Does South Carolina homeowners insurance cover hail damage?

South Carolina homeowners insurance generally covers hail damage — with some important caveats. Depending on your insurer, your policy may have a separate wind and hail deductible, or it may exclude wind and hail coverage altogether.

This is especially common along the coast, where insurers face higher risk from hurricanes and tropical storms. Homeowners in these designated coastal areas who can't find wind and hail coverage through a private insurer can turn to the South Carolina Wind Pool, a state-run insurer of last resort.

Broadly speaking, the closer your home is to the coast, the harder it will be to find coverage and the more you'll pay.

How does homeowners insurance cover hail damage in South Carolina?

A standard South Carolina home insurance policy typically covers hail damage in four key ways:

Note: Damage to your vehicle is always excluded from home insurance coverage. You’ll need car insurance with comprehensive coverage to protect the investment you’ve made in your vehicle. 

South Carolina wind & hail deductibles explained

A deductible is the amount of damage you agree to pay for out of pocket in the event of a covered claim. Where you live in South Carolina can affect your deductibles — and whether your home insurance treats wind and hail damage at all. 

Homeowners in coastal regions or areas with frequent, severe thunderstorms may have limited or no wind or hail coverage. If wind and hail are covered by your policy, a separate wind and hail deductible may apply to this type of damage claim.

You can find out what is and is not covered by checking your policy paperwork — specifically, your declarations page, which summarizes your coverage and deductibles — or by calling your insurer. While standard deductibles are commonly flat-dollar amounts, such as $1,000 or $2,000, wind and hail deductibles are commonly a percentage of the total insurance value of your home (called your dwelling coverage limit). Percentages typically range from 1% to 5%, though it can run as high as 10% in high-risk coastal areas. This makes your share of the wind and hail damage responsibility much higher than your financial responsibility for a standard claim, like theft or fire damage. 

South Carolina hail deductible example

In the event of claimable hail damage, you will not submit your deductible payment to the insurer. Instead, it will be subtracted from your claim payout. 

So, let’s say you have a South Carolina homeowners insurance policy with $350,000 dwelling coverage and a 2% hail and wind deductible. Your home sustains $15,000 in covered hail damage.

$350,000 x 0.02 = $7,000 hail deductible (your responsibility)

$15,000 – $7,000 = $8,000 insurance payout

Common special deductible triggers

Read your policy carefully or contact your insurer to understand what triggers any special deductibles.  

• Wind/hail: May apply if your home is damaged by a covered weather event, such as severe thunderstorms, winter storms, or tropical storms.

• Named storm: Typically applies when the National Weather Service or National Hurricane Center names a storm. Specifically, it applies to hurricanes and tropical storms. Your standard deductible would apply if you filed a claim for wind and hail damage from an unnamed storm.

• Hurricane deductible: Only applies when a storm is categorized as a hurricane by the National Weather Service or National Hurricane Center. Your standard deductible applies for claims for wind and hail damage from anything other than a hurricane.

Coastal South Carolina and the Wind and Hail Underwriting Association

In South Carolina’s designated high-risk coastal zones, standard home policies may exclude wind and hail coverage entirely. That’s where the South Carolina Wind and Hail Underwriting Association (SCWHUA) comes in.

The SCWHUA, also known as the South Carolina Wind Pool, offers last-resort coverage for homes in these zones, including various sections of:

• Beaufort County

• Colleton County

• Charleston County

• Georgetown County

• Horry County

The affected areas include barrier islands near Charleston and Beaufort, as well as Myrtle Beach and other coastal communities.

Insurance through the SCWHUA is often more expensive and more limited than coverage through private insurers. In some cases, you may be able to work with a private insurance company to get a standard home insurance policy and a separate wind and hail policy, instead of coverage through the wind pool. 

ACV vs. RCV: How it affects your South Carolina hail payout

If a covered hail incident damages your South Carolina property, your claim payout depends on your deductible, as well as whether you have replacement cost coverage or actual cash value coverage.

• Replacement cost value (RCV) coverage pays to repair or replace your damaged property with comparable new versions, minus your deductible.

• Actual cash value (ACV) coverage pays based on the depreciated value of the damaged property — not how much it would cost to replace it today. You would have to make up the difference out of pocket. 

Example: A hailstorm causes covered damage to your home's siding, and it will cost $20,000 to replace. The siding is older and has depreciated by 40%, so its ACV is only $12,000. You'd receive the ACV amount minus your deductible. With RCV coverage, your insurer would instead pay the full cost to replace the siding, less your deductible.

Increasingly, insurers in hail- and storm-prone regions have shifted older exterior components, like siding and roofing, to actual cash value coverage instead of replacement cost coverage. Check your policy's declarations page to understand how your home's exterior is covered.

Note: Even if your policy provides RCV, you may not receive the entire payment at once. Your insurer might issue an actual cash value payment to start repairs. Then, the insurer would release the full replacement cost (minus your deductible) once you submit proof that the work is completed.

Hail damage that may not be covered in South Carolina

South Carolina policies typically cover sudden, accidental hail damage, but there are some important homeowners insurance coverage exclusions to note:

• Cosmetic damage: Policies typically exclude purely cosmetic damage to your roof or siding, including dents, dings, or other blemishes. If the damage doesn’t affect the integrity of the structure, it is unlikely to be covered. 

• Pre-existing damage or damage from deferred maintenance: For example, if you have an aging roof with worn shingles, previous storm damage, or long-term deterioration, your claim might be denied. Keeping your roof in good condition and documenting its maintenance over time can help if you ever need to file a claim.

• Flood and storm surge damage: Heavy rains and storm surge often accompany wind and hail in South Carolina, particularly during tropical storms and hurricanes. However, flood damage is not covered under a standard homeowners insurance policy. You’ll need to purchase a separate South Carolina flood insurance policy from a private insurer or the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

How to reduce your hail damage risk in South Carolina

You can’t stop the wind and hail from coming, but you can take certain measures to reduce the risk of hail damage to your home, including:

• Upgrade your roof to impact-resistant (Class 4) shingles, which are designed specifically to withstand intense hail.

• Apply for the SC Safe Home Mitigation Grant Program during the designated application window. Grant funds can be used for home safety upgrades, such as a new roof.

• Get regular roof inspections, stay on top of all roof maintenance, and document inspections and repairs.

• Secure and protect your property by boarding up windows, bringing outdoor items into your home, garage, or shed, and parking your vehicle in a garage or under a carport when a storm is approaching.

How to file a hail damage claim in South Carolina

If your home is damaged by hail in South Carolina, follow these steps to file a claim:

1. Document the damage right away. Once it's safe to do so, record the date and time of the storm and take clear photos and videos of any roof, siding, window, or personal property damage.

2. Prevent further damage. Next, take reasonable steps to protect your home from further damage, such as covering roof openings with a tarp or boarding up broken windows. Keep all receipts for temporary repairs. Your insurer may reimburse you for these.

3. File your claim as soon as possible. Contact your insurance company or agent promptly. Check your policy documents or speak with an agent about deadlines or notice requirements that could affect your claim.

4. Get multiple repair estimates. After a hailstorm, compare at least three written repair estimates and verify each contractor’s reputation. It’s common for out-of-town “storm chasers” to move into affected areas. Before signing a contract, verify the contractor’s license and reputation and check for complaints with the Better Business Bureau to ensure the contractor is legitimate.

Frequently asked questions

Will homeowners insurance pay for hail damage?

Homeowners insurance will typically pay for hail damage caused by a storm, unless your policy excludes hail and wind coverage or the damage is cosmetic or pre-existing.

Is it worth making an insurance claim for hail damage?

Whether it's worth filing depends on a few factors that are specific to your situation: the extent of the damage (structural versus purely cosmetic), your wind and hail deductible (which is often a percentage of your home's total insured value rather than a flat dollar amount), and the potential for a rate increase at your next renewal. Because these tradeoffs vary by policy and insurer, talking with your agent can help you weigh them for your specific coverage.

Do you have to have wind and hail insurance in SC?

While there’s no statewide mandate to carry wind and hail insurance in South Carolina, your mortgage lender likely requires it. Homeowners on or near the coast, specifically, may need to purchase a separate policy, potentially through the South Carolina Wind Pool.

How much does insurance usually pay for hail damage?

The average insurance payout for hail damage is $14,747, according to data analyzed by the Insurance Information Institute between 2019 and 2023. Construction costs have risen across the U.S. since that time, so claim averages could be even higher.

Ultimately, your payout will depend on the extent of the damage, your policy’s deductible, and whether your policy includes actual cash value or replacement cost value coverage.