How to Document Hail Damage for an Insurance Claim: Photos, Dates and Records

Why documentation matters

After a hailstorm, adjusters may be busy with many claims, and hail damage is often subtle. Clear photos, dates and records help your insurer understand what happened and when, and they help you answer questions without relying on memory. The Texas Department of Insurance advises taking pictures and video of the damage, making a list of the damage inside and outside the house, and not throwing away damaged items until your insurance company says you can.

Step 1: Pin down when the storm hit

The date of loss matters, especially if you've had more than one storm. Write down the date and time the hail fell, and save weather alerts or news reports about it. If you can do so safely during or right after the storm, take a photo of hailstones next to a coin or ruler for scale. Public weather records can back this up: NOAA's Storm Prediction Center posts storm reports by date, the National Centers for Environmental Information keeps a Storm Events Database, and volunteers in the CoCoRaHS network report hail measurements. These show where hail was reported, not what happened to your particular roof, so treat them as supporting evidence.

Step 2: Walk the property from the ground

Start with the soft metals, which show hail hits clearly: gutters, downspouts, roof vents, flashing, window frames, the outdoor AC unit's fins, the mailbox and metal fences. Then check siding, window screens, glass, painted trim, the deck or patio furniture and garage doors. Take a wide photo of each side of the house, then close-ups of individual dents with something in the frame for scale. The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association's published evaluation guidelines ask its field adjusters for elevation photos of all four sides, overview and close-up photos, and documentation of soft metals, screens and gutters, whether or not damage is found.

Step 3: Look at the roof without going on it

Use binoculars, the zoom on your phone, or a view from an upstairs window. Look for missing or lifted shingles, fresh-looking spots where the granules have been knocked off, cracked shingles, and dented metal roofing components. The TWIA guidelines describe typical hail signs as bruising and fractures on composition shingles, dents on metal roofing, cracks on tile, and splits or splinters on wood shake, and say granule loss alone generally does not count as hail damage to a composition roof. Whether a roof is actually damaged is a call for a qualified inspector, so leave the roof-level photos to a pro.

What is a roof test square?

Inspectors often mark off a 10-foot by 10-foot area on a roof slope, count the hail hits inside it and photograph it; TWIA's guidelines describe doing this for each side of the roof, with annotated photos. Insurers and roofers use their own standards, and the results are only one input. This is professional work done on the roof, so don't mark or measure the roof yourself. Ask your roofer or the adjuster for the photos and counts, and keep copies.

Step 4: Photograph inside the house and attic

Look for new ceiling stains, damp insulation, peeling paint and water marks on walls. If you can safely reach the attic hatch, photograph the underside of the roof deck where water might be coming in. The TWIA guidelines include attic photos showing any evidence of interior damage or ongoing leaks. Outline stains in pencil with the date so you can show if they grow. If water is coming in, protect the home and read our article on roof leaks after a storm.

Step 5: Keep records, not just photos

Keep original photo and video files; phones save the date and time with each one. Make a simple log: date and time, what you did, who you spoke to at the insurance company and what was said. The Texas Department of Insurance recommends keeping a list of everyone you talk to at your insurance company, and saving receipts for any temporary repairs. Keep a folder with your policy declarations page, so you know your deductible and any separate wind or hail deductible.

Step 6: Protect the house from more damage

If rain can get in, temporary protection is usually expected. The Texas Department of Insurance says to cover broken windows and holes to keep rain out, to save receipts, and notes that your policy may pay for temporary repairs. Ask your insurer before authorizing anything permanent, and don't make permanent repairs before the adjuster sees the damage.

Cars and other property

Hail damage to a vehicle is generally handled under the vehicle's own policy rather than your homeowners policy; the Texas Department of Insurance notes that comprehensive coverage on an auto policy is what typically applies. Document your car the same way: wide shots, close-ups of dents and a photo of the odometer.

Choose contractors carefully

The Texas Department of Insurance advises getting more than one bid or repair estimate, checking references, not paying in full up front, never signing a contract with blank spaces, and avoiding contractors who offer to waive your deductible, which it says is illegal there. Ask any roofer who inspects the roof to give you the photos and a written description of what they found.

How we can help

ClaimToRepair makes the insurance side easier and gets the repairs done. One licensed local pro can do a free inspection, document the damage with photos and an estimate you can share with your adjuster, and quote the repairs. We don't file, negotiate or adjust claims, and only your insurer decides what is covered.

Sources

• Texas Department of Insurance: Hail damage to your home or car? What to do next.
• Texas Windstorm Insurance Association: Property Damage Evaluation Guidelines (PDF)
• NOAA Storm Prediction Center: Storm Reports
• NOAA NCEI: Storm Events Database
• CoCoRaHS: Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network
• Texas Department of Insurance: Help after a storm