How to Tell if Hail Damaged Your Roof
Seven signs of hail damage you can check from the ground after a North Texas storm, and when it's time to get a professional roof inspection.
After a hailstorm rolls through North Texas, most roofs look fine from the driveway. That's the problem: hail damage is usually subtle, and the leak it eventually causes may not show up for months. The good news is you can learn a lot without ever climbing a ladder.
Start at ground level
Soft metals are the best storm reports your house has. If hail was big enough to dent them, it was likely big enough to damage shingles. Walk the property and look for:
- Dents in gutters, downspouts and gutter guards
- Dings on roof vents, turbines and the top of the AC condenser
- Chipped paint or spatter marks on fences, decks and siding
- Torn or dented window screens
- Piles of dark, sand-like granules at the bottom of downspouts
What hail does to shingles
On asphalt shingles, hail knocks loose the protective granules and can bruise or crack the mat underneath. From up close, hits look like dark, roughly round spots, often soft to the touch at first. Over time the exposed asphalt dries out in the sun and the shingle ages much faster than it should.
Size matters. Hail around one inch across (about quarter-sized) and larger commonly damages asphalt shingles. Wind-driven hail can do damage at smaller sizes, especially on the side of the house facing the storm.
Check inside, too
Look at ceilings, especially under valleys and around chimneys and skylights, for new stains. If you can safely get into the attic, check the underside of the decking for damp spots after the next rain.
Don't get on the roof
Walking a roof is dangerous, and it can damage shingles that are already bruised. A professional inspection with a drone and a careful hands-on check is the safer way to know for sure. Ours is free, and you keep the photo report whether or not you hire us.
Write down the storm date
If you think your roof was hit, note the date of the storm. Many homeowner policies have deadlines for reporting storm damage, so it's worth checking yours and getting an inspection soon after the storm.