Did you have a hail storm come through your area? Are you wondering if the hail was big enough to cause roof damage?
Hail isn’t always guaranteed to cause damage to a roof. But if the hail is big enough, it will cause damage and compromise the integrity of your shingles.
Saying “big enough” won’t help you decide if your roof has possible hail damage. So, what size hail will damage a roof?
For over 30 years, Bill Ragan Roofing has helped homeowners understand everything they need to know about hail damage to their roofs. So, let’s break down how hail size impacts your roof and much more.
By the end of this article, you’ll have the answers to the following questions:
- What size hail will damage a roof?
- How do you identify hail damage to your roof?
- Will insurance pay to replace a roof that has hail damage?
What size hail will damage a roof?
Hail around 1” to 1.25” in diameter is usually enough to damage a roof to warrant an insurance claim. This is big enough to damage most asphalt shingles, but the impact-resistance rating also affects how big hail needs to be to cause noticeable damage.
With that in mind, hail needs to be around 1.75” to 2” in size to damage shingles with a Class 3 or Class 4 impact-resistance rating. Hail this size will always lead to claims, but there’s a good chance hail around 1.25” in diameter will damage most roofs.
Hailstones big enough to cause dents are pretty noticeable if you know what you’re looking for, and an experienced roofing contractor shouldn’t miss them. But if you can’t see dents in the shingles, it doesn’t necessarily mean your roof won’t have hail damage.
A lot of little hail can impact your roof and shorten its lifespan over time, especially if it’s exposed to hail often. However, you won’t know the full extent until after an inspection.
How do you identify hail damage to your roof?
Knowing what size hail damages a roof is one thing, but you most likely don’t have access to hail maps that show the sizes that hit your area. Fortunately, there are ways to identify hail damage if you know what to look for and where.
Obviously, you still need a professional opinion. However, this will help you determine if a hail storm actually damaged your roof before moving forward.
Dent on the shingles
The most obvious way to spot hail damage is to look for damage to the shingles. If the hail was big enough, you’ll see dents or bruises (around 1” in diameter) on shingles in various areas.
Finding dents means the shingles have granule loss, which compromises their integrity and shortens their lifespan. This is probably the hardest sign to identify without an untrained eye.
But if the damage is large enough and widespread, it’s pretty noticeable. Just keep in mind that you shouldn’t get on your roof to look for hail damage if you don’t feel comfortable on ladders or walking on a roof safely.
Damage to roof vents or metal
Not seeing clear indentations on shingles doesn’t mean they weren’t damaged. That’s why roofers and adjusters also look for dents to roof vents, roof flashing, or other metals on your roof.
If the hail was strong enough to dent vents or metal, you’ll definitely have damage in other roof areas. On top of dents, hail can leave spatter marks that can also be a sign of damage.
This is a sign that hail cleared away dirt by leaving discoloration from multiple impacts. These marks help determine not only the size but also the direction of the hail.
Finding loose granules in gutters or around downspouts
Granules are pieces of asphalt embedded in shingles to make them fire-resistant, give them their color, and protect them from UV rays. They are crucial to your roof’s lifespan, but granule loss happens naturally as a roof ages and usually means you need a new roof.
However, finding loose granules after a storm is also a sign that your roof may have hail damage. If hail was strong enough to cause granule loss, the integrity of your shingles is definitely compromised.
You can easily spot this by looking around your downspouts and inside your gutters for loose granules. Trust me, there will be a lot if your roof has hail damage.
Collateral damage to objects on the ground
Getting on your roof is dangerous, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be able to identify hail damage while up there with an untrained eye. That’s why looking for collateral hail damage to objects and areas on the ground.
One of the easiest ways to identify collateral hail damage is by looking for dents in your gutters and downspouts. This is a good indication that your roof was probably damaged, but dents in downspouts need to be above 5 feet to avoid being blamed for something else.
While damaged gutters and downspouts are easy to spot, you should also look for the following:
- Dents or strikes on your garage door
- Holes in your window screens
- Dings or spatter marks on painted wood, shutters, or exterior doors
- Spatter marks or dings to your electric meter, AC unit, or grill
- Dents to your mailbox and other soft metals on your property
If you find any of the above, there's a good chance your roof has damage. However, it’s not 100% guaranteed that your roof has damage just because collateral damage is found.
Will insurance pay to replace a roof that has hail damage?
If there are large hail marks and/or widespread hail damage, insurance will provide a payout for a roof replacement. However, your insurance policy (ACV or RCV) determines whether or not the insurance company gives you enough to cover most or the full cost.
If you have an ACV policy, insurance will only give you a check for what your roof is valued at the time of the claim. Unfortunately, this will never be enough for a roof replacement.
On the other hand, an RCV policy means the insurance company must provide a payout to replace the damaged roof with a brand-new version of itself. However, most claims need to be supplemented to get the maximum amount from the insurance company.
As long as you hire a roofing contractor with insurance experience, they’ll guide you through the process and help supplement your claim.
What do you need to know before filing a claim for roof damage?
Now you know what size hail will damage your roof, how to identify if your roof has hail damage, and if insurance will pay for a new roof because of it. If you think your roof has damage, you’ll start the claim process.
However, the insurance claim process is a long and, oftentimes, confusing process. This is especially true if you’ve never been through it before.
So, before doing anything else, you need to know what you’re about to get into and what you can expect. That’s why I wrote another article breaking down the main things every homeowner needs to know about filing an insurance claim for roof damage.
Check out 7 Things You Need to Know About the Insurance Process for Roof Damage to learn what you need to know before filing a claim.
