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 |
| $5453.9 million | NOAA lists 'Rockies Hail Storms and Central and Eastern Severe Weather (June 2023)' (2023-06-21 to 2023-06-26) among billion-dollar disasters affecting Colorado, at $5453.9 million CPI-adjusted ($5244 million unadjusted). Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2023 |
| About 3.5 million | About 3.5 million U.S. households reported missing roofing material, 1.9 million a sagging roof and 1.5 million a hole in the roof in the 2023 American Housing Survey. Source: Roofing Contractor (reporting Instant Roofer analysis of 2023 AHS), 2023 |
| 1007 | August accounted for 1007 of Colorado's 6848 NOAA-logged hail reports from 2010 through 2025 (about 14.7%). Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 2010-2025 |
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 damage on a Colorado Springs roof shows up as bruised or cracked shingles, bare spots where granules were knocked off, and dents in metal vents, flashing and gutters. Some of it is visible from the ground, but most of it is only obvious up close. The fix is either a targeted repair or a full replacement, and the line between them depends on how many shingles were hit and how badly. Integrity Roofing and Painting inspects for free, photographs every hit, and tells you honestly which side of that line your roof is on.
Hail is a real risk here, not a rumor
On July 28, 2016, the National Weather Service in Pueblo reported widespread baseball-sized hail in Colorado Springs, with damage claims topping $350 million. Most storms are smaller than that, but even pea-to-marble hail repeated over several seasons wears a shingle roof down. Our storm archive gives the NOAA record for other major El Paso County storms, including the June 13, 2018 overnight storm, the August 6, 2018 storm with softball hail near Widefield, the August 5, 2020 storm, the August 5, 2023 storm from the Academy to Schriever and the July 4, 2010 storm.
What to check from the ground
You can do a first pass without a ladder:
- Walk the house and look at gutters, downspouts and window screens for dents or tears.
- Check painted surfaces: chipped trim, spattered siding, and pitted fence stain all point to hail. (Hail-chipped paint is something we repair too; see our painting page, and for fiber cement, painting Hardie board siding.)
- Look in the gutters and at the bottom of downspouts for piles of dark granules.
- Note whether neighbors on your street have roofers on their roofs.
If any of these show damage, the roof almost certainly took hits too. Do not climb onto a wet or steep roof to check; that is what the free inspection is for.
The hidden hazard: crushed vent caps
The Pikes Peak Regional Building Department (PPRBD) warns that large hail can damage the vent cap on the flue for a gas water heater or furnace badly enough that exhaust cannot escape the home, which can expose your family to carbon monoxide. PPRBD suggests installing carbon monoxide detectors outside every sleeping room and having a qualified contractor check the roof vent. We look at every flue cap during a hail inspection. Under PPRBD guidelines a roofer may replace the vent cap, collar and jack on a B-vent; anything beyond that goes to a licensed HVAC contractor.
Repair or replace: how the decision gets made
- Repair fits when hits are scattered on one slope, the shingles are still pliable, and matching replacements are available. Under 100 square feet, PPRBD does not require a permit. If your adjuster calls dents on metal trim or vents cosmetic, check your policy for a cosmetic damage exclusion.
- Replacement fits when damage runs across most slopes or the shingles are too brittle to lift without breaking. A replacement needs a PPRBD reroof permit pulled by a licensed contractor, all old layers come off, and drip edge goes on the eaves and rakes.
If the roof is being replaced anyway, it is the cheapest moment to move up to an impact-rated shingle; our Class 4 shingle comparison explains the ratings, and metal roofing is another option that handles hail well. On a mapped wildfire lot, a replacement can also trigger the state wildfire roof rules; see our Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code guide.
Your claim stays yours
If you file with your insurer, the claim is between you and your carrier. Our part is documentation: we photograph every hit and make sure nothing gets missed in the scope. Before you call, read what an insurance roof replacement involves, how long you have to finish repairs and still recover depreciation, and what to do if the adjuster denies the claim. For wind, snow and leak emergencies, start at the storm damage repair overview.
Who inspects your roof
We are veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with an A+ BBB rating and 650+ Google reviews. Call (719) 488-2800 and we will reach out the same business day to set up the inspection. If the estimate comes in above what insurance covers, ask about financing.
Sources: PPRBD, Do You Have Roof Damage From a Storm?; PPRBD Reroofing Guidelines (rev. 03/05/2024); NWS Pueblo, 2016 annual climate summary.
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