Hail Damage Roof Inspection: What Utah Homeowners Must Document

Hail damage looks different on different roofing materials. Knowing what to look for is the first step.

Asphalt Shingles: Hail creates "bruising"—dark circular marks where the impact knocked off protective granules and compressed the shingle. You'll see exposed black asphalt underneath. Fresh damage has clean, distinct edges; old weathering looks more diffuse.

Metal Roofing: Hail shows as dents in metal panels. Insurance sometimes calls these "cosmetic," but dents that crack the protective coating cause rust and early failure. Document any coating damage, not just the dent itself.

Tile and Slate: Hail cracks or breaks tiles and slate. Look for visible fractures, chips, or broken pieces on the ground. These are obvious and usually get covered without argument.

The key point: hail damage is often invisible from the ground. You need to get up close—either on the roof or with good binoculars from a ladder. Walking around your yard and "not seeing anything" doesn't mean there's no damage.

You don't need to climb on your roof to gather important evidence. Here's what to check from the ground:

Gutters: Check for excessive granule accumulation—more than usual suggests hail stripped granules from shingles. Run your hand through the gutter; if you get handfuls of granules, there's damage above.

Collateral Damage: Hail doesn't just hit roofs. Check cars, siding, deck railings, AC units, mailboxes, and gutters for dents and damage. Document everything—this proves storm intensity and supports your roof claim.

Metal Roof Components: Even with shingle roofs, you have metal vents, flashing, and drip edge. These show dents more easily than shingles. If vents are dented, your shingles got hit too.

Neighbors: Hail doesn't skip houses. If neighbors are getting new roofs, you probably have damage too. Note if roofing companies are working in your neighborhood—it's a sign of widespread damage.

This ground-level evidence establishes that a damaging hail event occurred. It's your foundation before the detailed roof inspection.

For thorough documentation, you need a professional on the roof. Here's what we do:

Systematic Coverage: We walk every square foot of the roof, checking each section methodically. Hail damage isn't always evenly distributed—wind can push hail to one side, so west-facing slopes might have damage while east-facing doesn't.

Impact Density Measurement: We count hail impacts in test squares (usually 10x10 feet). Insurance uses this to determine whether damage warrants spot repairs or full replacement. 8+ impacts per 100 square feet typically means replacement.

Photo Documentation: We photograph representative damage with reference objects for scale. Wide shots show overall roof condition; close-ups show individual impacts. Good photos in proper lighting (morning or afternoon, not midday) make damage visible.

Hidden Area Inspection: Valleys, ridges, behind chimneys—these areas take damage that's invisible from the ground. We check everything.

Written Report: The final product is a detailed report with measurements, damage counts, material specifications, and recommendations. This becomes your documentation for the insurance claim.

Professional inspection isn't about selling you a roof. It's about having accurate documentation that stands up to adjuster scrutiny. We find damage that homeowners miss and document it in the format insurance companies need to see.

Good documentation wins claims. Here's exactly what you need:

Photo Requirements: Take wide-angle shots of entire roof from all sides. Take close-ups of individual impacts with a quarter or ruler for scale. Photograph at angles that show depth of damage, not straight down. Morning or late afternoon light creates shadows that reveal damage.

Video Walkthrough: A narrated video showing damage across the roof helps adjusters understand the extent. "Here's impact one... here's two... you can see the exposed asphalt..."

Weather Data: Pull National Weather Service storm reports for your area showing hail size and wind speed. If NWS recorded 1.5-inch hail in your ZIP code, that's official evidence of a damaging event.

Written Timeline: Note the storm date, estimated hail size, when you discovered damage, and when you filed. Clear timeline prevents insurance from claiming damage is from a different event.

Collateral Evidence: Photos of damaged cars, siding, patio furniture—anything hit by the same storm. This corroborates intensity when the adjuster tries to claim "the hail was too small to cause damage."

The goal is overwhelming evidence that a damaging hail event occurred and your roof was affected. Make it impossible to deny.