Key numbers
103 verified hail storms with stones of 1.5 inches or larger reached El Paso County, which includes Colorado Springs, from 2000 to 2025 in the storm records we keep; the largest measured 4.5 inches (softball size) on July 13, 2011 (NOAA NCEI).
| Hail storms by decade, 2000 to 2025 | 2000s: 35, 2010s: 44, 2020s: 24 Source: Storm library: El Paso County hail history |
|---|---|
| Largest hail | 4.5 in. (softball), July 13, 2011 Source: NOAA NCEI |
| Costliest hail storm | $352.8 million insured losses (2016 dollars), July 28, 2016 Source: RMIIA |
| 205 | NOAA's Storm Events Database logged 205 hail reports in Colorado in 2022, including 20 of 2 inches or larger. Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2022 |
| 0.9% to 24.6% | Wildfire risk makes up 0.9% to 24.6% of homeowners premiums across Colorado counties, per the Colorado Division of Insurance. Source: Colorado Division of Insurance, 2025-2026 (DOI analysis) |
| 20 percent | Fiber cement siding's share of new U.S. single-family homes has grown almost 20 percentage points in the past 25 years. Source: National Association of Home Builders (analysis of Census Survey of Construction), 2000-2025 |
A storm counts when the library lists El Paso County among the areas it hit. Each hail size is the storm's largest report, which may have fallen in a neighboring county, and insured losses cover every area the storm hit.
Hail damages siding more often than most homeowners expect. Vinyl cracks and punctures, aluminum and steel dent, wood splits, and fiber cement chips or breaks at the laps and corners, usually on the walls that faced the storm. If you think your siding was hit, photograph every wall, write down the storm date, read your policy’s deductible and loss settlement terms, and get an inspection before deciding whether to file. This page is general information about how siding damage and homeowner insurance usually interact. Integrity Roofing and Painting does not file claims; the claim is yours, and our role is to inspect, document and, if you choose, replace the siding.
What hail does to each siding material
| Siding | Typical hail marks | Easy to miss |
|---|---|---|
| Vinyl | Cracks, holes, broken lap edges | Hairline cracks that open in cold weather |
| Aluminum and steel | Round dents, chipped paint | Shallow dents seen only in low-angle light |
| Wood and hardboard | Splits, dents, crushed corners | Small splits that let water in later |
| Fiber cement | Chipped finish, cracked corners, broken boards | Chips at the bottom edge of each lap |
Haag Engineering’s ice-ball tests on vinyl and metal siding found that thin vinyl can fracture from ice around an inch across and that metal siding dents at three-quarters of an inch to an inch, while the lap was vinyl’s weak point. Fiber cement was not part of that study. The lab ice was denser than natural hail, so those are rough guides, not a rule. More detail is in hail-damaged vinyl siding and hail on fiber cement and wood siding.
Documenting siding damage yourself
- Photograph each elevation from the same distance, then close-ups of individual hits with a coin or tape measure for scale.
- Note the storm date and save local reports. Our Colorado Springs hail history page and the storm archive list major events.
- Check the soft metals: window wraps (see hail-damaged windows), gutters, downspouts, vents and the AC fins. Matching dents on several of them support a storm date.
- Check the roof too. Our Colorado Springs hail damage page explains what roof damage looks like.
- Do not make permanent repairs before the damage is documented, but do cover broken spots that let water in.
How homeowner policies usually treat siding
Every policy is different, so read yours, but these terms come up on almost every siding claim:
- Deductible. Some policies use a separate wind and hail deductible, sometimes a percentage of the dwelling coverage. Siding and roof damage from one storm usually fall under one deductible.
- Replacement cost or actual cash value. A replacement cost policy often pays actual cash value first and releases the held-back depreciation after the work is done. Our guide on how long you have to recover depreciation explains the timing.
- Matching. When damaged boards cannot be matched, the question is how much of the wall gets replaced. Ask your adjuster how your policy handles it.
- Cosmetic damage exclusions. Some policies exclude dents that do not affect function, especially on metal. Check for that language before you file.
- Code upgrades. Ordinance or law coverage, if you have it, can pay for code-required work on a re-side, such as a new water-resistive barrier.
If a claim is denied or underpaid, options when an adjuster denies damage and how the appraisal process works apply to siding as well as roofs. Our step-by-step insurance claim guide walks through the whole process.
When the replacement is approved
A storm replacement is a chance to fix the wall, not just the skin. We tear off to the sheathing, repair rot, install a continuous barrier and flashing, and usually re-side in James Hardie fiber cement, which is our main siding product. In mapped wildfire areas, a large re-side can bring code rules into play; see WUI siding rules. Read more on siding replacement in Colorado Springs and fiber cement siding.
Book a siding and roof inspection
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred roofing contractor with 650+ Google reviews. Call (719) 488-2800 or book a free inspection; we respond the same business day.
Sources: Herzog, Morrison, Patnode and Green (Haag Engineering), Ice Ball Impact Testing of Siding, 2012 (IIBEC); IBHS, Building Vulnerability to Hailstorms; Colorado Division of Insurance.
