Hail Damage Claim

The step-by-step workflow

1. 1

   Confirm the hail event and establish your date of loss

   Insurers require a specific date of loss, and hail claims hinge on showing a covered storm actually reached your address. Look up the event in NOAA's National Weather Service Storm Events Database or the Storm Prediction Center's local storm reports, which log hail size and location by date. Radar-based hail estimates (MESH, the maximum estimated size of hail) and local news coverage can corroborate it. Save these records, because they help if the adjuster questions whether hail caused the damage or whether it is older wear and tear.

2. 2

   Make temporary repairs and prevent further damage

   Most policies impose a duty to mitigate, meaning you must take reasonable steps to stop additional loss, such as tarping a punctured roof or covering broken windows, or the insurer may deny the added damage. Do not make permanent repairs before the adjuster inspects. Keep all receipts for tarps, boarding, and emergency work, since those costs are often reimbursable. Photograph the damage before and after any temporary fix.

3. 3

   Document the damage in detail

   Take clear, dated photos and video of every affected area: hood, roof, trunk, and body panels on a vehicle; shingles, siding, gutters, vents, screens, and AC condenser fins on a home. Use wide shots to establish location and close-ups to show individual hail hits. For homes, note dents in soft metals like gutters and downspouts, because they help confirm hail size and storm direction. Make a written inventory of damaged items and keep it with your records.

4. 4

   Identify the right coverage and your deductible

   Vehicle hail damage is covered under comprehensive (other-than-collision) coverage, which is optional unless a lender or lease requires it; liability and collision do not apply. Home hail damage to the roof, siding, and structure falls under the dwelling portion of a standard homeowners policy, since wind and hail are typically covered perils unless specifically excluded. Read your declarations page for the exact deductible; auto comprehensive deductibles commonly range from roughly $250 to $1,000. Note that hail striking both your car and house triggers two separate claims and two separate deductibles.

5. 5

   Understand ACV vs. RCV and roof settlement schedules

   Homeowners policies pay on either Actual Cash Value (ACV), which subtracts depreciation, or Replacement Cost Value (RCV), which pays to replace with like kind and quality. With RCV, insurers typically pay the ACV amount first and hold back recoverable depreciation, releasing it after you complete repairs and submit invoices. Many policies apply a roof-specific settlement schedule that reduces payment on older roofs to ACV based on age, so an aging roof may recover far less than a new one. Check your policy for any roof surfacing or roof payment schedule endorsement.

6. 6

   Check for cosmetic exclusions and percentage wind/hail deductibles

   Some policies carry a cosmetic damage exclusion, common on metal roofs and siding, that denies dents which do not affect function or useful life. In hail-prone states such as Texas, Colorado, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska, homeowners policies frequently apply a separate wind/hail deductible calculated as a percentage of your dwelling coverage, typically in the 1% to 5% range, rather than a flat dollar amount. On a home with substantial dwelling coverage, that percentage can be far larger than a standard deductible, so calculate it before assuming a claim is worthwhile. These terms appear on your declarations page and policy endorsements.

7. 7

   File promptly and note claim deadlines

   Report the claim as soon as reasonably possible; policies require prompt notice and limit how long after the storm you can file. Many policies set a filing window such as one year from the date of loss, though this varies by policy and state, and some hail-prone states have specific statutory deadlines. Delay makes it harder to prove the damage came from a particular storm rather than gradual deterioration. Get your claim number and the adjuster's contact information in writing.

8. 8

   Vet contractors and avoid storm-chaser scams

   After major hail, door-to-door storm-chaser contractors often appear offering fast roof work. Treat as red flags any pressure to sign immediately, offers to waive or absorb your deductible (which is insurance fraud and illegal in many states), demands for large upfront deposits, or contracts that assign your claim rights through an Assignment of Benefits (AOB). Verify state licensing and liability insurance, check local references and a permanent local address, and get every promise in writing before signing. A legitimate contractor will wait for the adjuster's inspection.

9. 9

   Prepare for and attend the adjuster inspection

   The insurer will send a field adjuster to inspect and write an estimate; ask to be present. Adjusters typically chalk off 10-by-10-foot test squares on the roof, count qualifying hail hits, and examine soft metals to confirm the damage is storm-related and recent. Provide your photos, the NOAA storm record, and your damage inventory, and point out every affected area, including less-obvious spots like vents and window screens. Having your own reputable contractor walk the roof with the adjuster can help ensure nothing is missed.

10. 10

    Review the settlement and use your dispute rights

    Read the adjuster's scope and estimate line by line to confirm it captures all damage with correct pricing, materials, and depreciation. If your policy is RCV, complete repairs and submit final invoices to recover the held-back depreciation. If you disagree with the amount, you can request a re-inspection, submit a competing contractor estimate, or invoke your policy's appraisal clause, which brings in independent appraisers and an umpire to resolve the dispute. You may also contact your state insurance department if you believe the claim was handled unfairly.

FAQ

Will filing a hail claim raise my insurance rates?

Hail damage is generally treated as a comprehensive (auto) or weather-related (home) loss, which insurers classify as not-at-fault because you did not cause it. A single weather claim is less likely to affect your premium the way an at-fault accident would, but it is not guaranteed, since carriers vary and multiple claims can influence your rate or renewal. Widespread hail events can also affect future pricing across an entire region regardless of whether you personally file. Ask your insurer or agent how a claim would specifically affect your policy before deciding.

Is hail damage to my car always a total loss?

Not usually. Most vehicle hail damage is cosmetic denting that can be fixed with paintless dent repair (PDR), which preserves the factory paint. A car is declared a total loss only when the estimated repair cost exceeds a certain percentage of its actual cash value, a threshold set by state law or insurer policy. Severe hail that shatters glass and heavily damages panels can push an older or lower-value vehicle over that line, but the insurer makes that determination after inspecting the car.

Why is my roof claim paying so much less than a new roof costs?

The most common reasons are depreciation and roof-specific settlement terms. If your policy pays Actual Cash Value or applies a roof payment schedule based on age, an older roof is paid at a depreciated value rather than full replacement cost. If you have Replacement Cost coverage, the insurer usually pays the ACV amount first and releases the remaining recoverable depreciation only after you complete repairs and submit invoices. Check your declarations page and endorsements to see which settlement basis applies to your roof.

What is a percentage wind/hail deductible and how do I calculate it?

In many hail-prone states, homeowners policies apply a separate deductible for wind and hail expressed as a percentage of your dwelling coverage (Coverage A) rather than a flat dollar figure, commonly in the 1% to 5% range. To estimate it, multiply that percentage by your dwelling coverage amount; for example, 2% of a $300,000 dwelling limit works out to a $6,000 deductible. This can be much higher than a standard deductible, so review it before filing. The exact percentage and how it is applied are listed on your declarations page.

A contractor offered to waive my deductible if I sign today. Is that legal?

No. Offering to waive, absorb, or eat your deductible is insurance fraud in many states, and going along with it can expose you to liability as well. It typically means the contractor inflates the estimate submitted to the insurer to cover the amount, or performs substandard work. Be equally cautious about signing an Assignment of Benefits (AOB) that hands your claim rights to the contractor, or paying a large deposit upfront. Work only with licensed, insured, locally established contractors, and get everything in writing.