as your adjuster, and lets you cancel a roofing contract within 72 hours after a claim denial.
After a big hailstorm, the door knocks start fast. After the May 2022 storms, Commerce's consumer services manager told KSTP that companies come in from other parts of the country to knock on doors in Minnesota, and that if they don't have a Minnesota license, "you may never find them." That matters long after the roof goes on: if it leaks the next spring, an unlicensed company from another state can be hard to find and harder to collect from. Minnesota has several laws aimed squarely at this.
Minn. Stat. 325E.66: what a roofer can't do on an insurance job
Under Minn. Stat. 325E.66, as amended in 2024, a residential roofer, building contractor or remodeler paid from insurance proceeds may not:
- Pay or promise to cover your deductible, or offer anything of value for letting them inspect, filing a claim or referring work to others. The Department of Labor and Industry's storm-repair guidance lists yard-sign allowances, free materials upgrades and free restaurant meals as examples, and says violators can be fined up to $10,000 per violation.
- Hand you a repair authorization without a good-faith, itemized, detailed estimate.
- Interpret your policy, advise you on coverage, or adjust the claim for you, unless they're also licensed as a public adjuster under Minnesota's chapter 72B.
If a contractor breaks these rules, the insurer doesn't have to consider that contractor's estimate. The contractor must give you written notice of these requirements with its first estimate, and so must the insurer or adjuster. You, or your insurer, can sue a contractor who violates the section, and the Department of Labor and Industry enforces it.
Minn. Stat. 326B.811: your 72-hour exit if the claim is denied
If you sign a roofing contract that will be paid from insurance and the insurer then denies the claim, Minn. Stat. 326B.811 lets you cancel within 72 hours after the insurer notifies you of the denial. Send written notice to the address in the contract; mailing it is enough. The contractor must return your payments within 10 days, though it can be paid for any emergency work it did. The contract itself has to explain this right in bold type and include a cancellation form.
Checking a roofer before you hire
- Look up the license. Residential roofers need a state license from the Department of Labor and Industry. Check it with DLI's license lookup, linked from its roofer license page, before you sign.
- Ask for a local address and phone number, not a P.O. box, plus references, as Commerce advises.
- Know what an unlicensed contractor costs you. The Department of Commerce's contractor guidance notes that hiring an unlicensed contractor means no access to the state's Contractor Recovery Fund, which Commerce says pays up to $100,000 in total against any one licensed contractor, divided among claimants when there's more than one.
- Be careful with "public adjuster" offers. A licensed public adjuster is an option, not a requirement, and is typically paid a percentage of your settlement. Commerce suggests verifying the license with its license lookup and getting every fee in writing.
What's changed for Minnesota hail coverage, and how do you check your policy?
Short answerSince 2022, Minnesota insurers have raised deductibles, added percentage wind/hail deductibles and narrowed roof coverage after record storm losses, and a 2024 law requires notice and a flat-dollar option when an insurer offers a renewal switch to a percentage deductible.
Minnesota's hail problem isn't new. The National Insurance Crime Bureau ranked Minnesota fourth in the nation for hail claims from 2017 to 2019, with 150,673 claims. What changed is the size of the bills. According to the Department of Commerce's April 2024 analysis of rising rates, 2022 was Minnesota's costliest storm year, with $6.3 billion in property damage, and the August 11, 2023 hailstorm alone caused more than $1 billion. The Department of Natural Resources' climate journal records hail up to baseball size pelting the most heavily populated parts of the Twin Cities that day and a 68 mph gust at St. Paul's Holman Field.
One caution on rankings: hail years swing hard. In its August 2022 alert, Commerce said Minnesota recorded 147 storms with large hail in 2020, seventh nationwide. The Insurance Information Institute's hail facts page, citing NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, shows Minnesota outside the top ten states for major hail events in 2025. A quiet year here doesn't lower the risk on your roof next June. For scale, the National Weather Service treats hail 1 inch in diameter or larger as severe, about the size of a quarter.
| Date | What changed | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2022 | Commerce warns of separate wind/hail deductibles of 1% or more and "punctured or torn" roof and siding language | MN Commerce consumer alert |
| Mar 2024 | Commerce data: homeowners complaints rose from 569 in 2020 to almost 1,185 in 2023; MPR tied the rise to new wind/hail exclusions and higher deductibles | MN Commerce, via MPR News |
| Apr 2024 | Commerce says insurers raised premiums and deductibles after record storm years, and some reduced coverage to keep premiums lower | MN Commerce |
| 2024 | New 65A.29 subd. 8a: 60 days' notice, a plain-language example and at least one flat-dollar option when an insurer offers a renewal switch to a percentage deductible | Minn. Stat. 65A.29 |
| 2024 | 325E.66 amended: contractors barred from adjusting claims or interpreting policies, and must give itemized estimates | Minn. Stat. 325E.66 |
| Nov 2025 | Local reporting that some wind/hail deductibles jumped from $1,500 to $5,000, and others switched from a fixed amount to a percentage of the home's value | FOX 9 |
| Feb 2026 | Legislative task force recommends that DLI fold elements of IBHS FORTIFIED roofing standards into building codes for new construction | Task force final report |
The November 2025 example comes from FOX 9's reporting, which attributed rising costs largely to changing weather patterns and increased claims, as explained by Commerce's Julia Dreier. There's also a sturdier roof you can be rewarded for. Under Minn. Stat. 65A.298, insurers must provide a premium discount or rate reduction, on policies that include wind coverage, for homes built or retrofitted to IBHS FORTIFIED standards that include a hail supplement, once you submit the IBHS certificate. If you're replacing a roof after hail anyway, ask about it before the shingles are ordered.
How to read your declarations page for hail
Your declarations page is the one- or two-page summary at the front of your policy. Pull it up and look for these lines:
- Coverage A (dwelling). The limit that a percentage deductible is usually measured against. It should reflect what it would cost to rebuild your home, not its market value.
- All-perils deductible. What you pay on most claims.
- Wind/hail deductible. It may say "windstorm or hail," show a flat dollar amount, or show a percentage. If it's a percentage, multiply it by Coverage A and write down the dollar figure.
- Endorsement list. Look for form titles that mention roof surfaces, actual cash value, a roof payment schedule, or cosmetic damage. The title alone tells you the endorsement exists. Read the form itself to see what it does.
- Ordinance or law coverage. Extra coverage for code-required upgrades beyond what 65A.10 already requires, sometimes set as a percentage of Coverage A.
- Personal property settlement. Under 65A.10, if your contents aren't covered at replacement cost, the declarations page must say "nonreplacement cost."
Hail isn't the only roof risk in this state. Winter brings its own claims, and the deductible on those is usually your all-perils one. Our guide to ice dams and homeowners insurance covers water that backs up under shingles in February, and our guide to frozen pipes and home insurance covers the other big January claim.
The Bottom Line
Hail damage to your roof is usually a covered loss under Minnesota home insurance. The question is how much of the bill is yours. That comes down to three things you can check this week: the wind/hail deductible in dollars, whether your roof is settled at replacement cost or actual cash value, and whether cosmetic damage is excluded. If you don't like the answers, change them at renewal, not after the storm.
When hail does hit, take photos, tarp what's leaking, call your agent and wait for the adjuster before you sign with a roofer. In Minnesota, a roofer can't pay your deductible or act as your adjuster, and you can cancel a roofing contract within 72 hours after a claim denial. Check every contractor's license with the Department of Labor and Industry.
Non-renewed or priced out after a hail claim? Farmers is our first call, and we have other markets when Farmers isn't the fit. See how we put Minnesota policies together on our home insurance page, or start a quote and we'll walk through your declarations page with you. We offer a free coverage review before your renewal. Just ask, or we'll reach out. Se habla español.
Related Questions Minnesota Homeowners Ask About Hail
Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage to a roof in Minnesota?
Typically yes. Hail is a covered peril on most Minnesota homeowners policies, so sudden hail damage to your roof is usually a covered loss, subject to your deductible and policy terms. What you collect depends on your wind/hail deductible, whether the roof is settled at replacement cost or actual cash value, and whether your policy excludes cosmetic damage such as dents that don't let water in. Check your declarations page and endorsements for all three.
How is a 1% wind and hail deductible calculated?
On many policies it is a percentage of your dwelling coverage limit (Coverage A), not of the claim. As an illustration, 1% of a $400,000 dwelling limit is $4,000, and 2% is $8,000, which you pay before the insurer pays anything on a wind or hail loss. When a Minnesota insurer offers to switch you to a percentage deductible at renewal under Minn. Stat. 65A.29, subd. 8a, the percentage applies to the cost of repair, and the insurer must give 60 days' notice, a plain-language example and at least one flat-dollar option. Read your own deductible endorsement to see which base applies.
Can a roofer pay or waive my insurance deductible in Minnesota?
No. Minn. Stat. 325E.66 bars residential roofers and other contractors paid from insurance proceeds from paying or promising to cover your deductible, or offering anything of value for an inspection, a claim or a referral. The Department of Labor and Industry says violators can be fined up to $10,000 per violation. The same law bars contractors from interpreting your policy or adjusting your claim unless they are licensed public adjusters.
Can I cancel a roofing contract if my hail claim is denied?
Yes. Under Minn. Stat. 326B.811, if you signed a residential roofing contract to be paid from insurance proceeds, you can cancel within 72 hours after your insurer notifies you that the claim was denied. Give written notice to the contractor at the address in the contract; mailing it counts. The contractor must return your payments within 10 days, though it can be paid for emergency work it already did.
How long do I have to file a hail damage claim in Minnesota?
File as soon as you can. Minnesota's standard fire policy terms (Minn. Stat. 65A.01) call for immediate written notice of a loss, a sworn statement of loss within 60 days, and any lawsuit within two years after the inception of the loss. Your policy may add its own deadlines, such as a window to claim withheld replacement cost after repairs. Hail damage also gets harder to tie to a specific storm as time passes, so photograph it and report it promptly.
Last reviewed by Ryan Block, licensed Minnesota insurance agent, on October 9, 2026. Minnesota statutes cited (65A.01, 65A.10, 65A.29, 65A.285, 65A.298, 72A.201, 325E.66 and 326B.811) were checked against revisor.mn.gov on that date. Other sources checked: Minnesota Department of Commerce (consumer alert, Aug 2022; rate trends, Apr 2024; claims, contractor, public adjuster and settlement guidance pages), the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry, the Legislative Task Force on Homeowners and Commercial Property Insurance (Feb 2026), the NAIC, the National Weather Service, the Minnesota DNR, NICB and the Insurance Information Institute. This guide is general information, not a substitute for reading your own policy. Coverage depends on your specific contract, and not all coverages and discounts are available from every insurer.