The short answer
Three things to know before you call8–10hits
in a 10 × 10 ft test square, on the slopes that faced the storm. That’s the threshold most adjusters use.
Metals first
Dents in gutters, vents and downspouts don’t fade. If the metals are clean, the shingles usually are too.
One hit means nothing
Blisters, age wear and foot traffic all get mistaken for hail. We photograph all of it and tell you which is which.
01
The three things hail actually does to a shingle
Hail hits an asphalt shingle at an angle and does one of three things: it knocks the granules loose in a round, bruise-like spot; it fractures the mat underneath so the spot feels soft when you press it; or on older roofs it cracks the shingle outright.
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01 · BruiseCounts for a claim
Granules knocked loose
A round, bruise-like spot where the granules came off and the asphalt shows.
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02 · Soft spot
The mat fractures
The fiberglass mat underneath breaks, so the spot feels soft when you press it.
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03 · Crack
An older shingle splits
On older roofs, the shingle cracks outright instead of bruising.
The bruise is the one that matters for a claim. A single hit means nothing. Eight to ten hits in a 10-by-10 test square, on the slopes that faced the storm, is the threshold most adjusters use.
Count a test square
How an adjuster reads one square of your roof
9hits in this square
At the line. Eight to ten hits in a square, on the slopes that faced the storm, is the threshold most adjusters use.
Illustration · counted on each slope that faced the storm
02
What looks like hail but isn’t
Blistering from heat, granule loss from age, and the marks left by foot traffic all get mistaken for hail. Here’s how to tell them apart.
| On the roof | What you see | The tell |
|---|---|---|
| Hail | Round bruises where the granules are knocked loose | Concentrated on the slopes that faced the storm, and the metals are dented too |
| Heat blisters | Bumps in the shingle surface | Raised, not dented |
| Age wear | Granule loss | Even across the whole slope instead of concentrated on one side |
| Foot traffic | Scuffs and marks | Usually in a line near a vent or where someone walked |
We photograph all of it, because telling you the truth about what’s on the roof is the job. A claim that gets denied costs you the deductible and the time.
Telling you the truth about what’s on the roof is the job.
03
Where we look first
Soft metals tell the story before the shingles do. Gutters, downspouts, roof vents, and the fascia get dented by the same hail, and dents in aluminum don’t fade. If the metals are clean, the shingles usually are too. Then the slopes: hail comes from one direction, so one or two sides of the roof take the hits. Then the ridge cap, which sits up and takes the worst of it.
- 1The soft metalsGutters, downspouts, roof vents and the fascia take the same hail, and dents in aluminum don’t fade.
- 2The slopes that faced the stormHail comes from one direction, so one or two sides of the roof take the hits.
- 3The ridge capIt sits up and takes the worst of it.
04
What we hand you
Photos of every hit, marked in chalk, with a tape in the frame for scale; a count per test square; and a written scope of what a repair or replacement involves.
That package is what goes to your adjuster. When our scope and theirs match, the work proceeds as written.
- 01Photos of every hitmarked in chalk, tape in frame for scale
- 02A count per test squareon the slopes that faced the storm
- 03A written scopewhat a repair or replacement involves
05
Questions we get about this
Is hail damage covered by homeowners insurance in Minnesota?
Almost always, under the wind and hail portion of a standard policy, minus your deductible. Whether a specific roof qualifies depends on the count and pattern of hits, which is why the inspection comes first.
How long do I have to file after a storm?
Policies vary, but a year is common and some are shorter. Damage that sits also gets harder to prove, so have the roof looked at within a few weeks of a storm, even if you don’t file right away.
Will you tell me if it’s not worth a claim?
Yes. If the count is under the threshold or the damage is wear, we say so and you keep your deductible and your claim history.
