If you've opened your home insurance renewal letter recently and done a double-take at your deductible, you're not imagining things. Homeowners across Ohio, and really across the entire country, are seeing their wind, hail, and storm deductibles climb significantly. Some are seeing them double. And most people have no idea why it's happening or what they can do about it. At Ley Insurance, we've been fielding a lot of questions about this lately, so we wanted to break it down clearly and honestly. First, What Is a Deductible — Really? Your deductible is the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance kicks in. So if a windstorm damages your roof and the repair costs $12,000, and your deductible is $2,000, your insurance covers $10,000 and you cover the first $2,000. Simple enough. But here's where it gets complicated. The Shift From Flat Deductibles to Percentage Deductibles Traditionally, most Ohio homeowners had a flat dollar deductible — something like $1,000 or $2,500. That's the number most people still think of when they picture a deductible. Over the last several years, carriers have quietly shifted many policies to percentage-based deductibles for wind and hail claims specifically. Instead of a flat $1,000, your deductible might now be 1%, 2%, or even 5% of your home's insured value. Here's why that matters: A 2% deductible on a home insured for $300,000 means you owe $6,000 out of pocket before your insurance pays a single dollar on a wind or hail claim. That's a big number. And many homeowners don't realize that's their situation until they try to file a claim after a storm. Why Are Ohio Carriers Doing This? Insurance carriers don't raise deductibles to be difficult — they do it because the math on storm claims has changed dramatically. A few factors driving this across Ohio: Severe weather frequency has increased. Northwest Ohio has seen more high-wind events, hail storms, and heavy rain events over the past five years. More storms mean more claims. Reinsurance costs have spiked. Carriers purchase their own insurance (called reinsurance) to protect against large losses. When reinsurers raise their rates — which they have significantly — those costs get passed down. Roofing and labor costs skyrocketed post-pandemic. A roof that cost $8,000 to replace in 2019 might cost $14,000 or more today. Higher repair costs mean bigger claim payouts. Some carriers are pulling back from Ohio entirely. When carriers leave a market, the ones who stay can adjust their terms, including deductibles, because there's less competition. How to Tell What Your Deductible Actually Is Don't assume .... pull out your declarations page (the summary page at the front of your policy) and look specifically for a line that says "wind deductible," "hail deductible," or "hurricane/named storm deductible." It may be listed separately from your standard all-peril deductible. If you see a percentage listed instead of a dollar amount, multiply that percentage by your home's insured value to find out what you'd actually owe before coverage kicks in. What Can You Do About It? The good news: you're not stuck. Here are your real options as an Ohio homeowner. Shop your policy. As an independent agency, we can compare your coverage across multiple carriers — some of whom may still offer more favorable deductible structures, especially if your claims history is clean. Adjust your coverage strategically. In some cases, it makes sense to accept a higher deductible in exchange for a lower premium, as long as you keep enough savings on hand to cover that deductible if needed. Ask about endorsements. Some carriers offer endorsements that buy down a percentage deductible back to a flat amount. It's worth asking. Consider an umbrella policy. If you're increasing your deductibles to save money on premiums, an umbrella policy can help fill larger liability gaps. The Bottom Line Deductible increases are frustrating — and they're real. But they don't have to mean you're stuck paying more for less. The right independent agent will review your current policy, explain exactly what you're looking at, and find alternatives if better ones exist.  We've been doing exactly that for Lima and Northwest Ohio homeowners since 1987. If your renewal came in and something doesn't look right, let's talk.

Don't Sacrifice Coverage