Do you have roof damage from a hail storm? You’re not alone. From March through November 2023, hail one inch in diameter or greater hit over 10 million single- and multi-family homes in the contiguous U.S., according to CoreLogic's 2024 Severe Convective Storm Risk Report. A look at a single week in June shows wind and hail generated between $7 and $10 billion in insured loss in one area of Texas alone. "Hail alone was estimated to comprise 95% of losses," says the report.
If these numbers make you nervous, let's learn how to recognize hail damage on your roof and discuss what you can do about it.
Key takeaways: roof hail damage
Without granule loss, damage to an asphalt shingle is almost invisible to an untrained eye.
A shingle can be a total loss with as little as a 1.5mm indentation.
Dings on old metal roofs often go unnoticed because the shiny coating is worn and no longer reflects the light that helps the ding stand out.
If your roof is older than 10 years, your homeowner's insurance may not reimburse you for the total cost of repair.
What hail damage looks like on a roof
How hail damage looks on your roof depends on the roofing material used. For instance, what you would see on asphalt shingles seems entirely different from what you would see on other types of roof shingles, tiles, or a metal roof.
If you discover storm damage on other areas of your home, like dents or dings on your gutters or downspouts, flashing or vents, or holes in your vinyl siding, your roof deserves an inspection. Here are the signs of hail damage to look for on different roofing materials.
Signs of asphalt roof hail damage
Hail damage on an asphalt shingle roof. Image source: Nachi
Chad Conley, CEO of Complete Roofing in Georgia, has 16 years of experience investigating and proving hail and wind damage for insurance claims. He says that hail damage on asphalt shingles can be difficult to spot. "Shingles have all the properties of camouflage," he says. "So, if you see no granule loss, the damage can be hiding in plain sight, almost imperceptible to the naked eye."
The typical signs include:
Granule loss that presents as black spots
Small divots or impact marks
Tears at the edge of the shingle
Cracks in the shingle
Conley, trained in forensic photography and a former advisor for Kespry Drones, an autonomous flight platform with AI hail detection, introduced meteorological-grade 3D scanning to document hail damage in the roofing industry. The method includes special photographic techniques that blur the focal center of an image to illuminate shapes like those left from a hail hit. He also pioneered the use of the raking-light method for hail and wind damage inspections. This method uses lights to cast shadows where the surface has abnormalities.
"It takes someone with the correct skills, knowledge, and assets to detect hail damage," he says. Only a professional roofer can diagnose a compromised shingle, assess the amount of damage, and tell you if it needs to be replaced.
The average shingle thickness is 5mm. You can have a total loss on a shingle with a 1.5 to 2mm deep impact and not even be able to see it.
Signs of Metal Roof Hail Damage
Hail leaves minor dings on a standing seam metal roof. Photo courtesy of Roofing Elements Magazine.
Metal is a sturdy, long-lasting roofing option known to last 50 years or longer, made of steel, aluminum, or copper. The metal is formed from sheets to create standing seams, panels that screw down, or shingles. But no matter what form or material your metal roof is made of, it can still display signs of hail damage.
The most notable sign of hail damage on a metal roof is the presence of dings and dents. But Conley says those dings are challenging to see, too. "The more matte the sheen of the metal is, the harder the damage is to see," he says. So, roofs with any amount of age that have lost their original shiny coating will hide dents from the naked eye. He says inspectors will rub chalk on the areas in question to help dings stand out. Or they employ the raking light method to help them appear.
While it's rare for hail to puncture a metal roof, the superficial damage isn't something to dismiss. Dents on some types of metal can lead to rust. Also, since most metal roofs are treated with paint or another coating, hail can cause scratches or a scouring effect that compromises the protective coating.
Signs of clay or slate tile roof hail damage
Broken roof tiles after a hail storm.
Slate or clay tile roofs are attractive options for your historic or luxury home as they are long-lasting and pleasing to the eye. Despite its longevity, though, tile is not impenetrable. Hail can damage roof tiles badly enough that you’ll need to call a roofer before you’re lining up buckets to catch rainwater in the dining room.
"Tile is the easiest material to tell. It's either broken, or it's not," says Conley.
Look for cracks or gouges after a storm to see if your slate or tile roof has hail damage. Broken corners, chipped edges, or completely broken tiles are also possible. These types of roofs are a considerable investment. To protect that investment and give you peace of mind, have your tile roof inspected by a professional after a hail storm.
How to check your roof after a hail storm
The untrained eye of a homeowner will miss hail damage on shingles that don't include granule loss. So, Conley recommends first looking at the gutters and determining if it matches what you see on the roof. "You can have pretty severe hail impacts with virtually no granule loss," he says. If you see dings in the aluminum but not granule loss on the shingles, you need to call the pros to determine the extent of the damage.
Knowing this, you may be tempted to climb on the roof for a closer look. But don't do it. The risk isn't worth the cost of a roof inspection, which you'll have to pay for anyway.
Here are a few tips to help you safely look for granule loss, dented metal, or cracked tiles. Just remember that these tips will not help you find hidden damage on asphalt shingles.
Install roof-mounted cameras. If you live in a disaster-prone area, roof monitoring may be important enough to invest in permanent cameras. Security cameras mounted in strategic points make monitoring the roof's condition easy.
Fly a drone. Many home inspectors now use drones equipped with cameras to inspect hard-to-reach places and take photographs. If you don’t have one, your teenage neighbor might. However, you may still need a professional to read the images.
Use binoculars. From the safety of the ground, inspect the roof using binoculars. Walk around to get a good look at the entire roof. You can even cross the street to get the best angles. Use binoculars from the top of a secure ladder for a closer inspection.
Use a ladder wisely. Ensure your ladder is sturdy enough to hold your weight and any tools or materials you carry are sturdy enough to hold your weight. Always place a ladder on solid, level ground and secure it in place. Use an extension ladder if it needs to be longer to see without standing on the top rung. Always have a helper standing guard or, at the very least, your phone in your pocket.
Wear safe shoes. Choose flat shoes without heels that could get caught on the rungs of a ladder and slip-resistant soles. Make sure your ladder and feet are dry.
Also, from the attic, you can inspect the underside of the roof deck for signs of water damage, such as leaks, stains, mold, or rotted decking. Look particularly in the valleys and under the roof vents, skylights, and chimneys. Undetected water leaking into the attic can damage stored belongings, insulation, and other building components long before it comes through the ceiling.
Cost to repair hail damage on a roof
When hail delivers a whammy to your roof, you'll need to have it repaired. Depending on the extent of the damage, repairs can be as minimal as replacing a few shingles to as complex as replacing the material on an entire section of the roof and flashing surrounding the chimney or in a valley.
For instance, repairing a small crack on a 50-square-foot section of a flat roof costs as little as $200. However, replacing a 2000-square-foot section of damaged tile could cost as much as $16,000. Here is a brief look at the average cost to repair a roof damaged by hail.
Roof Hail Damage Repair Cost | |
National average cost | $900 |
Average cost range | $400-$2,000 |
Low-end cost | $200 |
High-end cost | $16,000 |
Whatever the cost, hiring a professional to do the work is worth it. Any mistakes in an unskilled DIY job will send you back to where you started, with rain dripping on your dining room table.
Does insurance cover hail damage?
In short, yes. Your homeowner’s insurance policy probably covers hail damage. "If your roof is 10 years old or less, then yes, you can count on a typical homeowner's policy to pay for the damage," says Conley. The sticking point is the age.
According to Conley, insurance companies are beginning to change coverages from replacement cash value (RCV) to actual cash value (ACV) for wind and hail damage done to a roof at a certain milestone, most typically the 10-year mark. So, instead of reimbursing for the repair or replacement cost, the company is prorating the value of the replacement according to age, which means less money in the homeowner's pocket.
"The most common reason a claim is denied is a lack of evidence," says Conley. If you suspect hail damage, get the ball rolling by scheduling a professional roof inspection. If they find damage to indicate your roof needs repairs, ask for an estimate to repair it. Next, call your insurance company. The representative will walk you through the claim process, which involves sending an adjuster to examine the damage. The insurance adjuster has to agree with the roofer's finding.
"The adjuster has no duty to find damage," says Conley. "The homeowner has the burden to prove damage." So, having the inspector's report and estimate, a weather report that proves a hailstorm occurred within 30 days of the claim, and photographic evidence will help your case. If you wait too long to file the claim, the adjuster could assume that further damage came from waiting, not the significant event.
Partial damage doesn't mean you'll get a full roof replacement. If only a small portion of the roof is damaged, your insurance provider may opt to repair the damage, doing everything they can to match the roofing materials.
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If the insurance company denies your claim, you'll have to pay for the roof repair yourself. However, financing options are available if you don’t have the cash on hand. If you've been in the home long enough to accrue some equity, consider a home equity loan or a home equity line of credit (HELOC) to help pay for the project.
Hail damage: the bottom line
If you suspect damage from a hail storm, even if it’s minimal, contact a local roofing company and schedule a roof inspection. Waiting too long could lead to roof leaks.
Frequently asked questions: roof damage from hail
You do not necessarily need to replace the entire roof after a hail storm. A professional roofing contractor can inspect the roof for you, ascertain the damage, and repair only the affected locations. Repairing the damage is much less costly than replacing the entire roof.
That depends on the roof's material and age and the impact's force. The rule of thumb is that hail size of 1-inch in diameter will damage a 3-tab shingle, and a 1 ¼-inch hailstone will damage an architectural shingle. "But," says Conley, "that doesn't take into account the force of the wind." So, just because you have small hailstones doesn't mean you can't have damage.
Not all damage is invasive. For instance, dings on a metal roof won't allow water to penetrate; they're just unsightly. Always consult with a professional for an expert opinion.
When the time comes to replace your entire roof, choose an impact-resistant material. Underwriter's Laboratory's (UL) shingle impact resistance test checks for shingle cracking after being hit twice in the same spot by a steel ball. To score a Class 1 rating, a shingle must not crack after being hit twice in the same place by a 1.25-inch diameter steel ball dropped from 12 feet. To achieve Class 4 certification, the shingle must withstand a 2-inch diameter steel ball dropped from 20 feet. If you live in a hail-prone area, consider CertainTeed Landmark Pro or GAF Timberline AS II shingles for your new roof. These shingles have Class 3 and Class 4 certifications, respectively.
Fun facts about hail
Carol J Alexander is a home remodeling industry expert for Fixr.com. For more than 15 years as a journalist and content marketer, her in-depth research, interviewing skills, and technical insight have ensured she provides the most accurate and current information on a given topic. Before joining the Fixr team, her personal clients included leaders in the building materials market like Behr Paint Company, CertainTeed, and Chicago Faucet, and national publications like This Old House and Real Homes.