How to tell if hail damaged your roof
Hail damage on a roof is often hard to see from the ground. Many homeowners don’t know they have it until a leak appears months later. Here is what you can check safely, without climbing on the roof.
Start with the storm
Find out whether hail actually fell near your home and how big it was. The National Weather Service classifies hail 1″ (quarter size) and larger as severe, and flags 1.75″ (golf ball size) and larger as a “considerable” damage threat.
Source: National Weather Service damage threat categories
Research by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety found that older, weathered shingles hit by repeated small hail became much more vulnerable to damage from later large hail. New shingles generally held up to 1.5″ hail in lab tests. In short, the same storm can affect an older roof more than a newer one.
Source: IBHS: impact testing of small hail
Signs you can check from the ground
- Dents in gutters, downspouts, roof vents, or metal flashing.
- Dings or dents on the fins of your outdoor A/C unit.
- Shingle granules (they look like coarse sand) collecting in gutters or at the bottom of downspouts.
- Cracked or chipped siding, window screens with holes, or dented mailboxes and car hoods.
- Water stains on ceilings or in the attic after rain.
These signs show that hail hit your property. They don’t prove that the roof itself is damaged, and a roof can be damaged without any of them.
Stay off the roof
Walking on a roof is dangerous, and it can also damage shingles. A roofer has the equipment and training to check safely.
Get an inspection
Only an in-person inspection can show whether hail damaged your roof. Many local roofers offer no-cost inspections. What you do after an inspection is your decision.
Check the storm history at your address
See radar-estimated hail size, dates, and spotter reports near your home, then get a no-cost roof inspection from a local roofer.
Check my addressRoofTester is not an insurance company, insurance agent, or adjuster. We don’t handle insurance claims or give claim advice. Only your insurance company decides what your policy covers. This page is general information, not insurance or legal advice.