Hail is not spread evenly across the country. A broad corridor up the middle of the continent — running north from Texas through the central Plains and into the eastern Rockies — takes far more damaging hail than either coast, and parts of it see several significant events in a single season.

If you live inside that band, it changes the arithmetic on shingle choice. Impact-resistant Class 4 product costs more up front, but it is worth pricing where a roof may take several hail events across its life, and many carriers discount the premium for it. In a low-hail region the same upgrade often does not pay for itself.

Two things worth checking before you decide. Search the NOAA storm events record for your own county to see how often hail has actually fallen and at what size — it is free, and more useful than a general impression of the weather. Then ask your own insurer what their discount is for Class 4, because it varies widely by carrier and a contractor’s estimate of it is not binding on anyone.

Related

• Impact-resistant shingle and the insurance discount
• Bruising you can feel but barely see
• Damage that might be under the deductible
• Storm chaser knocking after a hail event
• Gutters dented but the roof reads clean
• Straight-line wind damage mistaken for hail
• Architectural shingles past their rated life
• Hail damage on a roof under fifteen years old

Back to Roofing.

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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.