Texas law on hail claims
From the Texas Department of Insurance page Roofing and insurance: Know the law (updated 24 March 2025, read 23 October 2026):
| Rule | Source |
|---|---|
| No offer to waive, rebate or absorb your deductible | Business and Commerce Code 27.02 |
| Contracts of $1,000+ involving an insurance settlement must state that you owe the deductible | Business and Commerce Code 27.02 |
| You must pay the deductible; the insurer can ask for proof | Insurance Code Chapter 707 |
| A contractor who works or may work on the property cannot act as your public adjuster or advertise to adjust claims (websites count) | Insurance Code 4102.163; 28 TAC 21.102(1) |
| Report violations | Texas Attorney General, 800-621-0508 |
"We'll handle your claim", "we negotiate with your insurer" and "we cover your deductible" are the phrases this law is aimed at. A roofer can give you an estimate; you, or a licensed public adjuster you hire separately, handle the claim. TDI's consumer line is 800-252-3439.
The Denton permit
| Step | City of Denton rule |
|---|---|
| Who applies | A contractor registered with the City as a general contractor, in eTRAKiT or at 401 N. Elm St. |
| When | Issued before work starts, including tear-off |
| Decking replaced | Also a Residential Alteration permit, with materials, slope, deck thickness and type |
| Changing roofing material | Manufacturer specs and a plan review before approval |
| Solar panels removed and reset | An electrician listed on the permit, with before-photos |
| Inspections | Roof decking (if any); roof final with an attic check (vent clearances, appliance vents, deck thickness) and an exterior check (drip edge, flashing, vents, debris) |
| On site | Permit posted and visible from the street |
| Code | 2021 International Residential Code; drip edge on all asphalt shingle roofs; damaged vents and flashing replaced |
The contractor schedules the final in eTRAKiT. The street-visible permit card is a quick check: if a crew is tearing off with no card in the window, ask for the permit number.
What it means for hiring after a storm
- Check City registration first. Without it the company cannot pull a Denton roof permit. See Denton contractor license lookup.
- Read the contract for the deductible notice. A contract over $1,000 tied to your claim should say you owe the deductible. If it does not, or the price "matches insurance" with no deductible, walk.
- Ask about vents and flashing. Denton's final checks them, and damaged ones must be replaced. A quote that reuses everything may fail.
- Ask who reinstalls the solar. If you have panels, an electrician must be on the permit.
Compare Denton roofers by permit record →
What Denton permits show
| Measure | Denton roofing |
|---|---|
| Permits, October 2023 to September 2026 | 595 |
| Firms | 247 |
| Usual filed value | $17,353 |
| Middle half of roofers' usual job (45 firms) | $13,634 to $20,000 |
| Usual days, issue to final | 39 |
| Finished (a year or more old) | 90.0% |
| Firms with a single permit | 166 (67.2%) |
| Firms with 10+ permits | 8 |
| Busiest / quietest month | July / January |
Two numbers stand out. Only 8 roofers filed 10 or more permits in three years, while 166 filed exactly one. A one-permit roofer may be a good local firm that works mostly outside the city limits, but it may also be gone when a leak shows up next spring, so ask for past Denton addresses. And permits peak in July (index 149, 100 = an average month); January is the quietest month at 62, the easiest time to get a roofer's attention if the claim allows it. The busiest firm in the last 12 months was Denton Trinity Roofing, with 18 permits.
Five-minute check
- Ask for the permit number and find it as in Denton building permit search.
- Open the roofer's page from our Denton roofing list and count its Denton permits; a firm with many and a high finished share has a record you can check.
- Compare the quote with Denton roofing cost; counts by year are on Denton permit statistics.
The same law in East Texas: Tyler hail roof claims.
What this does not tell you
The filed value is what the roofer wrote on the permit, not your insurance estimate. Our file does not mark which roofs were hail claims, and roof work outside the city limits (much of Denton County) is not in it.
How we know this
The permit rules are from the City of Denton Development Services Roofing page, and the insurance rules from the Texas Department of Insurance page Roofing and insurance: Know the law (updated 24 March 2025), both read 23 October 2026. Permit counts are City of Denton permits on homes in our roofing category, October 2023 to September 2026; the finished share uses permits a year or more old.
Numbers come from City of Denton Building Safety permits on homes (the city's yearly permit reports), data through October 18, 2026. Nobody paid to be on this page and nobody can.
Questions
- Do I need a permit to replace my roof in Denton, TX?
Yes. Since June 1, 2022 the City of Denton has required a roof permit for residential roof and re-roof work, issued before any work starts, including tear-off. Replacing decking also needs a Residential Alteration permit.
- Can a roofer pay my insurance deductible in Texas?
No. Business and Commerce Code 27.02 bars a contractor from offering to waive, rebate or absorb your deductible, and contracts of $1,000 or more involving an insurance settlement must include a notice that you must pay it. Insurance Code Chapter 707 lets your insurer ask for proof you paid.
- Can my roofer deal with the insurance company for me in Texas?
Not as your adjuster. Insurance Code 4102.163 bars anyone who provides or may provide contracting services on the property from acting as a public adjuster or advertising to adjust claims, including offering to negotiate the settlement or file the claim.
- Does a roofer need a license in Denton?
Texas has no state roofing license, but Denton requires the contractor to be registered with the City as a general contractor before it can apply for the roof permit. Ask for the company's registration and check the permit is in its name.
- How long does a roof permit take to close in Denton?
The usual Denton roofing permit reached its final 39 days after issue (595 permits, October 2023 to September 2026). The roofer schedules the final in eTRAKiT after the work is done.
Build your own list
Every firm with that kind of permit on record. Pick what you value. The list moves.
Related guides
- Hail roof replacement in Colorado Springs: Colorado's roofing contract law, the deductible ban, and the PPRBD permit
- Home improvement scams: the five common kinds, how to avoid them, and what to do if it happens
- Open permits when selling a house: what they mean and how to close one
- Permit vs no permit: what happens if you build or remodel without one, what it costs, and how to get a permit after
- Hail roof claims in Tyler, TX: the deductible law, roofers who act as adjusters, and the $100 permit
For one city
- Roofing — City of Denton Development Services (accessed 2026-10-23)
- Roofing and insurance: Know the law — Texas Department of Insurance (updated 2025-03-24, accessed 2026-10-23)