Hailstorms are a fact of life in North Texas. Here is exactly what to do in the hours and days after hail hits your roof, and when to bring in a professional.
When a hailstorm rolls through Dallas, the instinct is to run outside and look up at your roof. Resist it until the storm has fully passed. Hail can return in waves, lightning often accompanies these storms, and wet surfaces are dangerous. Your first job is simply to stay safe and stay dry.
Once the sky clears, there are a few things you should not do. Do not climb onto your roof to look for damage. Hail-weakened shingles are slippery, and you cannot tell from above whether the decking beneath you is sound. Do not let a door-knocking “storm chaser” pressure you into signing anything on the spot. And do not start permanent repairs yet — anything you change before it is documented can complicate an insurance claim later.
What you can do right away is walk around your property at ground level and take notes. Look at your cars, patio furniture, gutters, and siding. If the hail was big enough to dent those, your roof almost certainly took a hit too. Jot down the date and approximate time of the storm while it is fresh in your mind.
You do not need a ladder to spot the early evidence of hail damage. Walk the perimeter of your home and look closely at the “soft metals” — the parts of your home that dent easily and tell the story of what hit your roof.
Seeing one or two of these signs does not automatically mean you need a new roof, but it does mean your roof deserves a professional look. Hail bruising — where the shingle mat is fractured beneath an intact-looking surface — is invisible from the ground and only shows up under a trained inspection. That hidden damage is what shortens a roof’s life and eventually lets water in.
Before anything is cleaned up, repaired, or touched, document the damage. Good documentation protects you whether you end up filing an insurance claim or simply want a clear record for your own files.
Start with wide shots of each side of your house, then move closer: photograph dented gutters, damaged screens, cracked siding, and granule piles at the downspouts. If you can safely photograph roof slopes from the ground with a zoom lens or binoculars-and-phone combination, capture any dark spots or visibly damaged shingles. Include a common object for scale where it helps, and make sure your phone’s date stamp is on.
Write down the essentials while you remember them: the date and time of the storm, the approximate size of the hail (pea, quarter, golf ball), which direction the storm came from, and any leaks or drips you notice inside afterward. Store the photos somewhere safe — cloud backup is ideal — and do not delete them after a repair is finished. If questions come up months later, that record is your evidence.
Hail rarely punches clean through a roof on its own, but it creates weak points — cracked shingles, fractured mats, loosened flashing — where the next rainstorm finds its way in. If water is actively coming through your ceiling, act quickly, but act safely.
Inside the house, move furniture and valuables away from drips, place buckets or tubs to catch water, and lay down towels to protect flooring. If a ceiling is bulging with trapped water, do not poke it yourself; call a professional, since releasing it the wrong way can cause a larger collapse.
Do not attempt to tarp the roof yourself. Tarping means climbing onto a wet, hail-damaged surface, which is exactly the fall risk described above. If your roof needs emergency covering, call a roofing company that offers emergency service — DFW Roofing LLC answers 24/7 at (972) 853-6474 — and let a trained crew secure it. A properly fastened emergency tarp buys you time without putting anyone in danger.
Call for a professional hail inspection if any of the following are true: you saw hail larger than about an inch, your gutters or siding show fresh dents, granules are washing out of your downspouts, you notice any interior drips or stains after the storm, or your neighbors are finding damage on their roofs. Hail falls unevenly, so a neighbor’s damage does not guarantee yours — but it is a strong hint worth checking.
Do not wait for a leak to appear before calling. Hail bruising can take months to work its way into a visible problem, and by then the damage has spread. An inspection shortly after the storm gives you the clearest picture and the strongest documentation. DFW Roofing LLC provides free inspections across the Dallas area, so there is no cost to find out exactly where you stand.
A proper hail inspection goes far beyond a quick glance from the driveway. A trained roofer walks every slope of the roof and checks each component hail is known to damage.
On the shingles themselves, the inspector looks for bruising — soft spots where the fiberglass mat has fractured — along with granule loss, cracks, splits, and punctures. They examine the flashing around chimneys, skylights, and vents, since bent or loosened flashing is a prime leak source after a storm. Gutters, downspouts, and roof vents get checked for dents that confirm the size and force of the hail.
The inspection also includes an attic check where accessible: daylight shining through the roof boards, damp insulation, or water staining on the underside of the decking all point to breaches. You should receive the findings in plain language with photos of everything the inspector found, plus a clear recommendation — whether that means a targeted repair, a full storm damage roof repair plan, or simply a clean bill of health. If an insurance claim is in your future, that written, photo-documented report is exactly what you want in hand before the adjuster arrives. It also gives you a clear baseline, so if another storm hits later, you can show precisely what was already there and what is new.
Quick answers to common questions on this topic.
As soon as practical — ideally within days. Fresh damage is easiest to document, and most insurance policies expect prompt notice of a potential claim. Waiting months lets bruised shingles deteriorate further and can weaken your position if you later need to file. A free inspection costs nothing, so there is no reason to delay.
Coverage depends on the terms of your individual policy, and no roofer can guarantee how a claim will turn out. Most Texas homeowners policies do include hail damage, minus your deductible. Document everything with photos, contact your insurer promptly, and get a professional inspection first so you know exactly what you are filing for. Note that Texas law prohibits contractors from waiving or absorbing your insurance deductible.
Yes, and this is the most common scenario. Hail bruising fractures the shingle mat beneath a surface that can look normal from the driveway. Granule loss may be the only visible clue. Because this hidden damage shortens shingle life and eventually leads to leaks, a hands-on professional inspection is the only reliable way to know the true condition of your roof after a hailstorm.
It is smarter to get the inspection first. A professional assessment tells you whether the damage is significant enough to justify a claim — filing a claim that results in no payout can still show up on your claims history. With a documented inspection report in hand, you can file confidently and speak knowledgeably when the adjuster visits.
Do not wait for a leak. Hail-weakened shingles continue to deteriorate with sun and weather exposure, and what starts as bruising becomes cracking, then leaking. Addressing damage promptly keeps a repair small instead of letting it grow into a larger — and more expensive — problem. If you suspect damage, schedule a free inspection and get a clear answer.
More roofing guides from DFW Roofing LLC.
Learn to spot missing shingles, lifted edges, and other wind damage from the safety of the ground.
Read Article →A plain-language look at deductibles, documentation, and what to expect when filing a hail claim.
Read Article →Localized damage or system failure? How to make the right call for your Dallas roof.
Read Article →Call DFW Roofing LLC at (972) 853-6474 or request your free hail inspection online. We serve Dallas and surrounding DFW communities, 24/7.
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