Appraisal is a process written into Texas homeowners policies. It settles one question: what the loss costs. Here is how it works, what it cannot do, and where a roofer's role stops.
Appraisal resolves a disagreement about the amount of a loss. Your insurer accepts that hail damaged your roof, and the two of you disagree on what the repair costs. Two independent appraisers measure and price the damage. A neutral umpire settles any gap they cannot close. The result binds both sides.
It does not decide coverage. If your insurer says the damage is wear and tear rather than storm damage, that is a coverage dispute, and appraisal does not resolve it. The line between the two is not always clean, and Texas courts have ruled on disputes over repair scope. If you are unsure which side your dispute falls on, ask an attorney before you demand appraisal.
Texas now requires the clause. Under Insurance Code Chapter 1813 (SB 458), residential policies delivered, issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 must contain a binding appraisal provision. Commercial policies and Texas Windstorm Insurance Association policies are excluded. A policy issued earlier may carry older wording, so read your own.
Only you or your insurer, and the demand must be in writing. A roofer cannot invoke appraisal for you.
That is not a technicality. Texas keeps repair work and claim advocacy apart. A roofing contractor who will do the work may not act as a public adjuster, negotiate a settlement for the homeowner, or advertise that it will (Insurance Code Chapter 4102). A contract made in violation can be voided (Insurance Code §4102.207). A contractor who promises to "handle" your claim is describing something Texas has prohibited.
Deadlines below come from TDI's proposed rule (28 TAC §5.9805) and apply to policies covered by it. Your policy states its own deadlines. You and your insurer can agree in writing to change them once the insurer has sent its appraisal notice.
You or your insurer sends a written demand naming the disputed items.
Deadline: Within one year of the insurer's notice accepting or rejecting the claim. If a lawsuit is filed, the party sued has 30 days from filing.
Each side hires its own appraiser and tells the other in writing.
Deadline: 20 days after the demand
The two appraisers try to agree on the amount of loss.
Deadline: 120 days after the demand
If they cannot agree, they choose an umpire. If they cannot agree on one, either side can ask a county or district court where the home sits to appoint one.
Deadline: 15 days, counted from the appraisers being named or from the 120 days ending, depending on your policy
The award is signed by both appraisers, or by one appraiser and the umpire. The umpire cannot decide alone.
Deadline: Within 240 days of the demand when an umpire is involved
The award binds both sides on the amount.
Deadline: Unless it was made without authority, without substantial compliance with the clause, or through fraud, accident or material mistake
TDI's proposed rule also requires your insurer to send you a plain-language appraisal notice at the same time as its notice accepting or rejecting your claim. If you never received one, ask for it.
Appraisal measures. It does not advocate. If the measurements support your number, it works. If they do not, it can go the other way.
In Hennessey v. Vanguard Insurance Co., 895 S.W.2d 794 (Tex. App.—Amarillo 1995, writ denied), the insurer's appraiser priced a roof repair at $2,555 and the homeowners' appraiser priced it at $18,000. The umpire set it at $800, below both. The homeowners argued the gap proved the process was unfair, and the court held that a disparity alone, even a large one, does not establish that.
Cost matters too. Under a typical clause, each side pays its own appraiser and the two split the umpire's fee. Ask any appraiser for the fee in writing before you hire, and read your own policy for how expenses are handled.
Before you demand appraisal, compare your insurer's estimate to an independent written estimate, line by line. If the difference is documented, appraisal has something to measure. If it is a feeling, it does not.
An appraiser must be competent by training or experience to evaluate the loss, independent of both parties, and disinterested in the outcome. For damage to a dwelling, TDI's proposed rule adds one of three backgrounds: an adjuster or public adjuster with residential estimating experience, an engineer or architect with residential construction or damage-investigation experience, or someone with occupational experience building or repairing that type of property.
"Disinterested" is the word that matters. A roofer who will be paid to do the repair profits from a larger number. That is a stake in the outcome, so Atrium will not serve as your appraiser, and we would advise you against any contractor serving in that role.
This page explains general Texas law for homeowners and is not legal advice. Atrium Roofing is a roofing contractor. It is not a public adjuster, an insurance adjuster or a law firm. For questions about your policy or claim, consult a Texas attorney, a licensed public insurance adjuster, or the Texas Department of Insurance at 800-252-3439.
Last reviewed: September 2026
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