How to know if your roof has hail damage and what to do next

The appearance of damage varies, depending on the type of roofing. On metal roofs, there may be dents, scratches, uneven areas, and depressions. On soft asphalt shingles, cracks, sunken areas, and indentations become noticeable. Severe hail can even cause holes and tears.

It’s also important to inspect joints and overlaps, which can become uneven or deformed. Roof eaves often suffer as well, developing bumps and chips.

Signs can also be seen on the gutter system. After heavy hail, gutters may have dents, chips, and cracks. Sometimes gutter fastenings are affected—they may bend or shift from their original horizontal or vertical positions.

If the roof looks intact from the outside (for example, if the inspection was not thorough or access to remote areas of the roof is limited), check the house—its façade, windows, and doors. You might notice torn mosquito screens, defects in siding or vinyl trim around window frames, chips in glass, or broken panes. If you see clear damage to the building, the roof likely wasn’t spared from hail either.

Next, we’ll look at signs of hail impact on two types of roofing.

Hail damage on asphalt and composite shingles

On this type of roof, you may notice:

• the presence of black granules;
• damage that occurs without any other mechanical impact (except for the hail);
• loss of pieces of the asphalt covering, which can partially expose the insulation (roofing felt);
• shine of unknown origin;
• dents resembling those left on vegetables or fruits (like pressing with a finger).

Hail damage on wooden shingles

On a wooden roof, you may notice:

• cracks, such as dark, reddish, or brown (depending on the type of wood);
• dark spots on the wood;
• pits or indentations;
• splinters on the roof surface;
• areas of cracking with sharp edges and corners;
• broken or chipped edges.