When disaster strikes, most homeowners expect their insurance to cover a huge chunk of repairs.
But a growing number are discovering they are responsible, out of pocket, for far more than they expected.
Carl Roberts learned that firsthand after a tree damaged his roof. He found out he would have to cover the first $4,000 in repairs himself.
"That's a pretty significant deductible," he said. "My spouse and I were a little shocked when we found that out."
Roberts said he didn't realize his policy had changed to 1 percent of his home's value.
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"For a medium house of $400,000, that would mean you would have a $4,000 deductible," Roberts said.
In the past, he would have owed only $1,000, he said.
WATCH as a homeowner warns how a rising deductible can be very costly:
What's driving insurance costs higher?
Extreme weather is a major factor driving insurance costs up.
The U.S. experienced 23 climate disasters with $1 billion or more in damages in 2025, according to LexisNexis Risk Solutions. That’s $115 billion in damages and the third-highest year of billion-dollar climate events on record.
But George Hosfield, vice president and general manager of home insurance at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said weather is only part of the equation.
"I think the inflation and the underlying cost to repair a home — that's what's really hitting consumers now," he said.
Here's what you can do
Some consumers choose higher deductibles to lower their monthly premiums. While a viable option for managing monthly costs, that can leave homeowners paying thousands of dollars before insurance coverage kicks in.
Hosfield said homeowners should review their coverage regularly, especially after making changes to their property.
"If you've done major renovations or additions to your home — you name it — those are the kinds of things that can really change how much coverage you need," he said.
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Hosfield also urged homeowners to know exactly what their deductible is before they need to file a claim, "It's worth the consumer's time to take that call and have that conversation," he said.
In the end, Roberts found a contractor to fix his roof and gutter for under $2,000 — but had to pay for it entirely out of pocket.
"That's a huge impact," he said.
Reviewing your policy before the next storm hits could save you from a costly surprise, so you don’t waste your money.
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