Why would my insurance only pay for half of my hail damaged roof? Then said OK, to 100%, after roofer talked to them! Why, 100% to them, half to me?

Under the homeowner insurance policy, damages to the home, including the roof are paid for the actual damage to the property. Since only half of your roof was damaged, then the insurance company was not willing to pay for the full cost of the roof. In addition, the roof was thirty years old, which is about the expected life expectancy of a roof. Many insurance companies depreciate damage to a roof, and in this case, there would be major depreciation taken on the damage.The conversation between the insurance company and the roofer may not have addressed the age of the roof. The adjuster may have agreed that the roof needed complete replacement, but may not have said the insurance company would pay for the entire roof.The waiving of the deductible is dependent upon the insurance policy. Some policies do waive the deductible if the loss exceeds a certain amount. Check your policy to see if that applies.