Short answer: yes, if yours is a covered personal residential property policy that was issued, delivered, or renewed in Texas on or after January 1, 2026. That is the trigger written into Texas Insurance Code Chapter 1813, and it means the answer for most Texas homeowners depends on one line on the declarations page. Policies still running on pre-2026 terms are governed by whatever appraisal language they already contain.
Step one: check your declarations page
Pull up your policy and find the effective date or the renewal date. Most Texas homeowners policies run in twelve-month terms, which means nearly every household in the state will have rolled into the new framework at their first renewal during 2026.
If your policy renewed in March 2026, the Chapter 1813 requirements generally apply from that renewal forward. If you have a claim from a storm that happened before that renewal, on the prior policy term, the older policy language is what governs. Policy date and loss date are two different things, and on claims that straddle a renewal it is worth getting a professional opinion rather than guessing.
What the law actually requires
Chapter 1813 requires covered policies to include an appraisal provision that complies with the new law. Before this, appraisal in Texas was a patchwork. Most policies had a clause, but the wording, notice requirements, timelines, and practical accessibility differed carrier to carrier. Two neighbors with similar houses could have meaningfully different rights depending on who wrote the policy.
The Texas Department of Insurance has also proposed rules to implement the chapter. The proposal would add operating standards that people in the claims world have wanted for years: a written appraisal demand process, carrier notice of the appraisal process when it issues a coverage acceptance or rejection notice, defined deadlines for naming appraisers and moving the process along, independence and competency requirements for appraisers and umpires, and separate procedures for residential property versus personal auto. For residential claims, the proposal includes a generally one-year deadline to demand appraisal after the carrier's coverage notice, with appraisers identified within about 20 days.
Important caveat: proposed rules are not final adopted rules. Anyone with an active claim should verify the current rule text and their own policy wording before relying on any specific deadline.
Where appraisal fits with ACV, RCV, and depreciation
This is where the new law matters most for household finances, because the biggest dollar disagreements on Texas roof claims are usually valuation disagreements rather than coverage disagreements.
Appraisal is designed to decide the amount of loss, and that expressly includes actual cash value, replacement cost value, the depreciation applied, and the amount of a total loss. So if your carrier accepted a hail claim but withheld what you believe is an excessive amount of recoverable depreciation, or calculated ACV in a way you cannot reconcile, that is an appraisal question. If those two acronyms are doing more work in your policy than you realized, our explainer on replacement cost vs. actual cash value covers the difference and what it means for a claim check.
It also covers the scope items that quietly drive the number: quantities and measurements, material and labor pricing, and whether matching, accessories, flashings, and vents belong in the estimate at all.
What it does not touch is your deductible. Appraisal sets the amount of loss; your policy then applies the deductible to that amount. A one or two percent wind and hail deductible works exactly as it did before.
What appraisal cannot resolve
Appraisal is a valuation process, not a substitute for a coverage dispute or a lawsuit. It generally does not decide whether the policy covers the damage in the first place.
These stay outside appraisal: the carrier attributing damage to wear and tear rather than hail or wind, reliance on an exclusion or limitation, arguments about late notice or misrepresentation, and disagreements about what a policy provision means.
The distinction is worth memorizing, because invoking appraisal on a coverage dispute costs money and time and usually gets you nowhere. Appraisal answers "how much is the covered damage worth," not "is this covered."
What this means for your household budget
Two practical consequences.
First, the gap between a carrier estimate and a real repair cost is now more likely to be resolvable without litigation. On a claim where the carrier writes $18,000 and a complete code-compliant roof replacement costs $42,000, that $24,000 difference is the kind of dispute appraisal exists to handle. It does not guarantee you get the higher number, but it gets the number in front of independent decision-makers.
Second, appraisal has costs. Typically you pay your appraiser, the carrier pays theirs, and the two sides split the umpire fee if one is needed. Before invoking, weigh the cost against the size of the gap. On a $3,000 disagreement the economics rarely work. On a $24,000 disagreement they usually do. And before you file at all, it is worth understanding what a claim does to your renewal — our piece on whether your premium goes up after a roof claim covers that side of the math.
A short checklist
- Confirm the policy type and the effective or renewal date on the declarations page.
- Keep every carrier document: coverage determination, estimate, payment explanation, reinspection notes, appraisal notice.
- Get a detailed independent estimate with line items and quantities.
- Write down each difference and label it as scope, quantity, quality, pricing, or depreciation.
- Separate valuation issues from coverage issues before deciding what to do.
- Talk to a qualified attorney, public adjuster, or appraisal professional about your specific facts.
The bottom line
For most Texas homeowners the answer comes down to a date. Covered personal residential policies issued, delivered, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 carry a required appraisal provision under Chapter 1813, which makes the amount-of-loss dispute far more predictable to resolve than it used to be. Know your policy date, know whether your fight is about value or coverage, keep the paperwork, and confirm the current Texas Department of Insurance rules before acting.
If you are already in a dispute over the amount of loss, a licensed appraisal settles the disagreement with hard numbers instead of another round of back-and-forth, and Claim Zilla helps you organize the file before you demand one.
This article is general educational information and is not legal advice. Appraisal rights, deadlines, and procedures depend on your specific policy, your loss facts, your policy date, and the final agency rules. Consult a qualified Texas insurance professional or attorney about an active claim.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know if my policy is covered by Chapter 1813?
Check the effective or renewal date on the declarations page. Covered personal residential property and personal auto policies issued, delivered, or renewed in Texas on or after January 1, 2026 fall under the new framework.
Does appraisal cover disputes about depreciation?
Generally yes. ACV, RCV, depreciation, and the amount of a total loss are valuation questions.
Does appraisal change my deductible?
No. Appraisal sets the amount of loss, and your deductible is then applied under the terms of your policy.
Does the law apply to commercial or rental property policies?
Chapter 1813 is directed at covered personal residential and personal auto policies. Commercial claims depend on the appraisal language in that specific policy.