A hailstorm rolls through, the sirens stop, and you walk outside to find shingles in the yard. What you do over the next day or two decides how much damage the house takes and how smoothly the insurance claim goes. Here is the order we walk homeowners through when they call us after a storm.
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1. Check from the ground, not the ladder
Stay off the roof. Wet shingles are slick, hail-bruised decking can be soft, and most storm injuries we hear about come from homeowners climbing up to take a look.
Walk the property instead and look for:
Then go inside. Check ceilings on the top floor, the tops of exterior walls, and the attic if you can get into it safely with a flashlight. A fresh water stain or damp insulation means water is already getting in.
2. Take pictures before anything gets cleaned up
Your photos are the first record of the damage, so take them before you pick up debris or move anything. Get wide shots of each side of the house, close-ups of dented metal and damaged shingles you can see from the ground, and every interior stain. A short video walking the property works too. Your phone stamps the date, which matters later.
Write down the date and time of the storm. Filing against the wrong storm date is one of the most common reasons a legitimate claim runs into trouble.
3. Stop the water if it is getting in
If water is coming through the ceiling, put a bucket under it and move furniture and electronics out of the way. If a bulge of water is forming in drywall, a small hole at the lowest point lets it drain into the bucket instead of bringing the ceiling down.
Most homeowner policies require you to take reasonable steps to prevent further damage. That is what an emergency tarp is for. A properly fastened tarp over the opening protects the house and your claim. Keep the receipt; tarping is usually reimbursed as part of the claim.
Hold off on permanent repairs until the adjuster has seen the roof. Replacing damaged shingles before then can make the damage hard to prove.
4. Get a professional inspection
A lot of hail damage cannot be seen from the ground. Bruised shingles look fine from the driveway but have a cracked mat underneath that will leak in a year or two. A good inspection covers every slope, every penetration and the soft metals, with photos of what was found.
We do these for free and give you the photos either way. If the damage is not worth a claim, we will tell you so before you call your insurer. A claim that gets denied still shows up in your claims history.
5. File the claim
If the inspection shows real storm damage, call your insurance company or use their app to open a claim. Give them the storm date and your photos. They will assign an adjuster to come out.
Ask your contractor to be there when the adjuster inspects the roof. Adjusters are busy after a big storm and can miss things like damaged vents, gutters or a second slope. Having someone on the roof who already documented the damage is the best way to get the full scope written the first time.
6. Read the estimate before you sign anything
The insurance estimate will list what the carrier agreed to pay for. Look for two numbers: the replacement cost (RCV) and the actual cash value (ACV). The first check is usually the ACV. The rest, called recoverable depreciation, comes after the work is finished and documented. Your out-of-pocket cost on a covered roof is normally your deductible.
If the estimate leaves out damage the inspection found, your contractor can send the carrier a supplement with photos. Missing items are common and usually get added once they are documented.
Mistakes we see after almost every storm
When to call us
We are based in Justin and work storms across North Texas every spring. If you think the last storm hit your roof, call (855) 741-ROOF. We answer quickly during business hours, schedule free inspections within 24 hours, and can have a tarp on an open roof the same day.