Two homeowners on the same street after the same storm: one has a new roof paid largely by insurance, the other has a denied claim and a leak in two years. The difference is almost never the damage. It is the documentation.
What hail does
An asphalt shingle is a mat saturated in asphalt with ceramic granules embedded in the surface. Those granules are the sunscreen; they take the ultraviolet load so the asphalt stays flexible. Damaging hail generally starts around the one-inch mark, though wind speed, stone density and shingle age all move that line.
- Granule loss exposes the black mat, which then weathers years faster than the shingle around it.
- Bruising crushes and fractures the mat underneath. The shingle still lies flat and looks fine. It has a soft spot that cracks open with freeze-thaw cycling. An adjuster finds bruises by feel as much as by sight.
- Cracking and fracture on older, more brittle shingles.
- Damage to soft metals — gutters, vents, flashing, gutter aprons — which dent before shingles show obvious harm and are often the clearest proof that damaging hail fell at your address.
What wind does
Wind breaks the factory seal strip that bonds each shingle course to the one below. An unsealed shingle can lie back down looking perfect while no longer being attached in the way it needs to be — so the next storm lifts it freely and drives rain underneath. Look also for creasing across tabs, missing tabs, lifted edges along rakes and eaves, and displaced ridge caps.
Signs you can check safely from the ground
- Granules in gutters and at splash blocks — a black, sandy sediment. The most common real indicator.
- Dents in gutter faces and downspouts. Sight along the run at a low angle with the sun behind you.
- Dings on vents, flashing, chimney caps and gutter aprons.
- Spatter marks — clean circles where hail struck and washed a dusty surface: deck rails, grill lids, air conditioner fins, window sills, mailboxes.
- Damaged screens, window wraps and siding, especially on the storm-facing side.
- Shredded landscaping on one side of the house, which tells you the hail's direction of travel and therefore which slopes took it worst.
- Shingle grit in the driveway or pieces of shingle in the yard.
Please check all of this from the ground. See roofing safety for why.
Building documentation an adjuster respects
- Date everything. Note the storm date and approximate time. Weather service records and radar data can corroborate hail at your address, and that link is the backbone of a claim.
- Photograph wide, then close. A wide shot establishes what the object is and where it is; a close shot shows the damage. A close-up of a dent with no context proves little.
- Include a scale reference — a coin, a tape measure — next to dents and stones.
- Photograph undamaged areas too. It demonstrates you documented the whole property rather than curating.
- Write down what you experienced: how long the hail fell, stone size relative to a coin, wind direction, whether anything else on the property was damaged.
- Keep receipts for tarps and any emergency mitigation.
- Get a written professional inspection with photographs, including the roof surfaces you cannot see and the attic. This is the part homeowners cannot do themselves and the part that carries the most weight.
Then decide about the claim
Knowing what is actually up there before you call your carrier puts you in a far better position than opening a claim blind. Our inspection is free and the photos are yours either way. If you do file, we will meet the adjuster on site — two sets of eyes on the same roof, with our documentation in hand, is how genuine damage avoids being missed. See insurance claim help.
The storm chasers
Within days of a hailstorm, crews from out of state will be knocking. Be careful with: anyone pressuring you to sign on the spot, anyone offering to waive, absorb or pay your deductible — which is illegal in both Missouri and Illinois, see why deductible waiving is against the law — anyone asking for large money up front, anyone with no verifiable local address, and anyone who wants to get on your roof before you have agreed to anything.
Ask three questions: where is your local office, how long have you been in this market, and who honors the warranty in five years. John Beal Roofing has been family-owned since 1947, is in its third generation, and is not going anywhere. Our storm damage inspections are free across Missouri, Illinois, Kansas and Indiana.
Free storm inspection, photographs included, no obligation. Call 1-800-564-6232 — a person answers, 24 hours a day — or book online.
Frequently asked questions
How big does hail have to be to damage a roof?
Damage to asphalt shingles generally begins around one inch in diameter, but wind speed, stone density, shingle age and shingle type all shift that threshold. Older, more brittle shingles can be damaged by smaller stones.
Can I see hail damage from the ground?
Rarely on the shingles themselves. What you can see from the ground are the indicators: granules in gutters, dents in gutters, downspouts, vents and flashing, and spatter marks on decks, grills and window sills. Those indicators are why an inspection is warranted.
What is the best way to document storm damage for insurance?
Photograph wide shots for context and close shots for detail, include a coin or tape measure for scale, note the storm date and time, write down what you experienced, keep mitigation receipts, and obtain a written professional inspection with photographs of the roof surfaces and attic.
Should I get an inspection before filing a claim?
It is usually the better order. Knowing whether you have damage and how extensive it is lets you make an informed decision instead of opening a claim blind, and it gives you documentation to bring to the adjuster visit.
How do I avoid storm chaser roofing scams?
Be wary of high-pressure door knocking, large up-front payments, no verifiable local address, and any offer to waive or absorb your deductible, which is illegal in Missouri and Illinois. Ask where the local office is, how long they have worked the market, and who honors the warranty in five years.