What Hail Damage Is
A roof that looks perfect from the street can have fractured mats on every slope. That is why we get on it, mark test squares and photograph what is in them.
- Bruising. Impact fractured the mat under the granules. Found by feel as much as sight, and it is damage even when the shingle is not visibly broken
- Granule loss at impact points, scattered rather than in lines
- Fractured sealant strips, which is how a shingle loses wind resistance without looking damaged
- Splits on older brittle shingles
- Dented soft metals on vents, gutters, valley metal and condenser fins, which are the best evidence of hail size on the property and what adjusters look at first
Age has little to do with it. Impact energy does not care how old the shingle is.
How We Document It
- Test squares marked and counted on each slope, which is the method adjusters use
- Every finding photographed with slope identification and chalk marks so it is visible
- Soft metals documented across the whole property, establishing hail size independent of the shingles
- Storm date noted with any corroborating hail report for the address
- Interior inspected with moisture readings, because that is what gets left out most
- Scope written in carrier estimating language, including code items like drip edge and ventilation that initial estimates frequently omit
Your Deductible
You pay your deductible. Texas Business and Commerce Code 27.02 makes it a criminal offense for a contractor to pay, waive, rebate or absorb it, and it makes you a participant in insurance fraud. When a contractor offers, understand what they are telling you: the scope has enough padding to absorb it, which means the carrier is being overbilled.
Damage We Documented
Photos from real inspections. Every one of these is damage, not finished work.
Questions
How do I know if I have hail damage?
You do not, and neither does anyone standing in your driveway. It needs someone on the roof identifying bruising within measured test squares. Start with the soft metals: dented gutters, vents and condenser fins are visible from the ground and tell you hail of consequence hit the property.
The adjuster said there is not enough damage.
Ask for the report and the damage counts per square per slope, then compare against our documentation. Adjusters carry heavy caseloads after a storm and things get missed. You can request a re-inspection, and for a genuine dispute the next step is a licensed public adjuster or an attorney, not a contractor.
Can hail damage a metal roof?
It dents metal and the roof usually keeps working. The important question is your policy, because many Texas policies carry a cosmetic damage exclusion for metal.
Get it looked at before it gets expensive
Call and you get someone who has been on a roof, not a call center.