How to tell if your roof has storm damage: a contractor's honest checklist
After every big DMV thunderstorm, two kinds of people show up in your neighborhood: crews doing legitimate inspections, and crews hoping you can't tell the difference between hail damage and a fifteen-year-old roof. This checklist is what our own inspectors actually look for — including the parts of the roof most homeowners never think to check, and the honest cases where the right answer is "don't file a claim."
Everything below can be checked from the ground, a window, or your attic. Stay off the roof — walking storm-stressed shingles can cause the damage you're looking for, and a fall costs more than any roof.
Step 1: Read the soft metal first
Hail hard enough to bruise a shingle always dents soft metal, and soft metal doesn't heal or weather over. Walk the house perimeter and check:
- Gutters and downspouts — dime-size or larger dimples, especially on the storm-facing side;
- AC condenser fins — flattened fins in a splatter pattern are one of the most reliable hail indicators adjusters use;
- Window wraps, screen frames, and flashing — dents and torn screens at consistent heights;
- Grill lids, mailboxes, sheds — anything painted metal that faces the sky.
If all the soft metal on the storm side is clean, meaningful hail damage to shingles is unlikely — and an inspector who "finds" heavy roof damage anyway deserves skepticism.
Step 2: Check what the roof sheds
- Granules. Look below downspout outlets and in gutter splash zones. A coffee-mug pile of fresh granules after one storm means impacts stripped the shingles' protective layer. (A light sprinkle after any heavy rain on an older roof is normal wear — honesty cuts both ways.)
- Debris on the lawn. Shingle tabs, ridge-cap pieces, or strips of felt in the yard are unambiguous.
- Fence-line comparison. If neighbors on your side of the street are getting roofs replaced after a verified event, your roof saw the same storm. Check what actually hit your address on our live DMV storm tracker, which plots NOAA/NWS hail and wind reports on a map.
Step 3: Scan the shingles from the ground
Use your phone camera zoomed, or binoculars, in raking morning or evening light:
- Hail bruises — dark, roughly circular spots scattered in a random pattern (storms don't hit in straight lines; man-made damage does);
- Creased or lifted tabs — a horizontal shadow line across a tab means wind folded it back and broke the seal, even if it lay back down. Gusts of 45–50 mph can crease tabs; at 60+ mph they tear off;
- Missing tabs or exposed black substrate — the obvious one;
- Shiny fiberglass mat showing through where granules were knocked away.
Hail bruises feel like a bruise on an apple — the mat underneath is fractured even when the surface looks almost normal. That's why fresh hail damage is commonly missed from the street and why photo documentation up close matters for a claim.
Step 4: Check the attic and ceilings
- With a flashlight, scan the attic sheathing for new water staining, damp insulation, or daylight at penetrations — especially after the next hard rain;
- Inside, look for fresh ceiling stains (brown rings), bubbling paint at wall tops, or a musty smell in upstairs closets against exterior walls.
Interior evidence means water is already through the system — that's a same-week issue regardless of whether a claim is involved. Our emergency leak guide covers the first 30 minutes.
Step 5: Know your policy's clock
This is the step homeowners skip. Most homeowners policies set a filing window — commonly one year from the date of loss, sometimes two — in the "duties after loss" section. There is no need to rush a decision the week of the storm, but there is a real deadline, and storm damage gets harder to attribute the longer it weathers. The practical move: get the damage documented with dated photos soon after the event, then decide about filing with full information. Our free printable storm-damage & claim checklist lists what adjusters need.
When NOT to file a claim
An honest contractor will tell you this to your face:
- The repair costs less than your deductible. One missing tab is a $300–$600 repair; a typical deductible is $1,000–$2,500. Filing gains you nothing and adds a claim to your loss history.
- The damage is wear, not weather. Uniform cupping, bald spots, and cracking on a 20-year-old roof are age. Policies exclude wear — a wear-based claim gets denied and still counts as a claim.
- The evidence is thin. If soft metal is clean and shingles show nothing, "the neighbor got a roof" is not a claim basis.
When damage IS real and widespread, the sequence is simple: document first, then call your carrier, then have your contractor meet the adjuster on-site to walk the same evidence. The full process — ACV vs RCV, supplements, what the adjuster meeting looks like — is in our step-by-step claim guide.
Compliance, plainly: you file and own your claim; your insurance carrier makes every coverage decision. United Developers is a licensed contractor — not a public adjuster — and in Maryland and Virginia it is illegal for any contractor to pay, waive, or rebate your deductible. Anyone offering to "eat" it is proposing insurance fraud with your name on the policy.
What a proper storm inspection gives you
Whether or not you ever file, a documented inspection gives you a dated photo record of your roof's condition — useful for a claim, a warranty, or a future sale. Ours takes about 30–40 minutes, covers roof, soft metal, attic and ventilation, and ends with a written report you keep either way. See exactly what a legitimate free inspection should include, or learn more about our storm restoration work.
Get a real number, not a guess
Free roof inspection, typically scheduled within 24 hours — full photo report and a written, itemized quote. Yours to keep, no obligation either way.
Frequently asked questions
How can I tell if my roof has hail damage without climbing on it?
Check the soft metal first: gutters, downspouts, AC condenser fins, window wraps, and grill lids show dents at the same hail size that bruises shingles. Then look for fresh granule piles below downspouts and dark, random-pattern bruises on shingles visible from the ground or a window. If the soft metal is clean, significant shingle damage is unlikely.
What wind speed damages asphalt shingles?
Gusts around 45–50 mph can lift and crease shingle tabs, breaking their seal even when nothing blows off. At 60 mph and above, tabs and whole shingles start tearing off. The DMV sees multiple 60+ mph thunderstorm events most years — a creased shingle is real damage even though the roof looks intact from the street.
How long do I have to file a storm damage claim in Maryland or Virginia?
It depends on your policy, not on a state statute — most policies set a filing window of one year from the date of loss, and some allow two. Check your policy's 'duties after loss' section for the exact deadline, and document damage with dated photos as soon as it is safe to do so.
Should I file an insurance claim for one missing shingle?
Usually not. A small repair often costs less than a typical $1,000–$2,500 deductible, and a claim goes on your loss history either way. File when documented damage is widespread enough that the repair or replacement cost clearly exceeds your deductible. An honest inspection report tells you which side of that line you're on — and a good contractor will tell you when NOT to file.
Does United Developers handle the insurance claim for me?
No — and be wary of anyone who says they will. We are a licensed contractor, not a public adjuster: we document the damage with dated photos, prepare a repair estimate, and meet your adjuster on-site to walk the same evidence. You file and own the claim, and your carrier makes every coverage decision. In Maryland and Virginia it is also illegal for a contractor to pay, waive, or rebate your deductible.