What Is Texas Roof Deductible Law (HB 2102)?
House Bill 2102, effective September 2019 and codified as Texas Insurance Code Chapter 707, made explicit what was previously murky: a contractor who waives, absorbs, rebates, or offsets a property insurance deductible - or advertises doing so - commits a Class B misdemeanor, and the homeowner who knowingly participates is submitting a claim the carrier does not owe in full. Contracts for insurance-paid work must include statutory notice that the policyholder is responsible for the deductible, and insurers are entitled to demand reasonable proof of deductible payment (canceled check, credit card receipt, or financing agreement) before releasing recoverable depreciation. This is why 'free roof, we'll eat your deductible' pitches after hail storms are not a bargain but a legal exposure, and why legitimate contractors document deductible payment as part of the claim file. Paying the deductible in installments through a disclosed financing arrangement is permitted; disguising or forgiving it is not.
Important Distinction
Note: Chapter 707 governs deductible payment conduct; it does not change what a deductible is or how it is set - see the separate deductible concept.
Also Known As
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How Texas Roof Deductible Law (HB 2102) Relates to Other Topics
Texas enacted HB 2102 in 2019 specifically to address roofing contractors offering to waive or absorb insurance deductibles - the 'free roof, we'll eat your deductible' pitch is the exact practice the statute exists to address.
The deductible-waiver offer is the storm-chaser's signature move, common enough that Texas passed a statute naming the practice - which makes the offer itself a useful screening question when bids arrive after a hail event.
The deductible is the homeowner's share of a covered roof by the policy's own design, and Texas law since 2019 speaks directly to contractors offering to make that share disappear - a paid deductible leaves a paper trail; a 'waived' one leaves a problem.
Questions about Texas Roof Deductible Law (HB 2102)?
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