2026 Roofing Insurance Deductible Changes in Colorado and Wyoming

If a hailstorm hit your roof tomorrow, do you know how much you would have to pay out of your own pocket before your insurance company covered a single dollar? For a lot of homeowners across Colorado and Wyoming, that number is much bigger than it used to be, and most people do not find out until it is too late.

We have been working with homeowners across Colorado and Wyoming since 1993, and what is happening in 2026 with roofing insurance deductibles is one of the most important changes we have seen in decades. If your roof is more than ten years old, this is something you need to understand before storm season.

Flat Deductibles Are Disappearing in Colorado and Wyoming

For years, most homeowners insurance policies in our region carried a flat deductible. It was a fixed dollar amount, often something like 500 or 1,000 dollars, and that was what you paid out of pocket after roof damage before your coverage kicked in.

That structure is going away. Insurance companies across Colorado and Wyoming have been shifting to what is called a percentage based wind and hail deductible. Instead of a fixed dollar amount, your deductible is now calculated as a percentage of your home's total insured value. Same word, deductible, but a very different number.

What a Percentage Deductible Costs You in Real Dollars

The word percentage sounds small until you do the math on a real home. Take a 500,000 dollar home as an example. Here is what each deductible level actually costs you before your insurance company pays you anything at all for your roof:

• A 1 percent deductible is 5,000 dollars
• A 2 percent deductible is 10,000 dollars
• A 3 percent deductible is 15,000 dollars
• What is my wind and hail deductible?
• Is it a flat dollar amount or a percentage of my home's value?
• Is my roof covered at replacement cost value or actual cash value?

That is money out of your pocket first, every time, on every wind or hail claim. If you still have a flat dollar deductible for wind and hail, you are not necessarily in the clear either. Common flat amounts are now landing in the 2,500 to 5,000 dollar range, which is already a significant jump from where most policies used to sit.

Why Insurance Companies Are Making This Change

This is not random. Hail losses across Colorado and Wyoming have been staggering. Insurance companies in our region have either broken even or lost money on these policies for much of the last 20 years.

To stay afloat, insurers are restructuring policies to move more of the cost and liability onto homeowners. Here is the part that catches people off guard: they are doing it quietly. These changes are usually buried in the fine print of your renewal documents, written in language most people never read. By the time a storm hits, the new deductible is already in effect, and the homeowner is the one holding the bill.

The Other Change Hiding in Your Policy: RCV vs. ACV

Deductibles are not the only thing shifting. Some homeowners have also been quietly moved from replacement cost value coverage to actual cash value coverage.

The difference matters. With replacement cost value, your payout is based on what it actually costs to replace your roof today. With actual cash value, your payout is based on your roof's depreciated value, factoring in its age and wear. On an older roof, that can mean a much smaller check and a much larger gap for you to cover. This is a conversation well worth having with your insurance agent before you ever need to file a claim.

Three Steps to Take Before Hail Season

You do not have to be caught off guard. Here are three things you can do right now to know exactly where you stand.

Step 1: Call Your Insurance Agent

Pick up the phone and ask three direct questions:

You want these answers in hand before it hails, not after.

Step 2: Read Your Declarations Page

If you do not have an agent to call, pull out your declarations page. This is the summary page of your homeowners insurance policy, and it will list your wind and hail deductible. If it shows a percentage, take a minute to calculate that figure against your home's insured value. A lot of homeowners are surprised by what they would actually owe in the event of a hail claim.

Step 3: Schedule a Good, Better, Best Estimate

If your roof is nearing the end of its life, or you simply want a roof built to stand up to hail, it helps to know your options. At Excel Roofing, we always provide a good, better, best estimate, so you have clear choices and real prices in front of you. That way, when the next hailstorm hits, your home is protected and you are not facing a massive out of pocket surprise.

Do Not Wait for the Next Hailstorm

The homeowners who handle this well are the ones who check their policy before the storm, not after. A few phone calls and one careful read of your declarations page can save you thousands of dollars and a lot of stress.

If you have questions about your roof, your deductible, or your options, we are here to help. Call Excel Roofing at (303) 761-6400 or use our online scheduler to pick a day and time that works for you. No pressure, just clarity and confidence before hail season. You don't pay a cent until you're content.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a percentage based wind and hail deductible?

It is a deductible calculated as a percentage of your home's total insured value rather than a fixed dollar amount. For example, a 2 percent deductible on a 500,000 dollar home is 10,000 dollars, which is what you pay out of pocket before your insurance covers a wind or hail claim.

How much is a 2 percent deductible on a 500,000 dollar home?

A 2 percent deductible on a 500,000 dollar home is 10,000 dollars. A 1 percent deductible would be 5,000 dollars and a 3 percent deductible would be 15,000 dollars. This is the amount you pay before your insurance company pays anything toward your roof.

How do I find out what my roof deductible is?

Call your insurance agent and ask whether your wind and hail deductible is a flat amount or a percentage, or pull out your declarations page, the summary page of your policy. It will list your wind and hail deductible directly.

What is the difference between replacement cost value and actual cash value?

Replacement cost value pays based on what it costs to replace your roof today. Actual cash value pays based on your roof's depreciated value, factoring in age and wear, which usually results in a smaller payout on an older roof.

Are flat deductibles still available in Colorado and Wyoming?

Some policies still carry flat wind and hail deductibles, but they are becoming less common and the amounts have risen, often to the 2,500 to 5,000 dollar range. Many insurers in the region are moving toward percentage based deductibles.

Next Steps

When you're ready to have your roof inspected or just need an expert to look over your insurance policy with you, we're here to help! Give us a call or use our easy online scheduler, pick a day and time, and we will be there.

This article is for general educational purposes and is not insurance or legal advice. Coverage terms vary by policy, so confirm the details of your own coverage with your insurance agent.