Guide for roofing contractors
How to document hail damage for an insurance claim.
The carrier decides the claim from the file. If it is not in the file, it did not happen.
Short answer
Prove the storm first. Then shoot collateral damage on soft metals, a chalked 10 by 10 test square on every slope, close ups of the hits, and the things you are not claiming. Add repairability evidence and keep a paper trail. Chalk only. Never place an object on the roof.
1. Prove the storm
Start with a hail or wind report that puts the storm at that address on that date. The date of loss on the claim has to match it. If you are not sure of the date, find out before the claim is filed, not after.
2. Collateral damage first
Soft metal does not wear out the way shingles do. Shoot it before you climb.
- Gutters and downspouts
- Roof vents, pipe boots and flashing
- Window wraps, screens and sills
- The fins on the AC unit
- Mailbox, shed, fence caps and painted wood
Dents and spatter marks on these show that hail hit the property, how big it was and which way it came from.
3. A test square on every slope
Mark a 10 foot by 10 foot square on each slope with chalk. Circle every hit inside it. Write the count and the direction the slope faces. Shoot it wide so the whole square shows. Then shoot each hit close.
4. Close ups that show real damage
A hail hit on a shingle is a bruise. Granules are knocked off, the spot is soft, and the mat underneath may be cracked. Hits are random. They do not run in lines.
| What you see | What it usually is |
|---|---|
| Random soft bruises with the granules gone | Hail |
| Small pits or bubbles with no bruise | Blistering |
| Scuffs or scrapes in a line or a pattern | Foot traffic or mechanical damage |
| Even granule loss across the whole slope | Age and wear |
Claim what is hail. Leave the rest alone.
5. Photograph what you are not claiming
Shoot the blisters, the old repairs and the worn spots too, and say they are not part of the claim. It shows the adjuster you can tell the difference. That builds trust for everything you are claiming.
6. Repairability
If the carrier wants to patch the roof and not replace it, the question becomes whether the roof can be repaired at all.
- A repairability test. It checks whether the shingles crack or tear when they are lifted for a repair, how strong the seal strip is, and whether the mat pulls off when a shingle is unsealed.
- Proof that the shingle is discontinued.
- A lab report on a shingle sample that shows there is no matching product.
- The age of the roof and any earlier repairs.
7. The paper trail
- The signed agreement with the homeowner.
- The claim number and the date of loss.
- Every call, text and email with the carrier, with dates.
- The recap you sent the adjuster after the meeting.
Rules that keep the file clean
- Chalk only. Never set a coin or any other object on the roof for a photo.
- Never create or add damage.
- Label photos by slope and direction.
- Shoot wide, then close. Every time.
- More photos beat fewer. Thin photo sets lose claims.
Once the file is built, get ready for the visit with the adjuster meeting checklist.
Questions roofers ask
How many photos does a hail damage claim need?
Enough to show every slope, every test square wide and close, every collateral item and anything you are not claiming. A full set is dozens of photos, not a handful.
What is collateral damage on a hail claim?
Hail damage to things other than the shingles, like gutters, downspouts, vents, window screens and the AC unit. It shows that hail hit the property.
Can I put a coin next to a hail hit for scale?
Do not. Use chalk only. An object placed on the roof can make a photo look staged.
What is a repairability test on a roof?
A check of whether an aged shingle can take a repair. It looks at whether the shingle cracks or tears when it is lifted, how strong the seal strip is, and whether the mat pulls off when it is unsealed. If it fails, a spot repair may not be possible. Some roofers call it a brittle test.
See how ready this file is.
Ten quick questions. Get a Closability Score out of 100 and the fixes that take it to 70.
General information for contractors. Not legal or insurance advice. Rules differ by state and by policy. A Closability Score is not a guarantee of approval. The carrier decides the claim.