Does the Texas FAIR Plan cover hurricane and hail damage?

In most of Texas, yes — wind and hail are on its list of covered damage. But if your home is in one of the 14 coastal counties, or in the parts of Harris County east of State Highway 146 (within the city limits of Pasadena, Morgan's Point, Shoreacres, Seabrook, or La Porte), the law does not let the FAIR Plan cover wind and hail there. Your policy will come with a wind-and-hail exclusion, and you buy that protection separately from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA). Flood damage is never covered by the FAIR Plan — that always takes a separate flood policy.

How do I sign up? Can I apply online?

You can't buy a policy directly from the FAIR Plan or apply online. First, at least two insurance companies must turn you down for home insurance, with no company offering you comparable coverage. Then a licensed Texas insurance agent submits the application for you — almost any local agent can. If you don't have one, use the agent search at texasfairplan.org or call the FAIR Plan at 800-979-6440.

If my house is destroyed, will the FAIR Plan pay to rebuild it?

It pays up to the coverage amount you chose, and the house itself can be insured for at most $1,000,000. Be aware the standard policy pays 'actual cash value' — what it would cost to rebuild, minus a subtraction for the home's age and wear. If you want the full rebuilding cost with no subtraction (called replacement cost coverage), you have to pay an extra premium for it on the homeowner (HO-A) policy, and it isn't offered on the landlord-style TDP-1 policy. Your belongings are covered at 50% of the house amount unless you pay to raise it.

The Texas FAIR Plan, explained

What Texas's insurer of last resort covers, who qualifies, and how to use it as a bridge instead of a destination.

By the TMRW Team · Published September 2, 2026

The short answer

The Texas FAIR Plan Association is Texas's insurer of last resort — basic property coverage for homes the regular market won't take.
Like most FAIR plans, it covers fewer kinds of damage than a normal policy and usually costs more — treat it as a bridge while you work back to a regular insurer.
Check the alternatives below before settling in; many homeowners qualify for the regular market again sooner than they expect.

Quick facts


Official name	Texas FAIR Plan Association
Website	texasfairplan.org
Consumer phone	800-979-6440
Established	2002
Maximum home coverage	$1 million
Covers	Fire and lightning, Windstorm and hail — in most of Texas, but not in the 14 coastal counties or the parts of Harris County east of State Highway 146 (Pasadena, Morgan's Point, Shoreacres, Seabrook, and La Porte city limits), where wind and hail must be bought separately from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, Explosion, Sudden and accidental smoke damage, Theft (not on the TDP-1 dwelling/landlord policy), Vandalism and malicious mischief, Damage from vehicles or aircraft, Riot and civil commotion, Personal liability and medical payments (homeowner, condo, and tenant policies only — not the TDP-1 dwelling policy), Not covered: flood — it is not on the covered-perils list and requires a separate flood policy

Verified against the official plan site and state insurance department — see Sources.

Who qualifies

You must have been declined residential property insurance by at least two insurance companies licensed to write, and writing, residential property insurance in Texas You must not have received a valid offer of comparable coverage from a Texas-licensed insurance company (offers from surplus lines insurers don't count) Eligible properties: owner-occupied one- and two-family homes, townhouses, and condo units; limited coverage is also available for one- and two-family rental dwellings and for tenants' personal belongings Coverage must be obtained through an authorized licensed Texas agent — there is no direct online application To stay eligible at renewal, you must reapply for coverage in the regular insurance market every two years and still meet the two-declination / no-comparable-offer test

How to apply

1.
Get turned down twice
At least two insurance companies licensed in Texas that write home insurance must decline to cover your home, and no licensed company may have offered you comparable coverage. Offers from surplus lines insurers don't count against you.
2.
Contact a licensed Texas agent
You cannot buy directly from the FAIR Plan — coverage must be obtained through an authorized licensed Texas agent. Any agent licensed for property and casualty insurance in Texas can be authorized to submit FAIR Plan applications. Use the agent search at texasfairplan.org or call 800-979-6440.
3.
Your agent submits the application
Policies are issued for a one-year term, subject to underwriting standards. In the 14-county coastal catastrophe area and parts of Harris County east of State Highway 146, the policy comes with a Windstorm and Hail Exclusion Agreement attached — you buy wind and hail coverage separately from TWIA.
4.
Re-shop the regular market every two years
The plan requires policyholders to reapply for residential property insurance in the voluntary market every two years. You remain eligible for FAIR Plan renewal only if you are again declined by at least two insurers with no comparable offer.

What it costs

The FAIR Plan does not publish a flat price list — premiums come from filed rates and vary by home and location. TDI's overview shows homeowners (HO-A) rates rose 10.0% effective 2024-08-01 and another 10.8% effective 2025-08-01, with dwelling (TDP-1) extended-coverage rates up 24.7% effective 2025-08-01.

Per TDI's overview, the plan had 124,445 policies in force statewide as of 2026-03-31 and wrote $300,094,081 in premium across all policy forms in calendar year 2025.

Policies carry a 1% or 2% deductible (the share of each claim you pay yourself); an insured with 4 or more claims, excluding glass claims, in the preceding 3 years is not eligible for the 1% option.

The standard HO-A policy pays claims at actual cash value — the cost to rebuild minus depreciation for age and wear. Replacement cost coverage for the dwelling and contents is available on the HO-A only for an additional premium, and is not available at all on the TDP-1 dwelling policy.

Alternatives in Texas

Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) — wind and hail coverage for coastal residents in the designated catastrophe area (14 coastal counties and parts of Harris County) who have been turned down by an insurance company; apply through your insurance agent Surplus lines insurance — special-market insurers that cover hard-to-insure houses, but with fewer consumer protections than typical home insurance HelpInsure.com — the state's free shopping tool for comparing regular-market home insurers and discounts Keep shopping the standard market through an independent agent — the FAIR Plan itself requires you to try the regular market again every two years

Wherever you land, most FAIR-type policies leave gaps a second policy has to fill — see the gap (DIC) policy, explained.

Common questions

TMRW is an independent wildfire-mitigation company. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the California FAIR Plan Association or any state FAIR Plan, wind pool, or insurance program.

This page is educational. TMRW is not an insurance agent, broker, or producer, and nothing here is insurance advice, a coverage recommendation, or an offer of insurance. Talk to a licensed agent or broker about your coverage.

Sources

Texas FAIR Plan Association — official site (home page and About Us) — Texas FAIR Plan Association, accessed 2026-09-02
Texas FAIR Plan Association Overview, for quarter ending 2026-03-31 (published 2026-06-08) — Texas Department of Insurance, accessed 2026-09-02
Other ways to get auto, home, and wind insurance in Texas (insurers of last resort) — Texas Department of Insurance, accessed 2026-09-02

Keep reading

FAIR Plans: insurance of last resort, explained

FAIR Plans are state-organized insurers of last resort — expensive, fire-focused, and thinner than they look. What they are, what they cost, and how homeowners get back to regular insurance.

The gap policy: Difference in Conditions (DIC) insurance, explained

A DIC policy is the gap-filler that turns bare-bones FAIR Plan coverage back into something like normal home insurance. What it covers, what it costs, and how to buy one.

The California FAIR Plan, explained

What the California FAIR Plan is, what it really costs with the second policy you'll need, what happens if it runs out of money — and how homeowners get back to real insurance.