In Texas, my insurer depreciated my roof on a hail claim. Do they have to pay the depreciation?

Which coverage you bought decides the answer. The Texas department says some policies pay up to the full cost to repair your roof at current prices, which is replacement cost coverage. Some pay less if the roof is older or showing wear, which is actual cash value coverage [1]. So read the roof line on your declarations page first.

Do you have replacement cost coverage? Then the held-back amount is the second half of a two-step payment. The department says you might get two payments. The first is the estimated repair cost minus depreciation. The second comes after the repairs are done [2]. So the way to collect the rest is to finish the work. Ask the insurer what proof of completion it wants.

Is your roof on actual cash value? These sources describe no second payment for that coverage — the two-payment path is tied to replacement cost [2]. So the gap may be the coverage you bought rather than an underpayment. Either way, ask the insurer in writing for its estimate, the depreciation amount it used, and the policy line it relied on.

Open the Texas roof page and read Replacement cost or actual cash value [1]. Then open the page Getting your insurance claim paid and read the two-payment paragraph [2]. Now find the roof coverage line on your own declarations page. Whether your policy lets you recover the held-back amount: "Don't know yet" here.