How to File a Hail Claim
Document the damage, call your insurer to open the claim, then get a licensed contractor's estimate before repairs begin.
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What happens once you call it in
An adjuster is assigned to inspect the roof, siding and anything else you reported, and will confirm whether the damage matches wind or hail rather than wear and age, since that distinction decides whether it's covered. Your policy likely has a separate wind and hail deductible, often a percentage of your dwelling coverage rather than a flat dollar amount, and that's what applies here instead of your regular deductible. Check your declarations page for the figure. Get your contractor's estimate in before the adjuster's visit if you can, since a second number on paper tends to speed up settlement. If you and the insurer disagree on scope or cost, most policies include an appraisal process for exactly that. Keep receipts for any temporary repairs, like tarping a roof, since those are usually reimbursable.
A wind and hail deductible running two or three percent of your dwelling coverage can mean thousands out of pocket before your policy pays anything. That figure is based on your current coverage amount, not what you signed up with years ago. If your coverage hasn't kept pace with rebuilding costs, this is where the gap shows up. Comparing what other policies would charge for the same roof is worth a few minutes.
What if the adjuster's number is too low
An adjuster's first estimate is not the final word. If it comes in lower than your contractor's number, or leaves out damage you can see, you can push back. Send photos, your contractor's written estimate, and a plain explanation of what you think was missed. Most insurers will send a second adjuster or revise the estimate once they have more to work with.
If that doesn't resolve it, your policy's appraisal process is there for this exact disagreement. Each side picks an appraiser, those two pick a neutral umpire, and the umpire settles any point the appraisers can't agree on. It costs something, since you're paying your own appraiser, but it's usually faster and cheaper than a lawsuit, and it's built into the policy for a reason.
Roof damage from hail can be easy to underestimate from the ground. Bruised shingles, granule loss, and cracked seals don't always show up in a quick walk-around, and a roof that looks fine from the driveway can still have lost years of life. A contractor who does this kind of inspection regularly will know what to look for and can document it in a way that holds up with the insurer.
Timing matters too. Most policies set a window for filing a claim after a storm, often a year or less, and a separate window for completing repairs once the claim is approved. If a temporary fix, like a tarp or boarded window, is still in place when that second window closes, check with your insurer before it lapses. Delays with contractors or materials are common after a big storm, and most insurers will work with a reasonable timeline if you keep them informed instead of letting a deadline pass quietly.
What if the insurer says the roof was already old or worn
Insurers sometimes point to the roof's age instead of the storm. They'll argue the shingles were already near the end of their life and that the damage is wear, not wind or hail, and wear isn't covered. This comes up most with roofs past fifteen or twenty years, even when there's real hail damage on top of that age.
Age and damage aren't the same question. A roof can be old and still have storm damage on it, and the adjuster's job is to separate the two, not use one to wave away the other. Granule loss in a pattern that matches hail impact, cracked seals on a specific slope, soft spots where a branch came down. Each of these points to the storm, regardless of how many years the roof has on it. A contractor's estimate that documents the damage specifically, rather than describing the roof in general, makes this easier to argue.
Some policies pay less on roofs past a certain age by design, often shifting from full replacement cost to actual cash value, which subtracts depreciation for the years the roof has already had. That's a term in the policy itself, not something an adjuster decides on the spot. Check the declarations page or the roof's specific coverage terms before assuming either way. If the policy does pay actual cash value on an older roof and the payout seems low, ask for the depreciation schedule used, since those numbers are sometimes negotiable too.
If the disagreement comes down to whether the damage is storm-related at all, that's exactly what the appraisal process and a second contractor opinion are for. An independent roofing inspection, done by someone with no stake in the insurer's number, carries weight here. Photos taken right after the storm help as well, since granule loss and bruising can be harder to see weeks later once the roof has weathered further.
Before you call
Find your declarations page and check the wind and hail deductible, the roof's coverage terms, and the filing deadline after a storm. Having those numbers ready makes the whole claim move faster.
