Checking Your Roof for Hail Damage

When a thunderstorm rolls through, you may cringe at the thought of the potential damage it could do to your home. You’re not alone — hail damage is an expensive result of severe weather and a major concern of homeowners. Even worse, unnoticed hail damage can have negative effects on other parts of your home. Use these expert tips for spotting potential hail damage after the next thunderstorm.

How to Spot Hail Damage on Your Roof

It’s hard to see if hail’s done damage to your roof from your lawn, driveway or the street, but unless you’re a professional, you should stay off of your roof — especially after a storm. We’ve gathered some tips that can help you figure out from the safety of the ground if your roof took on hail damage.

Check surrounding objects for damage

If other things around your home look like they took on hail damage, your roof almost certainly got hit by hail, too. Check your gutters, downspouts, siding, screen windows, garage door, plants and vehicles for hail dents.

Look for any missing shingles

An easy way to spot roof trouble is to look for any shingles that have been blown off your roof and into your lawn. Even if you notice that a neighbor has shingles strewn about your lawn, it’s worth getting in touch with an expert to see if your roof took on any damage.

Keep an eye out for leaks

If you’ve looked around your home for hail damage and haven’t seen any missing shingles in your yard, don’t assume you’re in the clear quite yet. Unseen hail damage can lead to leaks in your roof, so look for any water spots and moisture around the edges of your ceiling.

Does Insurance Cover Roof Damage from Wind and Hail?

It’s important to understand the ins-and-outs of your homeowner’s policy, especially when it comes to storm damage. As an American Family customer, your homeowners insurance will cover your roof for wind and hail damage. How much it will cover, however, depends on the type of policy you have.

Your roof coverage can be either actual cash value (ACV) or replacement cost value (RCV). Actual cash value coverage covers what your roof is worth today, whereas replacement cash value will cover the cost of replacing your roof. No matter which coverage you have, your deductible will be the amount you chose when you purchased your home insurance policy.

What to Do If You Find Hail Damage to Your Roof

Noticing that your roof has actually taken hail damage can be stressful and disappointing. But following these steps can help you get your roof back in prime condition as fast as possible.

File a claim

Connect with your insurance company right away to report the hail damage. They’ll send an adjuster to your property to review the damage and estimate a repair or replacement cost. At American Family, you can conveniently file a claim online (Opens in a new tab) or connect with our claims department at 1-800-MYAMFAM (1-800-692-6326).

Avoid door-to-door contractors

After big storms cause any sort of damage in a neighborhood, some contractors may apply high-pressure sales techniques by going door to door and soliciting business. Don’t fall into the trap. After wrapping up business with your adjuster, look for a highly-respected contractor with plenty of good customer reviews to fix up your roof.

Replace Your Roof and Save Today

If you recently had to replace your roof due to storm damage or other damage, now may be a great time to switch to American Family. American Family rewards homeowners with lower rates on home insurance if your home’s roof has been replaced within the last five years.* Get an online quote today to see how much you could save.

Your American Family agent (Opens in a new tab) is an expert on your homeowners coverage. And when the unexpected happens, you can count on them to have your back and answer any questions you might have. Brush up on your homeowners insurance options today and get the peace of mind you deserve.

This article is for informational purposes only and includes information widely available through different sources.

*Homeowners premiums are based on a variety of factors including roof age, roof material and more, which impacts the rate you are quoted and that you will pay.