Glossary

Wind exclusion

A provision or endorsement that removes wind and hail from a homeowners policy, so the home needs separate wind coverage from a wind pool or another insurer.

Also called: windstorm exclusion, wind and hail exclusion, wind/hail exclusion

A wind exclusion strips windstorm and hail out of a homeowners policy, either by endorsement or by the way an insurer writes coverage in a given area. It is most common in coastal counties and other places where insurers will not carry the wind risk. The mortgage lender still requires wind coverage, so the homeowner buys it elsewhere.

The arrangement is a pair of policies. The primary homeowners policy covers fire, theft, liability and the rest, with wind excluded. A second policy, often a wind-only policy from a state wind pool or a specialty insurer, covers only wind and hail. Say the homeowners policy has a $1,000 deductible and the wind policy carries a 2% deductible on a $350,000 home. A hurricane claim then costs you $7,000 up front, and neither policy pays for flood (hypothetical).

The risks are gaps and overlaps. Compare how each policy defines windstorm, whether wind-driven rain is covered, whether the limits match the cost to rebuild, and who pays when wind and water damage mix. Lenders typically want proof of both policies. If an exclusion appears at renewal and no wind policy is lined up, call your agent right away; state-backed insurers often take on wind risk when private insurers will not. See windstorm exclusions and wind-only policies.

Last reviewed October 10, 2026

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Related terms

Wind-only policy A policy that covers only wind and hail damage, often sold by a state wind pool to coastal homeowners whose main policy excludes wind. Windstorm The peril of damage from high winds, including hurricanes, tornadoes and thunderstorm gusts, which most policies cover, sometimes with a separate deductible. FAIR plan A state pool, funded by the insurers doing business there, that sells basic property coverage to owners who cannot find it in the regular market. Residual market The state-created plans and pools that cover property owners the private market declines, as opposed to coverage insurers sell by choice. Exclusion A policy provision that removes coverage for a stated cause, type of loss, property or circumstance that the coverage would otherwise reach. Endorsement A written change attached to a policy that adds, removes or alters coverage, limits or conditions, and controls over the base form wherever the two conflict.

Related guides

Beach and windstorm pools along the coast: how they work Wind pools in Texas, Alabama, Mississippi and the Carolinas cover coastal wind and hail when private insurers will not. Eligibility, limits and tradeoffs. What Hurricanes Helene and Milton taught homeowners Two 2024 hurricanes two weeks apart exposed gaps in flood cover, deductible timing and inland wind claims. Loss, NFIP and Florida OIR figures, plus a checklist. Windstorm exclusions and wind-only policies Some coastal homeowners policies exclude wind, so wind and hail cover comes from a state pool. How the two-policy setup works and where it leaks.

Related insurers

NC Insurance Underwriting Association (Coastal Property Insurance Pool) North Carolina's market of last resort for the Outer Banks and 18 coastal counties, writing homeowners, dwelling and wind-only policies up to $1 million.