Hail damage insurance claim: what to do after a hailstorm

Hail damage is easy to miss and easy to dispute later. The first two days are when the best evidence exists.

• Write down the date and time the hail fell, and roughly how long it lasted.
• Photograph hailstones next to a coin or ruler before they melt. The National Weather Service treats hail one inch across (about quarter size) or larger as severe.
• Photograph the ground level first. Dented gutters, cracked siding, torn screens and dinged air conditioner fins are safe to shoot from the yard.
• Stay off the roof. Let a licensed roofer or the adjuster climb it.
• Cover openings like broken skylights or windows and keep the receipts.

This is the first hail habit Claims Answer Man teaches: photograph every surface before any repair starts. Our free claim checklist helps you keep track.

Your insurer will usually check weather records against the date you report. If the dates don’t line up, or if an older storm hit the same roof, expect questions. You can build your own record:

• Storm reports from the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center, listed by date and place.
• NOAA’s Storm Events Database, which logs hail and wind events by county. It’s usually updated about three months after the month of the storm.
• Local news stories, neighbors’ dated photos and your own dated photos.

Several storms in one season can make a claim harder. If you were paid for hail damage before and didn’t repair it, the insurer may not pay for that same damage again. Keep repair invoices and photos of the finished work. For how the inspection, repair or replace decision and roof estimate work after that, see our roof insurance claim guide.

On the roof itself, hail tends to leave round marks: spots where granules were knocked off asphalt shingles, soft bruises or cracks, splits in wood shakes and dents in metal. Soft metals dent more easily than shingles, so adjusters use them as a hail gauge. Damage there also counts in your claim, so list it all.

A detached fence or shed usually falls under other structures coverage, which has its own limit. Hail on your car is a separate claim under your auto policy.

Adjusters sort hail damage into two kinds:

• Functional damage hurts how the part works or how long it will last. Examples are cracked shingles, bruises that break the mat underneath, or holes in siding.
• Cosmetic damage changes only the look. A classic example is small dents in a metal roof that doesn’t leak.

Many policies cover both. Some, especially in hail-prone states, add a cosmetic damage exclusion that removes coverage for damage that only affects appearance. It’s sometimes paired with a discount for an impact-resistant roof. Rules differ by state and insurer. Texas allowed an optional cosmetic hail endorsement in 1998 that’s void unless the homeowner signs it. One insurer’s form posted by Missouri’s insurance department won’t pay for hail damage to a metal roof surface unless it no longer keeps water out.

If an adjuster calls your damage cosmetic, ask them to name the exact policy wording they’re relying on, in writing. Then check your declarations page for a cosmetic or roof endorsement. If you believe the damage is functional, a roofer’s written report with close-up photos is your best reply.

Many policies in hail country have a separate wind and hail deductible. It’s often a percentage of your home’s insured value (the dwelling limit), not a flat dollar amount. The Insurance Information Institute says percentage deductibles usually run from 1% to 5%. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) notes that some, mostly hurricane deductibles, reach 10%.

A made-up example: your dwelling limit is $300,000 and your wind and hail deductible is 2%. You pay the first $6,000 of the hail damage. A $9,000 repair would bring a $3,000 payment, if no depreciation is held back.

Look up your number before you file. Our guide to the homeowners insurance deductible shows where it appears and how it’s applied.

Your policy sets the time limit, and it varies. Most policies ask for prompt notice. The Texas Department of Insurance notes that some policies have a one-year deadline unless you can show good cause for the delay. Policies from the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association give one year from the date of damage.

State law can change these rules, so if you live there, check the Texas hail claim rules or Colorado’s claim rules. Even when you have time, report early. Small hail damage can turn into a leak months later, and a late report gives the insurer a reason to question the cause.

After big hail, out-of-town contractors often go door to door. Some do good work. Before you sign, slow down:

• Never sign a contract with blank spaces, and keep a copy of everything you sign.
• Be wary of anyone who offers to waive or cover your deductible. In Texas that’s illegal, and some other states have similar rules.
• In many states a contractor may not negotiate your claim unless licensed as a public adjuster.
• The Federal Trade Commission’s Cooling-Off Rule lets you cancel many sales of $25 or more made at your home until midnight of the third business day.

If you want someone to handle the claim for you, compare that choice with what a licensed public adjuster does and costs.