Straight-line wind damage mistaken for hail

Wind and hail are often separate line items on a policy, with different deductibles. Wind lifts and creases shingles. Hail fractures the mat in circular bruises. Which one caused your damage affects what you’re owed.

Quick answerWind and hail are often separate line items on a homeowner’s policy, sometimes with different deductibles. Wind lifts and creases shingles, usually starting at edges and ridges. Hail fractures the shingle mat in roughly circular bruises spread across the slopes facing the storm. Which one caused your damage affects what you’re owed, so it’s worth knowing the difference yourself before anyone files anything.

Big storms often bring both, which is where the confusion starts. A roof can have wind damage, hail damage, or both, and each is judged on what it looks like.

Stormy clouds filling the sky at night — Write down the storm date and whether it brought mostly wind, mostly hail, or both. Photo by Anandu Vinod on Unsplash.

1How the two look different

Sign	Wind	Hail
Shingle shape	Lifted, creased or folded tabs; missing shingles	Round dark spots where granules are knocked off; bruised or cracked mat
Where on the roof	Edges, rakes, ridges and one exposed slope	Spread across the slopes facing the storm
Soft metal	Usually not dented	Dents in gutters, vents and downspouts
Debris	Shingles or pieces in the yard	Granules washed out at downspouts

2How to check

Read your declarations pageSee whether wind and hail have their own deductible, and whether it’s a flat amount or a percentage.
Note the stormWrite down the date and whether it was mostly wind, mostly hail, or both.
Walk the yardPick up and keep any shingles that blew off. Photograph dents on soft metal.
Look with binocularsLifted edges and missing tabs along one side suggest wind. Scattered round marks suggest hail.
Stay off the roofCreased shingles may be loose. Leave close inspection to someone with the right equipment.

3What to do about it

Do it yourself

Learn the signs above
Photograph damage before any repair
Know your deductible for each peril
Ask the adjuster to explain which cause they found

Hire a pro

Close inspection of creased or bruised shingles
Re-securing lifted shingles before the next storm
Repair once the claim is decided

Ask, don’t assume

If the adjuster’s report names a cause, ask what they saw that led to it. Your own photos and the shingles you kept help that conversation.

If wind damage turns out to be widespread on a young roof after an ordinary storm, the cause may be the nailing, not the wind. See improper nailing from the original install.

4What drives the cost

Your out-of-pocket cost depends on which deductible applies, how much of the roof is affected, and whether the damage is judged functional or cosmetic. The work is priced by the number of shingles to replace, whether matching product is available, roof pitch and height.

Roofing cost: what to expect and what to skip

5Questions

Can a storm cause both?

Yes. Big storms often bring wind and hail together. The damage can be judged separately.

Why does the cause matter?

Wind and hail may have different deductibles on your policy, which changes what you’re owed.

Lifted shingles on one slope only. Is that wind?

Often. See shingles lifting along one slope after wind.

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.