Seeing the possibility of hail on the radar is never a fun experience. It usually signals an extreme weather event and, depending on the hail’s size, can cause significant damage.
While most people worry about hail damage to their cars, hail can cause plenty of damage to a roof. The problem is whether or not homeowners insurance covers hail damage to your roof.
For over 30 years, the team at Bill Ragan Roofing has guided and provided transparent information to homeowners dealing with a storm-damaged roof. That’s why I’ll break down if homeowners insurance covers hail damage and much more.
This article answers the following questions:
- Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage to your roof?
- How do you identify if your roof has hail damage?
- Will homeowners insurance cover a full roof replacement due to hail damage?
- Is hail damage to your roof an immediate concern?
Does homeowners insurance cover hail damage to your roof?
Yes, homeowners insurance covers hail damage and other roof damage caused by extreme weather (strong winds, tornados, fallen limbs, etc.). However, insurance companies want clear and obvious proof of hail damage when reviewing claims.
That’s why size is the big determining factor of whether or not hail damages your roof enough to warrant a claim. While frequent hail can impact the integrity of your roof, hail around 1” in diameter or bigger is what causes noticeable roof damage.
If your roof gets hit with hail this big, there’s a very good chance your shingles and soft metals will show clear signs of damage. However, it’s ultimately up to what the adjuster finds during their inspection that determines if your claim gets approved.
How do you identify if your roof has hail damage?
After learning that it’s covered, you need to know how to identify hail damage to determine if it’s worth filing a claim. Obviously, you’ll need to be on your roof to spot physical damage to the shingles.
However, you can also get an idea if your roof has damage by looking for collateral damage to things on the ground around your property. Let’s break down how to identify hail damage in both instances.
Identifying hail damage on the roof
If the hail is large enough (1” in diameter or bigger), you’ll see literal dents on your shingles. If the hail was widespread enough, you could even have bald spots or areas with severe granule loss.
(Hail dents in asphalt shingles)
Unfortunately, this kind of damage can be hard to spot without experience or an untrained eye. That’s why you should also check for dings/dents/splatter marks on your roof vents, gutters, roof flashing, and other roof penetrations.
(Hail damage to vents and soft metals)
If hail was strong enough to cause damage to these areas, chances are your shingles have been damaged too.
Identifying collateral hail damage on the ground
While you can get on your roof to check for hail damage yourself, I recommend leaving it to a professional for safety reasons. Instead, you can identify potential hail damage by simply walking around your property.
Below are the things you should check for collateral hail damage on the ground level:
- Downspouts (Above 5 feet, so it can’t be blamed on a lawnmower)
- Dings or strikes to your garage door
- Holes in your window screens
- Dings to any painted wood or shutters
- Splatter marks or dings to your electric meter, AC unit, or grill
- Dents to your mailbox and other soft metals on your property
- Dents on the top of your car and the car’s hood
Now, finding anything on the list above doesn’t mean your roof has extensive hail damage. However, it does give you an idea of if you should contact your insurance company to start the claim process.
Will homeowners insurance cover a full roof replacement due to hail damage?
Now you know the insurance will cover hail damage to your roof and how to identify it. But will your insurance company pay for a new roof if you have a viable claim?
As long as there are no exclusions and your roof has a viable hail damage claim, you’ll get a payout for a new roof. However, whether or not the insurance company gives you enough to cover the full cost depends on your insurance policy (ACV or RCV).
Actual Cash Value policy
An Actual Cash Value (ACV) policy only provides the depreciated value of your hail-damaged roof. This means you’ll get a one-time payout for your roof's current value.
An ACV policy will never give you enough to cover the full cost of replacing your hail-damaged roof. This leaves you paying for the rest of your roof replacement out-of-pocket after using the money the insurance company gave you.
Trying to find a low price or even a roof that costs the same as your ACV payout is tempting. However, I guarantee the only way a roofer can do a full roof replacement for the amount of an ACV policy is by using cheap quality materials and labor.
Replacement Cost Value policy
A Replacement Cost Value (RCV) policy is meant to give you enough to replace your roof with a brand-new version of itself. This policy is supposed to give you enough to cover the full cost of your roof replacement.
You’ll first receive a check for the actual cost value of your roof while your insurance company holds back recoverable depreciation. After your roof replacement is completed and the insurance company has proof it was done per the claim, you’ll get a second check to cover the rest of the cost.
Even though they’re supposed to, it’s very rare for insurance companies to provide the full cost upfront. But if you’re patient and do your due diligence by supplementing your claim, you’ll get your new roof paid for fully or close to it.
Is hail damage to your roof an immediate concern?
After a hail storm hits an area, it’s inevitable for storm chasers or other roofing companies to be door-knocking in your neighborhood. This is common in the roofing industry, even among reputable roofing companies.
Unfortunately, bad roofers or companies coming in from out of state try to scare homeowners into getting a new roof as fast as possible. However, there’s no reason to panic because you usually have one year from the day of the hail storm to file an insurance claim.
Now, a hail-damaged roof does need to be looked at in a timely manner and you should reach out to your insurance company to start the claim process once you're aware. There’s just no reason to panic and get scared into filing a claim when you have time to find a trusted roofer with insurance experience.
What does the insurance claim process look like to replace a storm-damaged roof?
Now you know hail damage to your roof is covered by insurance, how to identify it, if insurance will pay for a new roof, and how long you have to file a claim. If your roof does have hail damage, you’ll be ready to start the claim process and find a roofer you trust.
But before you reach out to the insurance company, ask yourself, “Do I feel comfortable with the process? Do I know what the process looks like or where to even begin?”.
The truth is that the claim process can be long, stressful, and full of headaches. That’s why I wrote another article breaking down what the process looks like and what you can expect from it.
Check out What’s the Insurance Process to Replace a Storm-Damaged Roof to learn what you need to know when filing an insurance claim for hail damage.
