Did your roof just get hit by a strong storm, and need a roofer to come take a look? Are you wondering what to expect when they actually show up at your home?
After a strong storm blows through an area, it usually takes a couple days before door knockers are canvassing neighborhoods. You don’t notice any problems, but all of a sudden your neighbors are getting their roofs replaced.
Now, you’re worried that your roof has damage after all. So, you call a roofer to come to your property for a storm damage roof inspection.
But what exactly will the roofing contractor inspect and look for when on your property? And how do they prove that your roof has storm damage?
For over 35 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners understand the process that comes with a storm-damaged roof. That's why l want to help you understand what happens during a storm damage roof inspection.
By the end of this article, you'll learn the answers to:
- What does a roofer look for when performing a storm damage roof inspection?
- How does a roofing contractor document storm damage to your roof?
- What happens after your storm damage roof inspection?
What does a roofer look for when performing a storm damage roof inspection?
A storm damage roof inspection looks for signs of hail, wind, or other storm damage on your gutters, shingles, and more. However, it takes experience to look in the right areas and at the right things to prove a roof has hail damage.
So, let's look at what a roofer look for when performing a storm damage roof inspection.
Collateral damage to objects on the ground level
The first thing a roofing contractor usually does is a visual inspection of things at the ground looking for “collateral damage”. Now, this is mainly for hail because wind doesn't visually affect ground level areas as much, unless shingle or trees are down.
However, if there's damage to object around the roof line, there’s the possibility that your roof has damage as well.
The things and areas that are checked for collateral hail damage from the ground level:
- Dents in 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
- Shingles on the ground
- Missing siding
- Granules on the ground by downspouts
Keep in mind that it’s not a 100% guarantee that your roof was damaged if collateral damage is found on the ground. But it does give your roofer a good jumping off point when starting their storm damage inspection.
Dents or dings on the face of gutters
Once the ladder is up, the roofer will look for dings and dents on the face of the gutters. If hail was strong enough to damage the gutters at the roof line, there's a good chance the roof was affected as well.
Obviously, there's no guarantee damaged gutters will lead to an approved roof damage claim. However, it could at the very least lead to insurance replacing the gutters.
Loose granules inside the gutters
While looking at the outside of the gutters, the roofer also looks inside for sitting piles of granules. If the hail did enough damage to warrant granule loss, the integrity of the shingles are compromised.
(Granules in gutter)
Just know granule loss also happens as a roof ages and is a sign that it’s time for a replacement. So, you may find loose granules in your gutters if you have an older roof that’s just telling you it needs to be replaced.
Shingle damage
As soon as they get on your roof, the roofing contractor will inspect the condition of the shingles for any signs of roof damage. However, spotting wind and hail damage is different.
Lifted or missing shingles
For wind damage, they’ll look for any missing, lifted, or creased shingles. Finding shingles in your yard or missing from the roof is clear indication your roof has wind damage.
However, wind damage can also be less obvious with lifted or creased shingles. Luckily, an experienced roofer can spot them by understanding the wind direction and visual signs.
Dented shingles
For hail damage, the roofer looks for dings or dents large enough to damage the shingles. Hail around 1” in diameter is big enough to cause clear and noticeable damage to asphalt shingles.
Keep in mind that smaller hail stones with frequent storms can also cause damage and shorten a roof's lifespan. But if hail is large enough to cause dents, there’s no question the shingles are compromised.
Damage to roof flashing and roof vents
Finally, the roofer will look at the metal on your roof for hail damage. Like the shingles themselves, they'll look for dents and dings to your roof vents, roof flashing, and any other metal on your roof.
If hail was strong enough to dent the metal, your roof will definitely have damage in other areas.
How does a roofing contractor document storm damage to your roof?
During your inspection for storm damage to your roof, the insurance company needs clear evidence to prove that it's a worthy claim. A roofer does this by marking up areas and taking pictures of the damage they notice as proof (if there is any) with clear reference points.
This includes collateral damage on the ground and the damage to the roof. They’ll take pictures of any roof areas with missing shingles, granule loss, hail marks, dents in metal, and anything else that looks like possible storm damage.
(Chalked up roof showing hail damage)
To mark the damage on the roof, the roofing contractor uses chalk to point them out. For hail strikes on shingles, they’ll circle the dents and dings on the impacted areas.
For dents on roof vents, they’ll turn the chalk sideways and fill in the area to make the damage more noticeable. After marking up the damage on your roof, they’ll take pictures for submission to the insurance company.
What happens after your storm damage roof inspection?
After getting off your roof, the roofer will show you what they found and recommend whether or not to follow through with filing a claim. If they didn’t find damage, they’ll recommend not filing a claim and help determine the next option to take care of your problem.
If they find damage, they’ll show you pictures and walk you through what happens next. They’ll also share the pictures to submit to your insurance company.
After that, the ball is in your insurance company’s court to approve or deny your claim. Just know that a roofer can't approve your claim, and the all the approval power lies with your adjuster and insurance company.
What can you expect from the insurance process when filing a roof damage claim?
Now you know what a roofer looks for during a storm damage roof inspection, how they document it, and what happens immediately aftewrards. If you don’t have storm damage, then great, there’s no reason to move forward with filing a claim.
But finding if storm damage is found, it's just the beginning of a long and confusing process. This is especially true if you’ve never been through it before.
So, it’s important to learn as much as possible before diving in headfirst into the claim process. That’s why I wrote another article breaking down the homeowners insurance process and everything that goes into it.
Check out What’s the Insurance Process to Replace a Storm-Damaged Roof to learn what to expect when filing an insurance claim.
