Roof Repair or Replace After Hail?

What Hail and Wind Damage Look Like

Most hail damage is hard to see from the driveway. You don’t need to climb up to start looking, though. A lot of clues are on the ground and the house itself.

Start at ground level

Check gutters, downspouts, window screens, siding, the air-conditioner fins and any metal sheds or vehicles for fresh dents and dings. Look in the gutters and at the bottom of downspouts for heavy piles of shingle granules, the coarse sand-like coating on asphalt shingles. If hail was big enough to dent soft metal, it’s worth having the roof itself looked at.

On an asphalt shingle roof

Hail typically leaves round spots where granules have been knocked off, exposing the dark mat underneath. Some hits feel soft or bruised when pressed. Larger hail can crack or puncture shingles outright. Damage is often concentrated on the slopes that faced the storm.

On a metal roof

Look for dents in panels, ridge caps and trim, and for any spot where the coating has chipped or the panel has split. Fasteners that have loosened or seams that have opened matter more for leaks than cosmetic dents.

Wind damage

Wind lifts shingle edges, breaks the seal strip, creases shingles near the top, or tears them off entirely. Loose ridge caps, missing flashing and debris on the roof are other signs. On barns and shops, check panel fasteners and the edges at eaves and gables, where wind gets underneath.

Stay safe

Walking a roof is how a lot of people get hurt. Look from the ground or a window, use binoculars, and leave the climbing to someone with the right equipment.

How Insurance Inspections Usually Work

Every policy is different, so read yours and talk to your agent. In general terms, here’s how a hail or wind claim tends to go.

You file the claim with your own insurer

The claim is between you and your insurance company. Report it promptly, take dated photos of the damage before anything is moved or repaired, and keep receipts for any emergency work, like tarping a leak. The Idaho Department of Insurance advises not making permanent repairs before you’ve talked with your insurer, because the company may not pay for work it didn’t authorize.

An adjuster inspects the roof

Your insurer sends an adjuster to look at the damage and write up what the policy covers. If anything in their estimate is unclear, ask your insurer to explain it.

Where a contractor fits in

A roofing contractor can inspect the roof, document the damage with photos and notes, and, if you’d like, be there when the adjuster visits to point out what they found. The decisions about your claim stay between you and your insurer. A contractor shouldn’t be telling you what your policy will pay, and you should never be asked to sign your claim or your insurance benefits over to a contractor.

What to Do in the Days After a Storm

If you see a leak, stop the water first. A tarp over the damaged area and buckets under the drip buy time and limit damage inside. Photograph everything before and after.

Then get the roof looked at by a local contractor you’ve vetted, and file your claim with your insurer if the damage warrants it. Get more than one written estimate if you want a comparison, and make sure each one covers the same scope so you’re comparing like with like.

Finally, give yourself time. Storm crews from out of the area tend to arrive after big hail events and leave when the work dries up. A roofer who will still be in Burley, Rupert or Twin Falls next year, registered in Idaho and willing to show proof of insurance, is the one you want to call when a problem shows up later.