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Windows broken by a storm: does home insurance pay?

Did wind, hail or a branch break the glass? See what multi-risk home insurance usually covers, the wind limit in policies, the deductible, what to do in the first hours and the 8-day deadline.

Topic
Problems
Reading
7 min
Reviewed
04/11/2026
Attached photo

Last checked: 4 November 2026. I read the text of Decree-Law 72/2008 in the Diário da República, pages of the ASF Consumer Portal, the IPMA warning criteria, one DECO PROteste page and the conditions of two insurers, used only as examples. The links are at the end.

Quick answer. It depends on your policy. Windows broken by wind are usually handled under the storm cover, which many policies switch on only above a wind speed (88 km/h in one example I read). Glass breakage is a separate cover with its own limit. Notify the insurer in writing, within the period in the contract or, if there is none, within 8 days. Protect the home and keep the receipts.

This is general information, not legal or insurance advice.

Storm, glass or tree: which cover?

The ASF explains that the only compulsory home insurance is fire insurance, and only in buildings under joint ownership (condominiums). Storms and glass depend on what you bought. In the Mapfre general conditions I read (edition of 04-10-2024) three covers can touch a window:

Cause Cover What I read
Wind, or objects thrown by wind Storms Only with wind above 88 km/h, certified by the nearest weather station
Branch or tree falling Accidental fall of trees Limit of 1,000 € in the product summary of 23-06-2026; excludes trees or branches already weak
Isolated accidental breakage Accidental breakage of glass Limit of 2% of the sum insured; excludes fitting defects

In the storm cover of that example, rain or hail that enters the home counts only if it enters within 72 hours after the damage done by the wind. Rain that enters through windows not destroyed by the storm is left out. So are roller shutters, external blinds and awnings, unless there is other damage to the building. DECO PROteste says the same in general terms: if you leave a window open and rain gets in, the insurance may not pay.

The wind threshold

The conditions show different values:

  • Mapfre: wind above 88 km/h, certified by the nearest station. If certification is not possible, damage counts when the wind destroys or damages buildings built to the rules of their time, or trees, within 5 km.
  • Mútua dos Pescadores: strong winds that destroy or damage installations, objects or trees within 5 km. In case of doubt, the insured proves with a document from the nearest station that the wind passed 100 km/h.
  • DECO PROteste (25-06-2026): in Portugal the policy usually asks for 90 to 100 km/h.

IPMA uses gusts for mainland warnings: yellow from 70 to 90 km/h, orange from 91 to 130 km/h. A yellow warning does not prove by itself that your policy’s limit was passed, and an orange one does not force the insurer to pay. Also keep photos of the street, fallen trees and neighbours’ damage: DECO PROteste advises photos, videos, records of warnings and witness contacts.

Deductible and limits

The deductible (franquia) is the part of the loss you bear. In the Mapfre conditions it is subtracted from the payout. In that product’s summary of 23-06-2026, storms have no deductible (you can choose one of 100 €), but other covers do, for example 5% of the damage with a minimum of 150 €. Other insurers do it differently: read your particular conditions.

Also check the sum insured. If it is lower than the rebuilding cost, the proportional rule applies (Decree-Law 72/2008, article 134). The ASF example: a building that costs 100,000 € to rebuild, insured for 80,000 €, damage of 50,000 €; the insurer pays 40,000 €.

In the first hours

  1. Safety first. Keep people and pets away from broken glass.
  2. Photograph and film before touching anything. The ASF says you should not change the traces without the insurer’s permission, as far as is reasonable, and should keep the salvage.
  3. Protect the home. The law requires you to prevent or limit the damage (article 126) and the insurer pays reasonable and proportionate costs even if the measure does not work (article 127). The Mapfre conditions include temporary repairs. Keep receipts for boards, plastic sheeting or a glazier. If your policy has assistance, Mapfre provides for a technician to contain the damage, with materials paid by the insured.
  4. Notify in writing. The period is the one in the contract or, failing that, the 8 days after you learn of the damage (article 100). Say how it happened, the likely causes and the consequences. The contract may reduce the payout by the harm that delay causes the insurer; it may remove cover only if the failure was intentional and caused significant harm (article 101).
  5. Wait for the assessor before the final repair. The ASF recommends that the insurer makes contact within 4 working days and answers in writing within 25 working days (building) or 40 (contents). These are recommendations (2/2025, of 8 April 2025), not law, and they can double for condominium claims. By law, payment falls due 30 days after the facts are established (article 104).
  6. If it was the neighbour’s tree, do not harm the insurer’s right to recover from the person responsible (article 136; ASF).

Equal or better window, and the quote

The payout is the damage up to the sum insured (article 128), measured by the value of the insured interest on the day of the loss (article 130). The parties may agree a replacement value with no deduction for age or use (article 131): check whether your policy does.

In point 4 of the article on the value of the payout, the Mapfre conditions say the insurer does not pay the extra cost arising from changes to the features of the construction. If you want a better window, such as triple glazing, ask in writing whether you bear the difference.

The ASF says that if repair is possible, the insured cooperates with the insurer or whoever it names. Ask whether it accepts your installer. Ask for a detailed quote (see how to ask for a quote), compare it line by line with the assessor’s valuation and ask for the difference in writing.

Condominium or your own unit

According to the ASF, the condominium’s fire insurance covers the units and the common parts; if the owners do not take it out, the administrator must. Storms are covered in the building’s policy only if that cover exists. Your own multi-risk policy may cover damage to the building, to your own unit or to others. If the same risk is in two policies, tell both insurers (article 133).

What I could not confirm

  • Whether the window is a common or private part in a condominium: it depends on the deed of constitution and the policy; I read neither.
  • Whether the wind limit means gusts or average speed, and how each insurer decides when the nearest station measures less.
  • Hail that breaks the glass: in the example I read, hail appears only in the rain that enters after the damage. I did not confirm how a direct hit is treated.
  • Whether «glass breakage» includes windows and frames: the wording I read mentions glass sheets and fixed mirrors.
  • Whether «8 days» are calendar or working days: the text does not say; count them as calendar days.
  • Whether VAT is included in the payout.
  • Changes to Decree-Law 72/2008 after 2008: I read the original published text.
  • Mútua dos Pescadores: the document shows no edition date.

Sources

Text read on 4 November 2026. Laws and policies change: always check your own.

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