Storm-Damaged Windows: Houston's First 48 Hours
A step-by-step guide for Houston homeowners after hail, a derecho, or a hurricane breaks windows. It covers the safety basics, the photos your insurance claim will depend on, how to cover the opening, and how to deal with the storm chasers who show up the next morning.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Free to share and print
Help lines: TDI 800-252-3439 Scam reports 800-621-0508
Houston storms break a lot of glass. The May 2024 derecho alone damaged more than 2,500 windows and skylights downtown, and hail and hurricanes hit neighborhoods across the region every year. Most of what goes wrong later, from water in the walls to a claim that stalls, traces back to the first two days. This guide pulls the official guidance from the Texas Department of Insurance, and the Texas Attorney General into one place, with the window-specific steps they leave out.
What to Do First When a Storm Breaks a Window
Get people and pets away from the glass, cut power to the room if water is near an outlet, and shut the door so wind can't pressurize the rest of the house. Cleanup and photos come after that.
- Keep children and pets out of any room with broken glass. Put on closed-toe shoes before you walk in.
- Don't pull hanging shards out of the frame by hand. Leave them for now, or wear heavy gloves and eye protection.
- If rain is coming in near outlets, lamps, or a TV, switch off that room's breaker before you touch anything wet.
- Cracked panes that are still in place can be taped in an X with packing tape so they don't fall out.
- Close interior doors to the damaged room. This keeps wind and rain from pressurizing the rest of the house.
How to Document Storm Window Damage for an Insurance Claim
Your photos are the strongest evidence in your claim. The Texas Department of Insurance says to "take pictures and video of the damage" and "don't throw anything away until your insurance adjuster tells you" (TDI storm recovery tips).
- Go wide, then close. Shoot the whole wall from outside, then each damaged window, then the break up close.
- Get both sides. Photograph the exterior frame and the interior: sill, floor, walls, furniture, and any water.
- Show scale. A tape measure or a coin in the close-up photos helps the adjuster size the glass.
- Keep the pieces. Sweep broken glass into a box and keep it until the adjuster says you can toss it.
- Note the time. Write down when the storm hit and when you found the damage. Your phone's photo timestamps help too.
How to Board Up a Broken Window Until It's Repaired
TDI tells homeowners to "cover broken windows and holes to keep rain out" and to "save all receipts. Your policy may pay for temporary repairs" (TDI hail and windstorm tips). Covering the opening also protects your claim, because insurers expect you to prevent more damage once you know about it.
What to use
- Best: 1/2-inch plywood cut a few inches larger than the opening, screwed into the frame or the wall around it.
- Quick fix: 6-mil plastic sheeting held with furring strips (thin wood strips) screwed over the edges. Tape alone peels off in Houston humidity.
- Upper floors: Don't climb a ladder in wind or rain. Cover the opening from inside the room, or wait for help.
Hold off on permanent repairs: TDI says "don't make permanent repairs before the insurance adjuster sees the damage" (source).
How to File a Storm or Hail Window Damage Claim in Texas
File within 24 hours if you can. Under Texas rules an insurer has 15 business days to acknowledge your claim, 15 business days to accept or deny it once it has your documents, and 5 business days to pay after it agrees to pay (TDI).
- Call your insurer or use its app as soon as it's safe. TDI says to "file an insurance claim as soon as you can" (source). Your policy sets the exact filing deadline, so check it.
- Write down the claim number and the adjuster's name, and keep a log of every call with the date.
- If you can't stay in the home, ask about living expenses. TDI notes most policies cover some of those costs when the damage is covered (source). Keep the receipts.
How long does a Texas insurer have to respond to a storm claim?
| Step | Deadline under Texas rules |
|---|---|
| Acknowledge your claim and start reviewing it | 15 business days |
| Tell you whether it will pay (after it has what it needs from you) | 15 business days, extendable by 45 days with a stated reason |
| Pay after agreeing to pay | 5 business days |
| Weather catastrophe | TDI can add 15 more days |
Source: TDI, "Steps to getting your home or car insurance claim paid". Stuck? Call the TDI Help Line at 800-252-3439.
Can a Contractor Waive Your Insurance Deductible in Texas?
No. In Texas it is illegal for a contractor to waive, rebate, or absorb a homeowner's property insurance deductible, and "we'll cover your deductible" is still the most common storm-chaser pitch. In TDI's words: "It's also illegal in Texas for a contractor to offer to waive, rebate, or absorb a property policyholder's deductible" (TDI, "Roofing and insurance: know the law"). The rule is in Texas Business and Commerce Code 27.02, and the duty to pay the deductible is in Insurance Code chapter 707.
- Repair contracts of $1,000 or more tied to an insurance claim must include a notice that you are responsible for the deductible (Business and Commerce Code 27.02(b)).
- A contractor working on your home cannot act as your public insurance adjuster or say they will "handle" or negotiate your claim (Insurance Code 4102.163).
- Keep proof that you paid the deductible. TDI recommends it, and insurers can ask for it.
How to Spot a Storm-Chaser Contractor in Texas
Texas does not issue a state license for general or window contractors. The City of Houston's own guidance says "a general contractor's license is not required for the structural portion of the work" (City of Houston, Form CE-1165). So the checking is on you.
Red flags
- Knocks on your door right after the storm, especially from out of town
- Pressure to sign today, or a refusal to leave the contract with you overnight
- Asks for full payment, cash, a wire transfer, or gift cards up front
- Offers to waive or "eat" your deductible
- Wants your insurance check signed over to them
- Contract with blank spaces
What to check
- A street address in the Houston area that you could drive to. A phone number by itself proves nothing.
- Registration with the Texas Secretary of State and the Better Business Bureau
- Proof of liability insurance and recent local references
- At least two written, itemized estimates to compare with the adjuster's report
- A payment schedule tied to finished work, with the final payment after completion
Signed with a door-to-door salesperson? In many cases Texas gives you three days to cancel. Send the notice by certified mail. Report scams to the Texas Attorney General at 800-621-0508. Red flags compiled from TDI and the Texas Attorney General.
New Glass or a New Window?
If the frame is straight and the sash still locks, a storm break usually needs only new glass or a new sealed glass unit. A frame that's bent, cracked, pulled from the wall, or leaking means the whole window should be replaced. Use this table to decide what to ask for in your estimate.
| What you see | Usually means | Typical fix |
|---|---|---|
| One pane cracked or shattered, frame straight and solid | Glass-only damage | Replace the glass (or the sealed glass unit) |
| Fog or moisture between the two panes after the storm | Impact broke the seal of the insulated glass unit | Replace the glass unit |
| Frame or sash bent, cracked, or pulled away from the wall | Structural damage to the window | Replace the whole window |
| Water stain or soft spot under the sill, peeling paint below the window | Water got behind the frame | Replace the window and inspect the opening |
| Window won't lock, open, or close the way it did | Frame racked out of square, or hardware damage | Have it inspected before deciding |
One thing to know before you call anyone: most window companies, ours included, replace glass units and whole windows. Nobody is going to straighten a bent frame or patch a rotted sill, so if the frame is damaged, plan on a new window. A storm is also when a lot of Houston homeowners decide to replace the rest of their old windows at the same time, since the crew is already there and the claim covers part of it. See our repair vs replace guide for the cost side, and compare impact-rated hurricane windows if you're replacing after a hurricane.
Storm-Damaged Window Checklist
TDI Help Line 800-252-3439 Texas AG scam reports 800-621-0508
Source: mrwindowshouston.com/storm-damaged-windows-houston (last reviewed October 2026)
Time to Replace the Windows?
Once your adjuster has seen the damage, we'll give you a written, itemized estimate for new windows, whether that's the damaged ones or the whole house. If only the glass is broken and the frame is sound, we can quote a glass unit replacement instead.