Key numbers
The National Weather Service raised its severe hail threshold from 0.75 inch to 1.00 inch in 2010 (NOAA/NWS Storm Prediction Center, 2010).
| More than 20% | Sixteen U.S. states had severe hail affect more than 20% of roofs in 2025, up from 12 states in 2024. Source: Insurance Journal (reporting Verisk), 2025 |
|---|---|
| About 1 | In IBHS's 2024 field campaign, 26 of 32 shingle test panels were hit by hail about 1 inch or larger. Source: Roofing Contractor, 2024 |
| 57.9% | U.S. homeowners hail loss cost rose 57.9% from 2022 to 2023, with claim frequency up 53.6%, per LexisNexis. Source: LexisNexis Risk Solutions, 2022-2023 |
A roofer inspects a roof for hail damage in a set order: first the ground around the house for collateral damage, then the soft metals on the roof, then the ridge and hip caps, the valleys and finally the field shingles on every slope, looking and feeling for bruises, cracks and punctures. Each confirmed hit is marked with chalk and photographed so the homeowner and the adjuster see the same evidence. The point is to separate fresh hail damage from wear, slope by slope, before anyone files a claim.
Step 1: The ground check
A good inspection starts at the perimeter, because the yard tells you the hail’s size and direction before anyone climbs.
- Window screens. Hail tears and punctures screen mesh, and vinyl window beading punctures easily.
- Wood fences and decks. Weathered wood shows fresh impact marks clearly.
- The air conditioner. Dented condenser fins are common after hail.
- Gutters and downspouts. Dents, and fresh granules washed out at the downspouts.
If the ground check shows hail, the roof gets a full inspection. If it does not, we still look at the roof, because hail can hit one side of a house harder than another.
Step 2: The soft metals
Metal on the roof records every stone that hit it. We check vent caps, ridge vents, pipe flashing, chimney caps and drip edge for dents and note their size. Dented caps are a reliable sign the shingles around them were hit too.
Step 3: Ridge, hips and valleys
- Ridge and hip caps. The rounded crown of a cap shingle takes direct hits, and caps are thinner and wear faster than field shingles, so damage shows early. Holes in caps need a temporary repair right away.
- Valleys. Shingles bent through a valley sometimes leave a small gap above the decking. Where the shingle is not fully supported, hail breaks it more easily.
Step 4: The field shingles, slope by slope
We look for three kinds of hail damage on asphalt shingles:
- Granule loss at the point of impact, exposing black asphalt.
- Bruising, a soft spot where the mat under the granules is broken. You feel it before you see it: run a hand over the shingle the way you would check fruit for bruises.
- Cuts and punctures, irregular breaks that expose fresh asphalt or the mat.
Fresh hits are dark black. The sun’s ultraviolet light grays exposed asphalt over time, so gray marks are older. Hailstones also come in odd shapes, not just round balls, so the marks are not always circles. That variety is why an inexperienced inspector can mistake hail for wear, or the reverse; our guide to telling hail damage from normal wear shows the look-alikes.
Every confirmed hit is circled in chalk and every slope is photographed, so the count can be checked.
What hail size means for your roof
| Hail size | What we usually find |
|---|---|
| Penny size, under 1 inch | Older roofs may be damaged; leaks are unlikely right away |
| 1 inch, quarter size | Severe by the National Weather Service definition; damage likely on older shingles and soft metal |
| 1 to 1.75 inches | Damage becomes visible even to an untrained eye; metal caps dented |
| 1.75 inches and up, golf ball and larger | Damage typical on most asphalt roofs; 2 inches and up is significant hail by the Storm Prediction Center’s definition |
Safety first
If you look at your own roof, do it from the ground with binoculars. If you do climb, the ladder must be on firm, level ground, extend a few feet past the eave and be secured, with someone holding it while you step on and off. Wet, hail-damaged shingles are slippery.
Inspection before the claim
We recommend an inspection before you file, and having a qualified inspector there when the insurance adjuster comes. Some insurers apply stricter standards than others to the same marks, and photos plus a second set of eyes are the best answer. The ground-level checks are in our Colorado Springs after-the-storm checklist, and for Pueblo homes see hail damage in Pueblo. Storm history matters too: the July 28, 2016 hailstorm shows how big Colorado Springs hail gets. Austin homeowners can follow 5 steps after a storm damages your Austin roof.
Book a hail inspection
Integrity Roofing and Painting is veteran-owned and family-run since 1990, an Owens Corning Platinum Preferred contractor with 650+ Google reviews. In Colorado Springs, call (719) 488-2800 or book a free roof inspection; for repairs, see hail damage roof repair. In the Denver area, see Denver storm damage repair.
Sources: National Weather Service, glossary: severe thunderstorm; NOAA Storm Prediction Center, about SPC products (significant severe hail). Hail size observations are from our own inspections.
