Is that hail damage?
I Like To Exterior Services
Check the soft metal first
Gutters, downspouts, vents, flashing and the garage door dent at hail sizes that may not fracture a shingle mat. Dented soft metal means hail fell. It is a reason to have the roof looked at, not proof of a claim.
You can settle this one yourself. No call needed.
What hail damage looks like on shingle
Circular bruises where granules are missing, and the mat beneath feels soft rather than holed. Random pattern, sharp edges, hits on all slopes. That is why a hail-damaged roof usually looks fine from the ground.
You can settle this one yourself. No call needed.
What it is not
Wear looks uniform and follows sun exposure. Blistering is round but raised, not depressed. Mechanical marks follow a walking path. Wind creases the shingle in a line rather than bruising it in circles — and wind and hail often carry different deductibles.
You can settle this one yourself. No call needed.
Before you file
Get the damage measured against your deductible first. A claim you barely recover on still goes on your record and can affect renewal and pricing. This is the step most people skip and it is the one that costs them.
You can settle this one yourself. No call needed.
Get everything inspected, not just the roof
The garage door, gutters, siding, window frames and screens are all claimable and all routinely omitted when only the roof is assessed. Garage doors in particular are the most commonly missed item on a storm claim.
If someone offers to cover your deductible
Decline. That is a proposal to misrepresent the loss to your insurer, and it is your name on the claim rather than theirs. It is also the clearest available signal that the contractor should not be working on your house.
SAFETY — no contractor call. Follow the instruction above.
Vetting a contractor after a storm
Ask for a local business address, proof of general liability and workers’ compensation, and a warranty that will still exist in five years. Out-of-state crews follow storms, and they arrive in numbers wherever a big one has just landed.
You can settle this one yourself. No call needed.
Do not climb up to check
Everything that matters is visible from the ground with binoculars. Falls from roofs are among the most common serious home-maintenance injuries, and a wet or aged roof is worse.
SAFETY — no contractor call. Follow the instruction above.
7 of these 8 answers carry no phone number. See our business-model disclosure.
Written by Jaylan Jones. I Like To Exterior Services earns a referral fee when a call connects to a contractor. See our business-model disclosure.
