Hail damage to a roof: how to inspect and document it

What does hail damage look like on an asphalt shingle roof?

On asphalt shingles, a hail hit is a bruise. University of Missouri Extension describes it as a dark spot where the impact knocked protective granules off, exposing the asphalt and sometimes the fiberglass mat underneath. Fresh hits look shiny, because the newly exposed asphalt has not yet weathered to a dull gray.

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) adds three field marks. A bruise from a real hail hit can usually be felt, a soft spot under your fingers. Real hail damage lands in a random pattern, not in neat rows. And ridge caps, the shingles bent over the peak, are among the most hail-vulnerable parts of the roof.

Granules matter because they are the shingle’s sunscreen. IBHS research published in Frontiers in Materials in 2025 found that even repeated small hail, under 1 inch, strips granules and that the authors wrote frequent sub-severe hailstorms “may pose a greater threat to roof longevity than previously recognized.”

Hail is a routine, expensive peril. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center logged 5,432 hail events of 1 inch or larger in 2025, and State Farm alone reported paying over $5.6 billion in hail claims that year, per Triple-I. More storm guides are on our storm hub.

What does hail do to metal, tile and wood roofs?

Each roof covering fails differently, so look for different marks.

Metal roofs and metal roof parts dent. University of Missouri Extension says dents in metal roof vents are a good indicator of hail amounts and size, and IBHS points to impact dents on flashing as evidence hail fell. Dents in a metal panel often do not open a leak, which is exactly why metal roofs sit at the center of most cosmetic-damage disputes, covered below.

Concrete and clay tile do not bruise; they crack, chip or break, often at corners and edges. A cracked tile can let water reach the underlayment even when the roof looks intact from the street. Wood shakes split along the grain at impact points.

IBHS also lists the look-alikes that get mistaken for hail on every material: blisters in asphalt, ordinary weathering, manufacturing defects, installation marks and mechanical damage from foot traffic. An adjuster who rules these out is doing the job, not dodging the claim.

How big does hail have to be to damage a roof?

The National Weather Service sizes hail by comparing it to familiar objects, and treats 1 inch, quarter size, as its severe criteria. Size alone does not decide the outcome; shingle age, roof slope, wind and the number of storms all matter. Here is what the verified research supports.

If you catch hailstones during the storm, photograph them next to a tape measure or a coin before they melt. That photo ties the NWS scale to your address.

How do you inspect for hail damage without climbing on the roof?

Work from the ground. A steep, wet or hail-hit roof is a fall hazard, and you can gather most of the evidence an adjuster needs without a ladder.

Start with the soft metals test. Soft, thin metal dents at hail sizes long before most roof coverings fail, so it records the storm. Check the gutters and downspouts, the fins on the AC condenser, window and door flashing, roof vents you can see from the ground, the mailbox and the grill lid. IBHS also says to look for spatter marks, clean spots where hail knocked dirt or oxidation off metal and fences. Spatter is not damage, but it proves hail fell and suggests the direction it came from.

Then look for what the roof sheds. Granules knocked loose wash down the gutters, so check the downspout outlets and splash blocks for piles of black or colored grit. Scan the roof itself with binoculars for dark spots, exposed mat and damaged ridge caps. Photograph screens, siding, fences, decks and vehicles too; the pattern across the whole property is what separates one storm’s hail from years of wear.

Everything you photograph goes in the claim file. Our guide to documenting your claim covers how to organize it.

What is a test square, and why do the chalk circles matter?

When an adjuster or roofer walks the roof, they usually mark one or more test squares: 10-by-10-foot sections, 100 square feet, chalked onto a roof slope. Inside each square they circle every qualifying hail hit in chalk and report hits per square. Claims Journal describes the 10-by-10 test square as the industry standard for decades.

The count drives the outcome. University of Missouri Extension gives one example of a formula an insurer may use: 10 verified hail hits per 100 square feet. Thresholds vary by insurer and are not set by law, so ask your insurer what standard it applies.

Two practical points follow. First, photograph the chalked squares before rain washes the chalk away; they are your record of what the adjuster counted and where. Second, a single square is a sample, and samples vary. A 2026 Claims Journal analysis argued that one test square can miss damage through placement and sampling variance. If the adjuster chalks one slope and your ground evidence shows hits everywhere, you can ask for additional squares on other slopes, or a second inspection. Our guide to the storm damage claim process explains reinspections and disputes.

Functional vs cosmetic damage: will the claim actually pay?

Insurers draw a line between functional damage, which shortens the roof’s life or lets water in, and cosmetic damage, which only changes how the roof looks. The Texas Department of Insurance endorsement that created this split defines cosmetic loss as damage that “alters the physical appearance of the roof covering” without allowing water penetration or stopping the roof from doing its job. Under that endorsement, hail damage “that will allow the penetration of water” stays covered.

That line lives in an endorsement, not in every policy. Texas adopted the cosmetic exclusion endorsements (HO-145 and TDP-022) in 1998 for policies getting a premium credit for impact-resistant roofing meeting UL Standard 2218, and the endorsement is void unless the policyholder signed it. Insurers in other states have filed similar wording, and dented metal roofs are the classic battleground, because a dent rarely leaks.

So before a hail storm ever hits, read your declarations page and endorsements for the words cosmetic, appearance or marring, and note your wind/hail deductible; the Colorado Division of Insurance says these are often percentage deductibles of 1, 2 or 5 percent. After a storm, if the insurer calls the damage cosmetic, ask it to identify the specific policy language, and ask for any denial in writing citing that language, both steps Colorado’s Division of Insurance recommends. We explain how these clauses work; whether yours applies is a question for your insurer, your state insurance department, a licensed public adjuster or an attorney.

How do you document hail damage for the insurance claim?

Hail claims are won with dated evidence, because roofs age and storms stack up.

Record the storm itself: date, time, and a photo of hailstones next to a ruler. Save a local news or NWS report of the hail size at your location. Then photograph the ground-level evidence the same day: dented soft metals, spatter, granule piles, screens and fences. Date-stamped photos tie the damage to this storm rather than the one two years ago.

Report the claim promptly. Deadlines vary by state and policy; in Florida, Statutes 627.70132 gives one year from the date of loss to report a property insurance claim. Prompt reporting also matters for the evidence, since IBHS research shows small-hail wear accumulates, and an insurer can argue later damage came from a later storm.

When the adjuster comes, walk the property with them, point out everything you photographed, and photograph their chalked test squares. If the roof needs emergency protection first, see emergency roof tarping, and keep the receipts; temporary repairs belong in the claim too.

Why storm chasers show up after hail, and how to handle them

Hail draws door-knockers. Out-of-town crews follow hail swaths because a whole neighborhood’s roofs become claims on the same day. The Colorado Division of Insurance warns homeowners to expect door-to-door and phone solicitations from roofing contractors after a storm and to be cautious with anyone who makes contact that way: check references, prefer local established contractors, and get everything in writing.

Two specific traps. A roofer who offers a free inspection and then produces damage you cannot see from the ground may be manufacturing it; IBHS warns against unsolicited offers to inspect or repair your roof. And anyone who offers to cover or waive your deductible is proposing insurance fraud in many states, including Florida. Let your insurer’s adjuster establish the damage first, then choose your own licensed contractor. Our guide to storm chaser scams lists the red flags one by one.

If the roof does need replacement, IBHS recommends choosing a covering rated Class 4 under UL 2218 or FM 4473, and asking your insurer about a premium discount, along with what that discount means for cosmetic coverage.