What to do after hail or wind damages your Texas roof: document it, prevent more damage, file the claim, meet the adjuster and understand deductibles.
A spring hailstorm can roll through in fifteen minutes and leave a roof full of bruised shingles that won't leak until months later. That delay is why so many Texas homeowners file late, or end up arguing with their insurer over whether the damage came from the storm or from age.
Here's how to handle storm damage in the right order, from the first walk around the house to the final check.
Stay off the roof. Wet shingles are slick, and storm damage can hide weak spots. Instead, walk around the house and look for clues from the ground:
Take photos and video of everything, and note the date and time of the storm. A photo of hailstones next to a coin or a ruler helps show their size. Neighbors filing claims for the same storm can also help establish what happened on your street.
Most homeowners policies expect you to take reasonable steps to protect the house from further damage. If water is coming in, a tarp over the damaged area, buckets under drips and moving belongings out of the way all count. Keep receipts for tarps, materials and any emergency service. Don't make permanent repairs before the adjuster sees the damage unless you have to, and if you do, document it thoroughly first.
Have an established roofer inspect the roof before or around the time you file. Hail damage on asphalt shingles often shows up as soft spots or dark circles where granules were knocked loose, and it's hard to see from the ground. A good inspector will photograph damage on each slope and check soft metals like vents and flashing for dents.
After a big storm, you'll get offers from crews you've never heard of. Our article on why a local roofer matters in storm season explains how to spot storm chasers. Keep two Texas rules in mind: it's illegal for a contractor to pay or waive your deductible, and a roofer can't act as your public adjuster.
Read your policy, or call your agent, to learn your deductible and any deadlines. Many Texas policies have a separate wind and hail deductible set as a percentage of your dwelling coverage, such as 1 or 2 percent. On a home with $300,000 in dwelling coverage, a 2 percent deductible is $6,000, so know that number before you start.
File promptly. Policies often require notice as soon as practical, and some set a firm deadline for wind and hail claims. Waiting months makes it harder to prove the damage came from a specific storm. When you file, give the storm date and share your photos.
The insurance company will send an adjuster to inspect. It helps to have your roofer there too, so they can point out damage the adjuster might miss. The adjuster then writes up an estimate of covered damage. A few terms to understand when you get it:
Estimates sometimes leave out items like drip edge, pipe boots, ridge vents, code required upgrades or damaged decking. Your roofer can prepare a supplement with photos and measurements and send it through your insurer's process. If the insurer still disagrees, you can ask for a reinspection, use the appraisal clause found in many policies, or hire a public adjuster, who works for you rather than the insurance company. The Texas Department of Insurance also takes consumer complaints and runs a help line for policyholders.
Once the claim is approved, sign a written contract with your roofer that matches the scope in the insurance estimate. Ask for photos during tear-off, especially of any decking that gets replaced. When the work is done, send the final invoice to your insurer to recover any held back depreciation, and get a lien release from the roofer when you pay in full.
If the roof is being replaced anyway, it's a good time to consider upgrades the claim won't cover, like Class 4 impact resistant shingles or metal, which may lower future premiums with some insurers. Our hail damage page has more on what hail does to a roof.
Texas Energy Pros can inspect your roof after a storm, document what we find and work from your adjuster's estimate. If a leak got into the attic, we'll check the insulation too, since wet insulation loses much of its value. Contact us to schedule, and ask about our free home energy audit while we're there. More reading is in our roofing guides.
