AUSTIN — Texas has experienced an unusually active hailstorm season in the first quarter of 2026, generating an estimated $4.2 billion in insured losses — the highest first-quarter total on record, according to the Insurance Council of Texas.
The losses were driven by a series of large hail events across the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Houston, and San Antonio, with hailstones up to 4.5 inches in diameter reported in some areas. Large hail causes severe damage to roofing systems, vehicles, HVAC equipment, and building facades, generating high-volume insurance claims that require rapid response from restoration and roofing contractors.
The Insurance Council of Texas reports that hail damage accounts for approximately 60 percent of all homeowner insurance claims in the state in a typical year, making Texas the most hail-prone major insurance market in the United States. The 2026 first-quarter losses suggest that the full-year total could approach or exceed the record $14.8 billion set in 2019.
Restoration contractors in Texas report that the volume of hail damage claims is straining their capacity, with some companies reporting backlogs of four to six weeks for initial assessments. The surge in demand has also attracted out-of-state contractors and storm chasers, some of whom are operating without proper licensing.
The Texas Department of Insurance is urging homeowners to verify contractor licensing before signing any contracts for hail damage repair, and to be wary of contractors who approach them unsolicited or who pressure them to sign immediately. The department's website includes a contractor license verification tool.
