Your insurance is renewing. What's changing?
Your mortgage company may handle the payment. But a higher deductible, a roof payment limit, or a new requirement could leave you paying thousands more after a loss.
Wind/hail deductible
Annual premium increase
KnowMyHomePolicy explains policy terms and financial differences. We don't sell or recommend insurance.
Paying the premium isn't the same as understanding the protection.
With mortgage escrow, the annual premium may be paid without the homeowner writing a check to the insurer. The renewal arrives, the payment is handled, and the policy continues.
The premium can increase
Higher insurance costs may show up later in your mortgage payment or escrow adjustment.
The terms can change
Deductibles, roof settlement rules, exclusions, limits and claim requirements can change at renewal.
You carry the difference
A covered loss may still leave you paying thousands more than you expected.
“Your mortgage company makes sure the insurance bill gets paid. Who makes sure you understand what you're paying for?”
The question every homeowner should askA higher premium. A much bigger wind/hail deductible.
We examined actual 2024, 2025 and 2026 renewal documents for one homeowners policy. Here's what the written terms showed. Personal identifying details have been removed.
| What the policy says | 2024 renewal | 2025 renewal | 2026 renewal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual premium | $3,299.00 | $4,133.64 | $4,333.49 |
| Wind/hail deductible | $1,000 | 1% = $7,080 | 1% = $7,780 |
| All-other-perils deductible | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,500 |
| Wind/hail roof payment schedule | Not listed | Not listed | Age-based actual-cash-value schedule |
Source: supplied annual declarations and roof/wind/hail endorsements. “Not listed” does not establish that all other policy terms were identical. These are renewals of one policy, not three insurers.
What the homeowner might notice
The annual premium increased by $1,034.49, or about $86 per month in annualized insurance expense.
What the homeowner might miss
The wind/hail deductible increased by $6,780, and the 2026 roof endorsement adds an age-based settlement limitation.
A deductible is only part of the story.
For a covered wind/hail roof loss, an age-based payment schedule may reduce the amount considered for payment before the deductible is applied.
Using the actual 2026 deductible and roof schedule, we can illustrate the difference. A realistic $35,000 roof-repair scenario, assuming damage made entirely of eligible roofing materials, with a roof treated as 11 years old, produces the conditional arithmetic shown here.
That doesn't predict the outcome of a real claim. Loss cause, eligible damage, roof age, valuation, exclusions and other terms still matter.
| Realistic roof-loss scenario | Amount |
|---|---|
| Assumed repair cost | $35,000 |
| 67% scheduled amount | $23,450 |
| Wind/hail deductible | −$7,780 |
| Illustrative insurer payment | $15,670 |
| Illustrative homeowner expense | $19,330 |
Know what the policy says before a loss happens.
We explain the actual wording, what changed, what applies, what is unclear, and how the financial terms could affect you.
Deductibles and premiums
See fixed-dollar and percentage deductibles beside your actual annual premium. Understand what changed between renewals.
Roof and water provisions
Understand roof age schedules, replacement cost versus depreciation, flood exclusions, seepage and water-backup terms.
Requirements and missing terms
Find important claim duties, deadlines, exclusions, limits, endorsements and questions the supplied documents don't resolve.
Understand your policy before you need it.
A policy review should give you clear answers you can use, without requiring you to become an insurance expert.
Your policy documents
Use your declarations, renewal packet, policy forms and endorsements. For a renewal comparison, include the prior year's package.
What the wording means
See actual figures, shared terms, changes, missing provisions and conditions in plain language.
Know what to ask
Get a readable report explaining potential financial consequences and questions to clarify with your insurer.
We explain. We don't sell insurance.
We identify wording, requirements, differences and potential out-of-pocket costs. No provider ranking or policy recommendation.
Your documents matter.
A complete review uses declarations, forms and endorsements. If something is missing, the report should say what could not be established.
Know the limits.
Modeled losses show possible financial consequences; they cannot determine or guarantee any claim payment.
A few things worth knowing.
Doesn't my mortgage company review my insurance?
A mortgage servicer may verify coverage needed to protect its collateral and pay the premium through escrow. That does not mean it reviews every deductible, exclusion, roof settlement term or possible homeowner expense for your benefit.
Does a higher premium mean my coverage is better?
Not necessarily. Coverage limits may increase while deductibles or specific settlement provisions become less favorable for certain losses. Each change must be considered on its own terms.
Can a policy review tell me exactly what an insurer will pay?
No. Actual payment depends on the full policy, the cause and extent of damage, evidence and the insurer's determination. Financial scenarios in a review are illustrative, with assumptions stated.
Will KnowMyHomePolicy tell me which insurer to choose?
No. KnowMyHomePolicy identifies and explains policy differences, coverage gaps, requirements and financial implications. It does not rank, endorse, select or recommend insurers or policies.
Can this help with a renewal I'm receiving now?
Yes, the renewal-comparison service is designed to examine old and new policy documents and explain changes. This website currently introduces the service; it does not process uploaded policies or collect payments.
The premium is what you pay for insurance. The out-of-pocket cost is what you may pay when you need it.
Find out what your homeowners policy actually says—and what changed since last year.
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