Condo Storm Damage: Who Pays After Wind, Hail, or a Hurricane?
After a storm, who pays to fix the roof, windows, siding, and your unit's interior? Learn how the master policy, HO-6, and deductibles split storm damage costs.
Quick answer
The HOA's master policy usually covers storm damage to the roof, exterior walls, and other common elements, and sometimes original interior finishes. Your HO-6 usually covers your belongings, upgrades, and the interior items the master policy leaves out. Wind and hurricane deductibles are often a percentage of building value and may be passed to owners, so check your CC&Rs.
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What Most People Assume vs. What Is Actually True
After a big storm, condo owners usually feel a little relieved. The roof, the siding, and the windows belong to the building, and the HOA has insurance. Surely the association will take care of it.
Sometimes it does. But storm damage is where many owners discover how much they did not know about their association’s insurance.
Here is what often surprises people:
- The master policy deductible for wind, hail, or named storms can be very large. Many policies use a percentage of the building’s insured value rather than a flat amount. On a large building, that can add up to a very large number before insurance pays anything.
- The deductible may be passed to owners. Some CC&Rs or board policies allocate the deductible to the units that were damaged, or split it among all owners. That can show up as a special assessment.
- The master policy may not cover your interior. Depending on whether the policy is bare walls, single entity, or all-in, your drywall, cabinets, and flooring may be your responsibility to insure.
- Flood is usually separate. Standard property policies generally exclude flood from rising surface water or storm surge. Wind damage and flood damage can be covered by different policies with different deductibles.
- Some parts of the exterior may still be yours. In some associations, owners are responsible for their own windows, doors, hurricane shutters, or balcony items, even after a storm.
The pattern to remember: the master policy usually covers the building, your HO-6 covers what the master policy does not, and the deductibles decide who actually pays.
Right After the Storm
Make sure everyone is safe. Take photos and video of damage inside and outside your unit before cleaning up. Do reasonable things to prevent more damage, like covering a broken window or moving belongings away from leaks, and keep receipts. Report damage to the HOA in writing and call your own insurance agent.
Key Terms You Need to Know
- Master policy: The association’s property insurance for the building and common elements. Its type decides how much of the unit interior it covers. See master policy vs HO-6.
- Bare walls, single entity, and all-in: Common descriptions of how far the master policy reaches into units. Bare walls covers little or no interior. Single entity often covers original finishes. All-in may also cover upgrades.
- HO-6 policy: Your condo unit policy. Usually covers personal property, interior finishes and improvements the master policy does not, loss of use, liability, and loss assessment.
- Wind or hail deductible: A separate, often higher deductible for wind and hail damage. Frequently a percentage of the building’s insured value.
- Named storm or hurricane deductible: A deductible that applies when damage is caused by a named storm or hurricane, often a percentage of insured value.
- Loss assessment coverage: Part of an HO-6 that can help pay your share of a deductible or uninsured loss that the HOA assesses to owners. Limits vary, and some policies limit how much applies to deductibles.
- Flood insurance: Coverage for damage from rising water, surface flooding, or storm surge. Usually separate from the master policy and HO-6, through a federal program or a private insurer.
- Wind-driven rain: Rain pushed into the building through openings by wind. Coverage often depends on whether the storm first created an opening, such as a broken window or roof damage.
- Hurricane shutters and impact windows: Storm protection that some associations assign to owners and others maintain as common elements.
Typical Responsibility Patterns
The table below shows how storm damage is often split. Your CC&Rs, master policy, and state law can change any of these.
| Damaged Item | Who Usually Repairs It | Insurance That Usually Responds | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roof covering and structure | HOA | Master policy | Wind or hail deductible applies |
| Exterior walls, siding, and trim | HOA | Master policy | Common element |
| Windows and frames | Varies | Master policy or HO-6 | Depends on window classification |
| Sliding and exterior doors | Varies | Master policy or HO-6 | Often split by component |
| Hurricane shutters | Varies | Varies | Often owner-installed and owner-maintained |
| Balcony structure and railings | Usually HOA | Master policy | Limited common element |
| Balcony furniture and owner items | Owner | HO-6 | Personal property |
| Interior drywall (original) | Varies | Master policy or HO-6 | Depends on master policy type |
| Interior upgrades (flooring, cabinets) | Owner | HO-6 (sometimes all-in master) | Improvements and betterments |
| Personal belongings | Owner | HO-6 | Never the master policy |
| Fences, landscaping, trees on common grounds | HOA | Master policy or operating budget | Coverage for trees is often limited |
| Flood damage from rising water | Varies | Flood policy | Usually excluded from standard policies |
| Master policy deductible | Varies | HO-6 loss assessment may help | Allocation set by CC&Rs or policy |
Percentage Deductibles Add Up Fast
A wind or named storm deductible stated as a percentage applies to the building’s insured value, not to the amount of damage. On a large building, even a small percentage can mean a deductible in the hundreds of thousands. If your CC&Rs allow the association to assess that deductible to owners, your share can be significant. Read our guide to HOA insurance deductibles before storm season.
When Storm Damage Is Really Maintenance
Insurers usually pay for sudden storm damage, not for wear and tear. If a roof was already failing, or window seals were already leaking, the insurer may deny part of a claim as old damage or poor maintenance. When that happens, the cost usually falls back on whoever maintains that component under the CC&Rs. This is one reason reserve studies and regular maintenance matter.
Decision Tree: Where to Check in Your Documents
Step 1: Document the damage. Photograph and video everything inside and outside your unit before cleanup. Note the date and time. Keep receipts for emergency repairs, like tarps or board-up.
Step 2: Find your master policy type and deductibles. Ask the HOA or management for the master policy declarations page or a certificate of insurance. Look for the policy type and the wind, hail, and named storm deductibles.
Step 3: Find the deductible allocation rule. Search your CC&Rs and any board resolutions for “deductible.” Some assign it to damaged units, some split it among all owners, and some treat it as a common expense.
Step 4: Check who maintains each damaged item. Use your CC&Rs to classify each damaged component: roof, siding, windows, doors, shutters, balcony, interior finishes. See who pays for what and unit boundaries.
Step 5: Call your HO-6 agent. Ask what your policy covers for this storm, what your own deductible is, and how much loss assessment coverage you have, including any limits on deductible assessments. Ask whether you need separate flood coverage.
Step 6: Follow the HOA’s claim process. Associations often handle the building claim as a single claim through the master policy. Give the HOA your documentation, attend any owner meetings about the claim, and ask for written updates on scope, timeline, and costs.
Practical Examples and What to Ask Your HOA
Example 1: Hail Damages the Roof and Your Ceiling
A hailstorm damages the roof. A week later, a leak stains your bedroom ceiling and ruins a rug.
The roof is almost always an HOA item in a shared-roof building. Ask:
- “Has the HOA filed a master policy claim for the roof?”
- “What is the hail deductible, and how will it be allocated?”
- “Will the master policy cover my ceiling drywall, or is that on my HO-6 under our policy type?”
- “When will the roof be repaired so the leak stops?”
Your rug is personal property and falls to your HO-6.
Example 2: Hurricane Breaks Windows and Rain Floods Your Unit
A hurricane breaks two of your windows. Wind-driven rain soaks your floors and furniture.
Ask:
- “Under our CC&Rs, are windows common elements or my responsibility?”
- “Does the named storm deductible apply, and how much might be assessed to owners?”
- “Will the master policy cover interior damage from water that came through the broken windows?”
- “Who will board up and replace the windows, and on what timeline?”
Call your HO-6 insurer quickly. Many insurers have deadlines for reporting storm damage.
Example 3: The HOA Announces a Deductible Assessment
After a hurricane, the board says the master policy will pay for repairs above the deductible, but the deductible itself will be split among all owners as a special assessment.
Ask:
- “Which section of our documents allows the deductible to be assessed this way?”
- “How is each owner’s share calculated?”
- “Can owners pay over time?”
- “Is there any reserve or insurance fund that can reduce the assessment?”
Send the assessment notice to your HO-6 agent. Loss assessment coverage may help pay your share, subject to its limits.
Example 4: Storm Surge Floods the Ground Floor
Storm surge pushes water into the ground-floor units and the parking garage.
This is usually flood, not wind. Ask:
- “Does the association carry flood insurance on the building?”
- “What does the association’s flood policy cover inside units, if anything?”
- “Will the HOA’s flood claim cover common elements like the garage and electrical rooms?”
Owners usually need their own flood policy to cover belongings and their interior. Without it, flood losses inside a unit may not be covered at all.
Before Storm Season
Read your master policy summary, write down the wind and named storm deductibles, confirm how they are allocated, and make sure your HO-6 has enough loss assessment coverage. If you are in a flood-prone area, ask about flood coverage. Know who maintains your windows, doors, and shutters before a storm hits.
Track Your Storm Damage Responsibility
Storm damage pulls every responsibility question into one week: roof, windows, doors, balconies, interior finishes, and the insurance layers under all of them. Owners who already know their policy type and deductible rule are in a much better position than owners who learn it after the storm.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does the HOA pay for storm damage to my condo?
The HOA's master policy usually covers storm damage to the roof, exterior walls, and other common elements, and sometimes original interior finishes depending on the policy type. Your HO-6 usually covers your belongings, upgrades, and interior items the master policy does not. Deductibles, which can be large for wind and named storms, may be passed to owners under your CC&Rs.
Who pays the hurricane deductible in a condo?
It depends on your CC&Rs and any board policy on deductibles. Some associations pay the deductible from reserves or operating funds. Others split it among all owners as a special assessment, or assign it to the units that were damaged. Check the deductible provision in your documents and ask your HO-6 agent about loss assessment coverage.
Does my HO-6 cover storm damage?
An HO-6 policy usually covers wind and hail damage to your personal property and to interior finishes and improvements the master policy does not cover, subject to your deductible. It often includes loss assessment coverage that may help pay your share of a master policy deductible, with limits. Most HO-6 policies do not cover flood from rising water.
Is flood damage covered by the condo master policy?
Usually not. Standard property policies generally exclude flood from rising surface water and storm surge. Some associations buy a separate flood policy for the building, but it may cover little or nothing inside units. Owners in flood-prone areas usually need their own flood policy for their belongings and interior.
Who is responsible for broken windows after a storm?
It depends on how your CC&Rs classify windows. If windows are common elements, the HOA usually repairs them through the master policy. If they are the owner's responsibility, the owner may need to repair them and claim through their HO-6. Either way, cover openings quickly to prevent more damage and keep receipts.
Important Disclaimer: The responsibility patterns described in this article reflect common allocations seen across many condominium associations, but they are generalizations. Every condominium is governed by its own unique set of CC&Rs, bylaws, insurance policies, and applicable state law. The information in this article is educational and does not constitute legal or insurance advice. Always check your specific governing documents and insurance policies and consult a qualified community association attorney, your insurance agent, or your association’s management company before making decisions about repair responsibility. Your CC&Rs control, not general patterns, not what your neighbor’s HOA does, and not what you read online.
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