Can a Contractor Pay My Deductible — Minnesota Law Says No
The flyer says no out-of-pocket. The salesman says he will take care of your deductible.
Reply within one business day. Or call / text 763-204-2099.
Can a contractor pay my deductible in Minnesota? No. Minnesota Statutes section 325E.66 bars a residential contractor from paying, waiving or rebating any part of a homeowner's insurance deductible, or promising or advertising to. That covers a no-deductible offer, a discount equal to the deductible and a cash-back rebate. JMB Builders, licensed Minnesota contractor BC809005, never makes one; your deductible is paid as part of the job by check or direct deposit.
- Minn. Stat. 325E.66: no paying or waiving
- Rebates and disguised discounts count too
- JMB never offers one, in writing or not
Your deductible is the part of a covered loss you agreed to carry when you bought the policy. The insurer subtracts it from what it pays, and the rest of the repair is paid by the claim. If a contractor does the whole job for only what the insurer pays, either the job was overpriced to begin with or the claim was padded to cover the gap. Either way, the insurer is paying for something that did not happen, and the claim you signed says otherwise.
Minnesota closed that door. Minnesota Statutes section 325E.66 bars a residential contractor from paying, waiving or rebating all or part of an insurance deductible on a claim for the property it is working on, and from promising or advertising to do it. It does not matter what it is called. A discount that happens to equal your deductible, a cash rebate after the check clears, a fee for putting a yard sign up, a referral credit for the neighbors: if its effect is that you do not pay your deductible, it falls under the same rule. We are not your lawyer, and the statute's exact wording is on the Minnesota Revisor's website; the plain point is enough to say no.
We never make that offer, in writing or out loud. The deductible is paid as part of the job, by check or direct deposit, the same as any other share of the balance. What we can do is honest: write a scope that matches the damage, separate upgrades onto their own lines, and if the damage is under your deductible, quote the repair paid directly with no claim at all.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough: a reply within one business day, or ask for a free in-home estimate. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
What you supply
- Your deductible, paid as part of the job by check or direct deposit
- Any written offer you received about the deductible, if you want a second opinion on it
- Your declarations page or a word from your agent on what your deductible is
- A call to your agent if anyone has already offered to cover it
What JMB supplies
- A scope and invoice that match the damage and the work, line by line
- No offer to pay, waive or rebate the deductible, in any form
- Upgrades on their own lines, paid directly, kept off the claim
- A quote paid directly with no claim, when the damage is under your deductible
- Our license number, BC809005, on every estimate for you to look up
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos, with a reply within one business day. What moves the number:
- The approved scope; the deductible is your share of it, not a separate charge
- Upgrades beyond the scope, paid directly
- Whether the damage clears your deductible at all, or is better repaired without a claim
- Supplements added after the first scope
Send photos of the damage and your deductible amount. We reply within one business day and tell you plainly whether a claim makes sense.
How long it takes
The deductible is part of the balance, due on the same schedule as the rest of the job. Nothing about it changes when the work happens.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized reply within one business day. Prefer a look in person? A free in-home estimate is always an option.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
No-deductible offer
Free roof, no out-of-pocket, we cover your deductible. All the same offer, and all barred by Minnesota law. Thank them and close the door.
Discount that equals the deductible
A sudden price cut that happens to match your deductible, or an advertising or sign fee paid back to you. The name changes; the effect is the same, and so is the rule.
Rebate after the check clears
Pay the full invoice now, get cash back later. That is a rebate of the deductible, the plainest version of what the statute bars.
Damage under the deductible
The honest answer when the deductible is the problem: do not file. We quote the repair paid directly, priced the same as it would be on a claim.
Can a Contractor Pay My Deductible — Minnesota Law Says No: questions, answered
Can a contractor pay my deductible in Minnesota?
No. Minnesota Statutes section 325E.66 bars a residential contractor from paying, waiving or rebating any part of your insurance deductible on a claim for work on your home, and from promising or advertising to. JMB Builders never offers it. Your deductible is paid as part of the job by check or direct deposit.
Is it illegal for a contractor to waive my insurance deductible?
In Minnesota a residential contractor is not allowed to, under section 325E.66. Waiving it usually means padding the claim to make up the difference, which puts false numbers on a claim you signed. If a contractor offers, that tells you how they plan to bill the rest. Ask your agent if you have questions about your policy.
Is a no-deductible window replacement offer legal?
Not from a contractor in Minnesota. An offer of new windows with no out-of-pocket on an insurance claim is an offer to cover your deductible, whatever it is called. The law bars the promise and the advertising, not just the payment. Walk away from it and keep the flyer if you want to report it.
What if the contractor calls it a discount or a sign fee instead?
If its effect is that you do not pay your deductible, it is the same thing under a different name: a discount that equals the deductible, a fee for a yard sign, a referral credit, or cash back after the check clears. We do not offer any of them. Read the statute on the Revisor's site or ask your agent if you are unsure.
Can I pay my deductible over time or after the job?
The deductible is part of the balance and is paid on the same written schedule as the rest of the job, by check or direct deposit. Paying it is the point; when it is paid is set out in the schedule before work starts. What a contractor cannot do is forgive it.
What should I do if the damage is less than my deductible?
Do not file a claim for it. We quote the repair paid directly, per window or per door, priced the same as on a claim, from photos or a free in-home estimate. Keep your claim history for the storm that really needs it.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and the builders we work with. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
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Read morePage reviewed October 9, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All insurance repairs pages
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